Curing and Fermenting Tobacco 291 



it by the hands, at one place and then another 

 in the heap, at intervals of, say, three or four 

 days until the desired colour and flavour is 

 obtained. Excessive heating spoils the colour 

 and the flavour. 



In Behar the plants are carried to some 

 grassy spot and laid out to catch the sun 

 during the day and the clew at night, being 

 turned daily. After a week or so,, the plants 

 are stacked together. After three or four days' 

 heating the stack is broken and the plants are 

 laid out on the ground where they are kept for 

 two or three days. Then the plants are again 

 stacked for four or five days. This process of 

 heaping and spreading on the ground is repeated 

 six or seven times until the leaves and stems 

 are fully dried, when the curing is considered 

 over. The plants are then carried home when 

 the leaves are stripped and separated according 

 to their grades. The former method of curing 

 tobacco is recommended. 



Of late there has been some demand for 

 cigar and cigarette tobacco in India. It would 

 not be feasible for the ordinary Indian raiyats 

 to prepare these classes of tobacco. For the 

 growers of this tobacco, I may point out that 

 the cigarette tobacco should be completely 

 dried very quickly, say within three days, for 

 which artificial heat, gradually rising from 

 80 to 170 F., in a specially constructed room 

 provided with ventilators, is necessary. A lower 

 grade of this tobacco may be dried in the sun. 



