264 TOBACCO 



subsequently strung on thin bamboo sticks and suspended 

 in the drying -sheds until they are sufficiently dry. Here 

 they assume a brown colour, Which is of great importance 

 to the value of the tobacco after fermentation. Of late 

 years 'the testing station has started to examine the con- 

 ditions which influence the colouring of the leaf. Such 

 researches are necessary in order to work out an efficient 

 method of picking and drying, tending to promote the 

 development of certain desirable qualities and to guard 

 against undesirable ones. Unfortunately, such researches 

 are very difficult, and the results so far have been in- 

 significant. Various 'indications have, however, been 

 obtained showing in what direction this work should be 

 conducted. 



Of very great importance, especially as regards the 

 top-leaf, is the change which of late years has been made 

 in " topping." Formerly it was customary to top very 

 strongly; now hardly any topping is done, and on many 

 estates it has quite ceased. This gives a somewhat 

 smaller, but at the same time much thinner, top-leaf. 



Fermentation is conducted quite as primitively as dry- 

 ing. Experiments have therefore been started with a 

 view to guiding fermentation along fixed and desirable 

 channels. The object aimed at is to devise a process 

 in which it will be possible to regulate thoroughly the 

 rate of increase in temperature, the degree of moisture 

 in the piles, and the quantity of oxygen, and in which 

 the piles are so arranged -that they can be submitted 

 to preliminary artificial heating without having to resort 

 to re-piling, which absorbs a lot of time and money, and 

 so that it will be possible to exercise a certain influence 

 over the appearance of the fermented tobacco leaf. 



It has been shown with absolute certainty that the 

 fermentation of tobacco may be effected independently 

 of micro-organisms, from which it naturally follows that 

 the search for the bacteria which bring about first-class 

 fermentation has been eliminated from the programme 

 of experiments. 



One of the greatest improvements of late years in the 

 cultivation of tobacco in the Vorstenlanden is the intro- 

 duction of " pure strains." The tobacco testing station 

 started these selection trials in 1901, and the first selected 



