132 TOBACCO. 



them time to dry too much. Bearing this in mind, the 

 dyeing and tying up of the manojos should not be com- 

 menced until there is a sufficient quantity of assorted 

 leaves to make a bale or bales ; should there be a surplus 

 of manojos after the bales are made up, they should be 

 kept protected from the air, until another set of bales is 

 about to be made up. 



" We do not think it is necessary to further explain the 

 manner of placing the yaguas, in order to make the bales, 

 but it is expedient to state that B layers of manojos should 

 not be put in one bale, because it makes a bad shape, and 

 the tierces or bales appear much smaller than they really 

 are. The bales should be made of 2 layers, having the 

 heads of the manojos placed towards the outside. When 

 the first layer of one of the heads of the bale is placed, the 

 heads of the other layer should be so arranged that they 

 will be about half-way over the points of the others ; and 

 if the tobacco is very small, to each row of manojos may 

 be laid crossways, two manojos with their heads touching 

 the yaguas, so that the tobacco placed in the bale may 

 form a compact even mass, impervious to the air. The 

 same should be done in the other rows, care being taken 

 that the bale is made somewhat thicker in the middle, and 

 never have a hollow there, — a sure sign of loose packing, 

 — and into which the air finds its way, preventing fermen- 

 tation, proper curing, as well as aroma — the tobacco 

 becoming dry too soon. After the bales are tied up, they 

 should be placed in the sun or wind until the humidity of 

 the yagua is dry. They should then be placed on boards 

 in the storehouse, putting them two and two, one on the 

 other ; and after eight days they should be moved, placing 



