164 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



were going to get it if they didn't look out. They kindled 

 soft-wood fires. They thought the smoke from soft wood 

 was less acrid, and would not taint the tobacco so much. I 

 don't believe it. I think that is a tradition from Florida. 

 They kindled the fires and worked in it the same way, and 

 it dried out the tobacco so it was safe. 



The question is, whether they are going to know that 

 smoke when the tobacco is sold. I saw the tobacco in the 

 sweat, after it had come out, and I couldn't detect the 

 slightest odor of smoke about it. I have known of crops, 

 in past years, in Connecticut, dried in that way, and when 

 they came to sell them there was a nasty odor of smoke 

 about them which damaged the sale of the tobacco ; but it 

 remains to be seen whether there will be about this, but so 

 far as I have seen any of it, it has been sweet. I think if 

 you can kindle the fires and have the barn open while the 

 fires are started, and then close it up after it has come to 

 coals, it will save the tobacco. 



Mr. Russell. I should think charcoal fires would be 

 good. 



Dr. Jenkins. I should think so, but you find men in 

 Connecticut who say that is the worst thing for tainting 

 tobacco. I don't see why it should be. But whatever you 

 use, you must have a big fire, tremendous heat. Here is a 

 barn two hundred feet long and sixteen feet high, and it 

 takes a big lot of air to heat it. Don't skimp on the 

 amount of fire. 



Mr. Lyman. Do you suppose all tobacco growers know 

 the shade of color of leaf we should have in tobacco. I am 

 unfortunate enough not to know what the shade is. There 

 is a roll of tobacco on the table there. If the doctor can 

 show what the fashionable color is, I wish he would. 



Dr. Jenkins. I should call that [showing] a beautiful 

 shade of tobacco. The trouble with our leaf is, it is too 

 big to suit the cigar manufacturer. This cuts to too much 

 waste. You get two, or possibly four, wrappers oft*, and 

 then you have a lot of waste. In Sumatra he has the four 

 wrappers out of it, and he is done. There isn't enough left 

 to clutter the lloor, hardly. 



