244 TOBACCO 



especially as climatic conditions interfere with the 

 normal ripening of their various plantings. Where the 

 motive power is the African native, under the supervision 

 of a single white man, 100 acres should be the maximum 

 planted, and to ensure good curing six to seven large 

 burnt-brick barns 20 ft. square and 22 ft. to the wall 

 plate, with thickly thatched roofs, are required for every 

 100 acres cultivated, and if properly worked each barn 

 is capable of producing four to five tons of cured tobacco 

 in a season. 



The capital outlay on barns, grading, and bulking 

 sheds is considerable, each barn costing from 30 to 

 35 to erect, and the total expenditure on buildings to 

 handle 100 acres of tobacco would not be over-estimated 

 at 350. 



Before proceeding to the actual process of curing, a 

 word with regard to fuel will not be out of place, as the 

 value of any estate for tobacco growing largely depends 

 on the fuel supply for curing. Each barn of the dimen- 

 sions already mentioned is capable of turning out at a 

 single curing 1,200 Ib. to 2,000 Ib. of tobacco, depending 

 on the quality and body or solidity of the leaf; the 

 amount of fuel required for the production of this quantity 

 oi tobacco varies between 8 to 14 cubic yards, depending 

 on the class, age, and size of the timber used. It is 

 therefore obvious that re-afforestation must go hand-in- 

 hand with tobacco cultivation if the industry is to be 

 placed on a permanent footing. 



As soon as the leaves are brought in from the fields 

 they are fastened in pairs stem to stem on bamboos some 

 4 ft. in length, which are placed on the barn tiers 6 in. 

 to 8 in. apart, according to the size of the leaf, com- 

 mencing the barn filling from above downwards. 



This work should be carried through as expeditiously 

 as possible, the best results being obtained by filling 

 each barn in a single day. Considerable care and judg- 

 ment are necessary not to overload by placing the bam- 

 boos so close as to interfere with the free circulation of 

 air and control of temperature. 



The actual process of flue-curing consists of the follow- 

 ing three distinct operations, viz.: 



