110 TOBACCO. 



than No. 1 ; they are adapted for fillers and cut tobacco. 

 The different sorts are kept separate. The best plan is to 

 let the most intelligent man strip the leaves from the 

 stem, and at once separate them according to quality. 

 The leaves should then be made into hands, i. e. 10-20 

 leaves should be tied together by twisting a leaf round 

 the end of the stalks, each sort being attended by a special 

 man, to avoid mixing. The leaves of the first sort being 

 large, 10-15 will be sufficient for a hand ; more are 

 required of the other sorts. When making the hands of 

 the two first sorts, each leaf is taken separately, 

 smoothened on a flat board, and left there while another 

 is treated in the same way, continuing thus until a sufn- 

 cient number is ready to make a hand. When the hand 

 is ready, it is laid aside, and a weight is placed upon it to 

 keep the leaves smooth. 



To sell well, according to Perry Hull, tobacco " should 

 be assorted into three classes or grades, Wrappers, 

 Seconds, and Fillers. The wrappers will include the 

 soundest, best-coloured leaves, the colour (a dark 

 cinnamon) should be as uniform as possible ; this quality 

 should include nothing but what is fit for wrappers. 

 The Seconds, which are used as binders for cigars, &c., 

 will include the small top leaves, of which, if the tobacco 

 was topped too high, there will be one or two to each 

 plant the bad colours, and those leaves somewhat 

 damaged by worms and bad handling, but not so much so 

 as to be ragged. The third class, or Fillers, will include 

 the balance of the crop, bottom leaves, ragged leaves, &c. 

 The tobacco should be done up into hanks of about ^ Ib. 

 each, or about what can be encompassed by the thumb 



