90 TOBACCO. 



under it ; if made too hot at first, the tobacco will turn 

 black. About the second day the ends of the leaves will 

 begin to curl up; then the fire should be gradually 

 increased, till it heats the tobacco blood warm ; it should 

 be kept up so till the leaf is thoroughly cured. If this 

 rule be strictly adhered to, the tobacco will be cured 

 bright. The brighter it is cured the better it sells. 



"Our barns are generally built of logs, some have 

 frames. The barn should be made tight up to the tobacco, 

 which should hang about 8 feet from the ground ; above 

 this leave cracks or air-holes, sufficient for free ventila- 

 tion. A barn to hold 2J acres of tobacco, which is as 

 much as one man can attend to, should be 24 feet square. 

 It should have 5 tiers of poles, the lowest about 6 feet 

 from the ground ; these should extend across the barn, and 

 be fastened at each end into the walls. The poles should 

 be 4 feet apart, and the tiers directly one above another. 

 The sticks which contain the tobacco should be placed 

 within 8 inches of each other, on all the poles except the 

 bottom ones, which should be left vacant directly over the 

 fire. When tobacco is nearly cured, it very readily catches 

 fire. If there be a wet spell of weather before the stalks 

 are thoroughly dry, build a fire under the tobacco suffi- 

 ciently hot to keep it dry. It should not get damp and 

 pliant until the stalks are dry, then it may be allowed to 

 get damp." 



Libhart recommends that the shed " be constructed of 

 timbers strong enough to resist storms, and boarded ' up 

 and down.' About every 3 feet one board should be 

 hinged, to readily open and shut. If it is intended to 

 split and lath the tobacco, the inside of the shed must be 



