same as that of 1955. The steadfast pace was maintained 

 despite announcements in 1959 and 1960 that wrappers 

 for large cigars had become a\'ailable in manufactured 

 sheet. The new form was said to retain the desirable 

 characteristics of the natural wrapper leaf in its "wet 

 strength," "chewability," and resilience or stretch. It 

 was also stated that the better grades of natural leaf 

 would be used for luxury cigars. 



Meanwhile, as is clear from the production total in 

 1970, farmers of the type grown especially to provide 

 wrappers are maintaining their long-established agri- 

 culture. (An account of the cultural routine applied to 

 shade-grown leaf in Tobacco Valley is given in the 

 companion booklet, Massachusetts and Tobacco. Also 

 described there is the system of erecting miles of tents 

 to provide the sliade and humidity tliat tliin the growing 

 leaf and produce tlic desired texture and color; the proc- 

 ess of harvesting and curing, together with various other 

 subjects associated with this specialized agriculture.) 



The harvesting of shade-grown tobacco in the late 

 summer requires a large labor force including many 

 young men and women on \acation from schools and 

 colleges in Connecticut. Thousands of workers also come 

 from other states, from Puerto Rico and the West Indies. 



light shade 



The devoted care which sees wrapper tobacco througli 

 the fields and the curing barns is but a prelude to the 

 exacting procedures whereby it is prepared for the mar- 

 ket. The "hand-caressed" leaf is arranged in piles of two 

 to three tons weight in processing warehouses. Fermen- 



