TOB 



TOB 



There is more tobacco injured by too 

 much heat than by the want of a suf- 

 ficiency. The fires shouhl now l)e 

 kept steady and regular, w itii a fjrad- 

 ual increase of heat, so that in 48 

 hours the mercury will stand 150- to 

 160°. It must be kept at or about 

 that temperature until the tobacco is 

 cured. 



'^ Stripping; Prcssiiifr. SfC. — After 

 the plants become sulficiently dried, 

 known by the stems getting hard, 

 which will be in about two months 

 after hoiisinji, the leaves are stripped 

 from the stalks. For this operation, 

 a moist time in the spring or late in 

 winter is chosen, to prevent the leaves 

 from crumbling. They are divided 

 by select hands into three classes for 

 stripping: 1st, that which is of the 

 best colour and quality ; 2dly, that 

 which is somewhat inferior, compri- 

 sing the balance of the leaf; 3dly, 

 higs, or ground leaves. Some planters 

 make still more classes, but this re- 

 quires more attention and discrimi- 

 nation than can be generally bestow- 

 ed, at least by ordinary hands. After 

 sorting, the leaves are neatly tied up 

 in bundles called 'hands,' consisting 

 of four leaves in each bundle of the 

 first class, or six of the second and 

 third classes. The hands are next 

 ' put down to condition,' as the pro- 

 cess is commonly termed. This con- 

 sists in putting it in large bulks 

 and subjecting it to pressure from 

 weights, in which state it undergoes 

 a sweat. It must be watched during 

 this process, and as soon as it is ob- 

 served beginning to heat, taken out 

 and hung up to dry. After drying 

 thoroughly, it must be again taken 

 down and put into bulk, a damp time 

 being chosen, so as to prevent the 

 leaves from breaking or crumbling. 

 At the close of each day's stripping, 

 and oftener, if the weather is drymg, 

 we bulk down what has been strip- 

 ped, being careful to pack straight. 

 It is left in this situation until we 

 wish to commence pressing, and then 

 hung, from twelve to fifteen bundles 

 on a smooth stick, and hoisted in the 

 barn, the sticks placed six inches 

 apart, the hoister carrying a measure 

 802 



j in his hand. It is important to meas- 

 ! ure, as the order will be more uni- 

 j form. It should remain until the 

 steins are perfectly dry ; after which 

 it should be taken down for jiressing, 

 I as dry as it can bo handled without 

 i breaking. It remains in Ibis state a 

 few days, until the leaves are pressed 

 together, and we have soft weather 

 for packing. Each bundle is tlicn 

 carefully straightened, repacked, and 

 heavily weighted. It is then ready 

 for pressing. We should press in 

 weather when the order of the tobac- 

 co will not change. Each bundle 

 should be straight, and closely pack- 

 ed in hogsheads in the usual way.'' 

 The press is a long lever weighted 

 with stones. 



The hogshead contains from 1100 

 to 1300 pounds. One hand can at- 

 tend to 6000 plants, or rather more 

 than an acre, and these will average 

 from 1000 to 1100 pounds of cured 

 tobacco, and commands, if of good 

 quality, seven cents the pound. 



New land tobacco and the Orinoko 

 variety are often sun-dried, without 

 any heat ; by this means they acquire 

 a rich golden colour, and are of supe- 

 rior excellence for chewing tobacco. 



Diseases of Tobacco. — The first diffi- 

 culty the planter encounters is in the 

 dryness of the season at the time of 

 transplanting, for the young plants 

 will not take except in moist weather 

 and a wet soil. I'he next is the large 

 horn worm, which increases the ex- 

 pense of cultivation by requiring the 

 attention of pickers, and the worm- 

 holes injure the value of the leaves. 

 Hail storms and heavy winds are 

 often causes of damage. Sun burn- 

 ing during cutting and house burning 

 are also sources of loss. But per- 

 haps the greatest cause of loss is 

 firing or Fire Blight, which see. 



TOBACCO, CHE.MICAL RE- 

 MARKS CONCERNING. The fla- 

 vour and value of tobacco depend 

 entirely on the sweating or prepara- 

 tion : during this time the fermenta- 

 tion set up converts the fat which it 

 contains into the aromatic; principle 

 nicotin. If, therefore, the heat is too 

 little, the quantity produced is defi- 



