98 AGRICULTURE IN THE TROPICS [PT. II 



suitable once more, and an estate is made of about 8 10 times 

 the area cultivated in any one year. The rows are about 

 three feet apart, and the plants are separated by about 18 

 inches in the rows. When, in a few months, the flower buds 

 begin to appear at the top of the stems, they are nipped off, 

 so as to leave the plant with from 10 to 15 leaves; lateral 

 flower buds appear soon after, and must be similarly treated. 

 In three months or so the leaves are ripe, and they are then 

 treated in different ways in different countries. One of the 

 best ways of treatment is that adopted in the West Indies. 

 The plants are cut down and allowed to wither for a short time, 

 and are then carried to the drying house, where they are cut 

 up into short lengths, each length having one pair of leaves. 

 These are hung on sticks and placed in the sun to wither, and 

 are then hung in the drying house for three days, with the 

 leaves touching one another, and then hung more widely apart. 

 When the midribs are perfectly dry, say in 30 days, the leaves 

 are cut off from the stalks, and packed in large heaps, several 

 feet in depth, to ferment, and changed in position in the heap 

 every day or two. After thirty or forty days, all the heat will 

 have gone, and the leaves will now be cured and ready for 

 export. 



In Sumatra much the same plan is followed. The leaves 

 are cut at about 1 p.m., when they are dry and supple. They 

 are dried for 20 30 days, and then sorted into bundles of 

 different qualities and fermented. Bamboos are put into the 

 fermentation heaps and by the aid of thermometers placed in 

 them the fermentation is regulated. 



Of late years some successful work has been done, especially 

 in temperate-zone countries, in growing tobacco under shade, it 

 being grown in light sheds roofed with cheese-cloth. By this 

 means larger plants are produced, there is less damage by 

 insects, etc., and a fine quality of wrapper leaf is obtained. 



Great efforts are constantly being made to introduce the 

 cultivation of tobacco, which on the whole is one of the most 

 profitable in the tropics, though somewhat risky, into new 

 countries, but there are many difficulties. The soil is often 

 unsuitable through containing too little lime or potash or 



