Wof/cers grading or sorting and bundling Uue cured tobacco for market. 



The tobacco auction is unique in 

 the sale of farm comrrodities, and an 

 experience worthwhile to the uninitiat- 

 ed. Prior to tlie beginning of the sale 

 a Federal tobacco grader inspects each 

 lot of tobacco on tlie warehouse floor 

 and places a U. S. Standard grade on 

 it. The significance of this operation 

 is that under a price support program 

 each Federal grade is supported at 90 

 per cent of parity. If any lot placed on 

 the floor by the grower does not bring 

 a price in the auction sale above the 

 support price, the Stabilization Corpo- 

 ration pays the grower the support 

 price established for that particular 

 grade, and then the tobacco is taken 

 over by the Stabilization Corporation 

 for future sale. 



The actual auction sale is partici- 

 pated in by buyers representing domes- 

 tic and foreign companies. 'At the be- 

 ginning of the auction the buyers line 



been harvested and cured. The next 

 step is sorting the leaves into uniform 

 grades for maiketing. The procedure 

 is to remove the leaves from the stick 

 on which they were cured and to pick 

 out the leaves that match in color, 

 thickness and length. When twenty to 

 twenty-five matching leaves are found. 

 they are then tied into a "hand" or 

 bundle at the "butt" or stem end with 

 another leaf. This process is followed 

 until the entire bam or curing has been 

 sorted into matching grades. Usually 

 there are three different grades to a 

 curing, such as the best grade, medium 

 grade and those leaves with green, or 

 immature tobacco going into a low or 

 common grade. These lots are kept se- 

 parate and maiketed as three different 

 grades. 



Selling Tobacco by Auction 



lobacco is maAeted under the auc- 

 tion system of selling. In North Caro- 

 lina there are mail<ets located in 47 

 towns throughout the State. Each lo- 

 cal marl<et has several auction sales 

 warehouses for the farmers' conven- 

 ience. Upon arrival at the market the 

 grower has his tobacco unloaded by a 

 warehouse employee and packed upon 

 a wicker basket, aoout 38 inches 

 square, according to the grade he sort- 

 ed out at iiome. Each lot is then 

 weighed by a weigh-master licensed by 

 tlie State for weighing tobacco. The 

 weigh-master places a ticket on each 

 lot with tlie farmer's name, weight of 

 the tobacco and basket number for 

 identification. The tobacco is then 

 placed on the warehouse floors in rows 

 ready for the auction to begin. 



A tobacco auction sale in process. In the foreground a Federal tobacco inspector can be 

 seen puffing a standard grade on each lot of tobacco before it is sold. 



