CURING. 129 



more, ia order tliat the tobacco may settle together ; then 

 the press should be raised, and the packing resumed as 

 before, till the tobacco is within 1^ foot of the top ; then 

 the press should again be applied till the tobacco is pressed 

 half-way down the hogshead ; the same proportion should 

 be observed until the hogshead is full. Then put the 

 head in, and it is ready for market," 



Perry Hull would have packing-cases " made of cheap 

 pine lumber, 3 feet 8 inches long by 2 feet 6 inches wide 

 and high, outside measurement ; they should be made 

 tight and strong ; there should be corner-pieces nailed in 

 1^ inch square, nailing to them well from both ways. 

 The tobacco is packed in, with the butts towards each 

 end ; taking hold of the butt with one hand, the tip with 

 the other, and giving the hank a slight twist, lay it in the 

 case in that position. A lever or screw can be used to do 

 the pressing, whichever is the most convenient. From 

 360 lb. to 380 is the proper weight for packing ; though 

 if the tobacco is very dry, 400 lb. will probably not sweat 

 too hard ; and if quite wet (which it never should be), 

 350 may. 



" After being packed, the tobacco should never be kept 

 in a damp cellar ; a good tight barn or other outbuilding, 

 where the cases can stand on a floor, is the best place. 

 The crop usually passes from the hands of growers, into 

 those of speculators and dealers, before the sweating 

 season. The first symptoms of sweating appear about as 

 soon as settled warm weather comes, usually the fore part 

 of May ; it then commences to grow warm, and * wet ' to 

 appearance, which increases for about 3 weeks, when it 

 reaches its culminating point and commences to cool off. 



K 



