OTHER FARM CROPS 605 



should be topped high. Usually the topping process is delayed until 

 most of the flower buds appear, so that the topping can all be done 

 in one operation, but many growers prefer to remove the buds as 

 soon as they appear, going over the field later and topping to the 

 desired height. As soon as the suckers appear they should be broken 

 off, and in order to do this effectively it is necessary to go over the 

 field once a week after the plants have been topped. 



The time to harvest the crop can only be determined by experi- 

 ence with the strain which is grown. As a rule, a ripe leaf has a 

 rough feeling to the touch, and there is a change in the color of the 

 leaf from a dark to a lighter green ; also, by folding the leaf between 

 the fingers a ripe leaf will break easily. In the Broadleaf variety 

 the plants are usually cut, and as all the leaves on a plant are not 

 ripe at one time, it is necessary to harvest the crop when the majority 

 of the leaves are in the proper condition or about the time that the 

 middle leaves are ripe. Overripe leaves lose their elasticity and 

 strength, and are not suitable for cigar wrappers. The plants are 

 speared on 4-foot laths, using a detachable iron spearhead fitted in 

 the end of the lath, placing from 4 to 6 plants on each lath. 



The Broadleaf tobacco is air cured, the process taking about six 

 weeks. After harvesting, the plants are immediately hung in the 

 barn, and the temperature and humidity of these sheds must be 

 closely watched and controlled by means of the ventilators. If the leaf 

 cures too rapidly the ventilators should be opened on moist days and 

 nights and closed on dry days. If the curing process proceeds too 

 slowly or the tobacco is liable to injury from pole-burn or other 

 fungous diseases, the ventilators should be opened on dry days and 

 closed on moist days and at night. In long-continued damp spells 

 of weather, when the tobacco can not be dried out by opening the 

 ventilators during the day, small fires of soft pine or charcoal should 

 be used to drive off the excess of moisture and raise the temperature 

 in the barns. 



The Broadleaf tobacco is usually fermented in cases holding 

 about three hundred pounds, the hands of tobacco being laid in these 

 cases with the butts of the hands on the outside and the tips in the 

 center. The tobacco is then pressed down under moderate pressure, 

 the tops of the boxes screwed on, and the cases kept in a room having 

 an even temperature. 



Cuban Tobacco. This is grown without shade when used as 

 a filler for domestic cigars. The percentage of wrappers in this out- 

 door crop is not large, but when the leaves are primed the percentage 

 of wrappers is considerably increased. The preparation and care of 

 the seed beds and methods of cultivation are about the same as in 

 the case of the Sumatra variety. The rows in the field are arranged 

 about 3 feet 4 inches apart and the plants set about 14 inches apart 

 in the row. A greater distance results in thick, heavy leaves. If the 

 plants are set too close the leaves are too thin and lacking in body for 

 filler purposes. 



No definite rule can be laid down as to the proper number of 

 leaves to be left on the stalk when the plants are topped. This num- 



