•204 CHAPTER XII 



curing barn and hung in tiers with the sticks of tobacco about 

 six inches apart. No fires are started until the leaf yellows, 

 which requires from four to six days. Small fires are then 

 made at intervals on the floor of the barn, and the tempera- 

 ture is slowly increased to 90° F. during the first twenty-four 

 hours. The temperature is then gradually raised by regulating 

 the hres to about 125° in three or four days, when the web of 

 the leaf should be partially dry. The fires are then removed 

 and the leaf allowed to become pliable through the moisture 

 spreading from the midrib through the leaf web. Fires are 

 then restarted and the leaf again dried. This operation is 

 repeated until the leaf, including the midrib, is thoroughly 

 cured. The leaf is then brought into condition, stripped from 

 the stalk, graded, and either bulked or packed. In fire-curing, 

 care must be taken not to increase the temperature too rapidly 

 in the early stages, or the leaf will dry prematurely and be of 

 little value. From two to three weeks are required to effect a 

 proper cure by this method. The barns for fire-curing are 

 usually small, so that they can be easily filled with tobacco of 

 uniform ripeness, simple in construction, and inexpensive. 

 This method of curing tobacco is not used at present in any 

 part of South Africa. 



Flue-cueing. — In this method the rate of curing is regu- 

 lated by the use of artificial heat, which is distributed by flues 

 passing around and through the inside of the curing barn. The 

 heat is generated by wood fires in furnaces, and radiates from 

 the flues, so that the flavour and aroma of the leaf are not 

 influenced or contaminated by smoke, as in fire-curing. Heat 

 is applied continuously from the time curing is commenced 

 until all of the leaf in the barn is thoroughly dry. 



Flue-curing is the most modern method, and also the most 

 scientific, of curing tobacco, and requires careful attention to 

 each detail. Good tobacco can be completely ruined in the 

 curing process, while leaf of apparently poor quality can be 

 considerably increased in value through skilful curing. The 

 colour most desired in flue-cured tobacco is a lemon-yellow, as 

 this grade of tobacco is greatly in demand, and realises the 

 highest prices. In any crop of tobacco, however, the cured 

 leaf will show all colours, from bright yellow to dark brown. 

 Green is the colour least desired, and care should be taken to 

 regulate the curing, so that the leaf of this class will be reduced 

 to a minimum. 



