Loading sticks of "green" tobacco just prior to curing. 



was auctioned through the hogshead system. The to- 

 bacco was "prized," or packed into large kegs known as 

 hogsheads and sent to market. A small sample of the 

 leaf inside was displayed, and the buyer would judge 

 the worth of the enclosed tobacco. In 1939, the loose- 

 leaf auction warehouse was introduced and became 

 popular overnight. By 1951 over 92 percent of all 

 Maryland markets were using the loose-leaf system. 



