272 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



Harvesting. 



There are three methods of harvesting in vogue in the 

 valley to-day. The first two to be described have been in 

 practice for years; the third is a new method that is gaining 

 in favor each year. The first is "hanging on lath." The 

 plants are cut close to the ground with a thin-bladed hatchet 

 made for the purpose. They are then laid down lengthwise 

 of the row and overlapping each other; after lying in the sun 

 long enough to wilt they are picked up and handed to the 

 "stringer" who strings them on a lath. These laths are sim- 

 ilar to builders' laths, being sawed a little thicker and from 

 better lumber. One end is placed in a "stringing horse" and 

 the other end is fitted to a steel needle. The plant is then 

 strung on the lath by forcing the needle through the butt of 

 the stalk about 6 or 8 inches from the end, 5 or 6 plants 

 being strung on a lath. The full lath is either laid on the ground 

 and later picked up, or handed directly to a wagon fitted with 

 a rack made for the purpose. It is then drawn to the curing 

 shed and hung on poles, arranged so that each end of the lath 

 rests on a pole, allowing the tobacco to hang downward. Poles 

 are usually 15 feet long and from 25 to 30 laths are hung on a 

 pole. They begin at the top of the shed and are hung tier 

 after tier until the shed is full, the tiers being usually 5 feet 

 high. 



"Hanging on string" is another well-known method of har- 

 vesting, and many growers favor it above all others. The 

 plants are cut as before, only they are laid crossways of the 

 row, and after being allowed to wilt are loaded directly onto 

 low wagons, the butts laid all one way. The plants are then 

 drawn into the shed where they are hung on poles with tobacco 

 twine. The hanger carries a bag on his back which holds a 

 ball of twine. With this he hangs the plants about 8 inches 

 apart on the poles by tying a half hitch around each plant. 

 When the pole is full the twine is tied around the last plant, 

 broken off and the next pole started. 



