306 CURIOUS OR USEFUL PLANTS. 



are entirely wilted ; that is, till they become limper, and will 

 bend any way without breaking. But if the weather should prove 

 rainy, without any intervals of sunshine, and the plants appear to 

 be fully ripe, they must be housed immediately. This must be 

 done, however, with great care, that the leaves, which are in this, 

 state very brittle, may not be broken. They are next to be 

 placed under proper shelter, either in a barn or covered hovel, 

 where they cannot be affected by rain, or too much air, thinly 

 scattered on the floor ; and if the sun does not appear for several 

 days, they must be left to wilt in that manner ; but in this case the 

 quality of the tobacco will not be quite so good. 



When the leaves have acquired the above-mentioned flexibility, 

 the plants must be laid in heaps, or rather in one heap if the quan- 

 tity is not too great, and in about twenty-four hours they will be 

 found to sweat. But during this time, when they have lain for a 

 little while, and begin to ferment, it will be necessary to turn 

 them ; bringing those which are in the middle to the surface, and 

 placing those which are at the surface in the middle. The longer 

 they lie in this situation, the darker-coloured is the tobacco. 

 After they have lain for three or four days, for a longer continu- 

 ance might make the plants turn mouldy, they may be fastened 

 together in pairs, with cords or wooden pegs, near the bottom of 

 the stalk, and hung across a pole, with the leaves suspended in 

 the same covered place, a proper interval being left between each 

 pair. In about a month the leaves will be thoroughly dried, and 

 of a proper temperature to be taken down. This state may be 

 ascertained by their appearing of the same colour with those im- 

 ported from America. But this can be done only in wet weather. 

 The tobacco is exceedingly apt to attract the humidity of the at- 

 mosphere, which gives it a pliability that is absolutely necessary 

 for its preservation ; for if the plants are removed in a very dry 

 season, the external parts of the leaves will crumble into dust, 

 and a considerable waste will ensue. 



Cure. As soon as the plants are taken down, they must again 

 be laid in a heap, and pressed with heavy logs of wood for about 

 a week ; but this climate may possibly require a longer time. 

 While they remain in this state it will be necessary to introduce 

 your hand frequently into the heap, to discover whether the heat 

 is not too intense ; for in large quantities this will sometimes be 



