PRODUCTION AND COMMERCE. 175 



plant. The plant ripens in about three months. We cut 

 here in January, and none but ripe plants should be 

 cut. 



" How to Cut Ripe Plants. A tobacco plant is known to 

 be ripe if the leaf cracks when taken between finger and 

 thumb and pressed, and also when the leaves present a 

 swollen appearance and have a heavy look. The stem 

 when cut is full of sap, very thin rind on edge, the leaves 

 are carved over and look mottled, the ribs of the plant 

 get brittle, and are easily broken off; when fully ripe, 

 the plant is cut at one stroke close to the ground. The 

 best instrument to cut the plant with is a kurpie. When 

 cut, the plant is allowed to hang over on its side and wilt 

 or droop in the sun. This wilting takes from one to two 

 hours according to the strength of the sun. When suffi- 

 ciently wilted (which is known when the plants look droop- 

 ing and the ribs can be bent slightly without breaking) the 

 plants are placed in a cart and taken to the curing-house. 

 Plants should not be cut in rainy or cloudy weather, 

 as it is obvious the sun would not be hot enough to wilt 

 were the weather cloudy, and the rain washes off the 

 gum and thereby decreases the weight of the plant. Plants 

 should not be cut after the rain unless the gum has 

 returned to the leaves, which is known by their sticky, 

 gummy feeling." 



The results of many analyses of the tobacco of South 

 India show that the ashes of these tobaccos seldom contain 

 more than 5 or 6 per cent, of potash carbonate, while the 

 ashes of American tobacco contain from 20 to 40 per cent., 

 proving the poverty of Indian tobacco soils in this impor- 

 tant plant-food a plant-food, however, easily obtainable 



