No. I.] TOBACCO RAISING. 161 



stage of ripeness, take each leaf when it is exactly right. 

 By the other method we would cut the stalk when of aver- 

 age ripeness, the bottom leaves overripe and the top leaves 

 unripe, and the prime wrappers come from the middle of 

 the leaf. The theory of priming is to take each leaf when 

 it is ripe. When you take off the bottom leaves, the next 

 can ripen, and so on until finally you get everything up 

 to the top leaf ripe. They claim at Tariffville that every 

 leaf is a wrapper, — that they haven't any binders or fillers. 

 We meet with this objection. People say, " We have saved 

 leaves, have cut them off the stem and hung them up in the 

 barn, and they never amounted to anything." Well, they 

 were sick leaves, that dropped off' because there was some 

 out about them, and they were hung up most any way in 

 the barn, — not hung with sufficient care. 



Mr. Russell. Whether there is any effort made to re- 

 tard the curing of these leaves strung on strings? 



Dr. Jenkins. Oh, } r es ; } r ou have to watch the barn. 



Mr. Russell. Whether you allow the leaves to cure as 

 fast as the natural air will cure them? 



Dr. Jenkins. No. It depends on the air, but under or- 

 dinary conditions you have to keep the barn closed some 

 daytimes and open more at night. You have to protect the 

 primed leaf from dry winds that wouldn't do very much dam- 

 age to leaf curing on the stalk. In Sumatra, where it is 

 more damp, the rule is to dry it out once a day and let it 

 draw once a day, drying it down as dry as they can, and 

 then letting it draw and get very damp again. 



Mr. Russell. Do you recommend that plan among 

 farmers, hanging in the old way, with the leaves remaining 

 on the stalk? 



Dr. Jenkins. Why, yes ; sometimes hold it back. That 

 is a matter of judgment. I do not think we pay enough 

 attention to our tobacco barns during the curing. A great 

 many get the tobacco in, and then feel that the work is 

 done, and go to the horse races. That is just the time 

 trouble begins, — when the tobacco is hanging in the barns; 

 and it has got to be watched every minute until it is cured 

 and ready to take down. There is never a day that it isn't 



