MISCELLANEOUS CROTS. 645 



to be harvested and cured it must be cut when the middle leaves bave 

 matured. The plant should be split down tne middle to within ;i few inches 

 of the bottom, and then chopped off and placed astride the curing stick. 

 The stick must be carried so that the leaves will be clear of the ground* as 



otherwise dirt may adhere to the leaves and depreciate their appearance and 

 value. 



The Method Recommended. 

 A combination of the two harvesting methods — the "priming" method 

 and the whole plant — is recommended to growers as productive" of satisfac- 

 tory result^ without the labour involved by " priming " throughout When 

 the bottom leaves of the plant- have come to maturity they should be primed 

 off and strung, and the upper leaves left until they are ready, when they 

 should be taken off with the stalk attached and strung, as in the case of 

 harvesting the whole plant. 



Curing Tobacco. 

 With very few exceptions, the methods of curing adopted in this State 

 are not such as ensure the best results from the leaf as grown. It should be 

 understood that mere cutting, scaffolding, and hanging in an open shed can 

 never be expected to give good uniform results. Leaf so treated is just dried 

 out. This State is subjected to rapid changes of climatic conditions, and 

 tobacco which is left solely to the wiles of the weather invariably suffers. 



What is termed "sun and air drying" has in the past been the method 

 usually adopted, but it has rarely produced the bright or yellow tobacco 

 now sought for by the manufacturers. Local buyers state that Australian 

 tobacco so dried has an aroma which is peculiar, and not agreeable. Tobacco 

 which has a pleasant aroma is usually agreeable to the palate ; and it is this 

 the grower has to cater for. All our remarks must be taken to refer to the 

 curing of the bright and yellow tobacco, which it should be the aim of every 

 grower to obtain, 



Air-curing. 



As tobacco is so easily affected by climatic conditions and rapid changes 

 of temperature, it is necessary, if the leaf is to be air-cured, that the grower 

 should have at his command a building which can be closed up or opened, 

 as becomes necessary, and the ventilation of which can be perfectly con- 

 trolled. In continuous wet weather the grower must be able to allow a 

 current of air through his barn ; and if dry, hot weather prevails, it must be 

 possible to close the building up completely to prevent too rapid drying of 

 the leaf, or to open the ventilators during the nights. If the leaf is showing 

 signs of fungus, or "pole burn," and the weather is wet, charcoal or 

 corncob fires should be placed in the barn, and the ventilators opened until 

 the excess of moisture has departed. 



Sun and Air Drying. 



Where curing is effected by means of an open shed, as is the usual custom 

 in this State at the present time, the tobacco should be cut late in the after- 

 noon, and hung on the sticks close together. When it has wilted it will be 

 possible to pack much closer. A scaffold should be erected close to the shed, 

 the sticks of tobacco placed close together, and allowed to remain so until 

 the leaf has assumed a yellow colour. When this change of colour has 

 taken place, each stalk should be separated by a space of about 6 inches, 



