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with advantage. For cutting, a chopper or heavy knife is used, and 

 the method is similar to cutting sugar cane, the plant being caught 

 by the left hand and cut close to the ground at a single stroke. 

 They should be removed with as little delay as possible to a shed, to 

 prevent them becoming sunburnt, and in large plantations tem- 

 porary structures are erected in the field for this purpose, consisting 

 of an open framework laid crosswise about five feet from the 

 ground, and covered by alight roof of boards or straw. The plants 

 are hung on the light cross rods, which are then carried to the 

 drying shed. The process of curing now commences, and on the 

 success of this operation depends in a great measure the ultimate 

 value of the crop. No matter how fine the plants may be, or how 

 heavy the production, an error in curing is sufficient to destroy, in 

 a great degree, the work of the season. The drying shed should 

 have windows and doors sufficient to ensure a free current of air, 

 but in this colony the ordinary barn, built of slabs, will be sufficiently 

 open to answer this purpose. The barn, or drying shed, should be 

 high enough to permit three rows of plants being hung one above 

 the other, say, 16 to 18 feet from floor to roof. The rods, with the 

 tobacco still hung on them as they are carried from the field, are 

 now placed on poles or scantlings in the shed, and may be as close 

 as possible, so long as the tobacco is not crowded or crushed. In 

 8 or 10 days the leaves will turn yellow, during which time sudden 

 changes of temperature must be guarded against. The thin veins 

 dry first, and gradually the ribs and stalks, until at the end of from 

 six to eight weeks they are all entirely dry, and the tobacco will be 

 ready for stripping. 



The name stripping is at once suggestive of the next operation, 

 which simply consists of breaking the stems of the leaves from the 

 stalk, and at the same time sorting the grades. In order that the 

 leaf may not be damaged, this is usually done on a damp day, when 

 the plants having absorbed some moisture from the air, are pliant 

 and elastic ; or, if the weather continues dry, water may be sprinkled 

 over the floor, so that by evaporation moisture may penetrate 

 through the plants. As the leaves are stripped they are sorted 

 according to quality. The " lugs," or worse quality, are at the 

 bottom of the plant, and should be put along with black and ragged 

 leaves. The second quality (" shipping " tobacco), in America is a 

 grade above the lugs ; these are the red or brown leaves, and they 

 should be tied in separate bundles. The highest quality is called 

 " manufacturing," consisting of the finest and brightest leaves, and 

 these are also kept separate. Other terms in use amongst tobacco- 

 growers for these grades are first quality, " wrappers ; " medium 

 quality, " seconds ; " and the lugs are called " fillers." In forming 

 a bundle of the stripped leaves, the butts are held in the hand and 

 pressed tightly till the hand is full, a leaf is then folded so as to 

 form a wrapper two inches wide, this is wound tightly and smoothly 

 around the butts of the leaves from the end downwards for about 



