﻿176 
  History 
  of 
  Durham. 
  

  

  and 
  the 
  quantity 
  of 
  fertilizer 
  used, 
  and 
  the 
  variation 
  in 
  time 
  

   of 
  cutting, 
  from 
  the 
  last 
  of 
  August 
  to 
  the 
  15th 
  of 
  October. 
  

  

  RIPENING 
  TOBACCO. 
  

  

  Eipening 
  is 
  indicated 
  by 
  the 
  leaf 
  becoming 
  sleek, 
  the 
  fuzz 
  

   disappearing, 
  and 
  the 
  appearance 
  of 
  dappled 
  yellow 
  spots, 
  

   called 
  "graining." 
  Dappled 
  leaves 
  make 
  a 
  mahogany 
  leaf 
  

   when 
  cured 
  ; 
  uniform 
  grayish-green 
  color 
  (luellon-apple 
  

   green), 
  when 
  cut, 
  indicates 
  the 
  finest 
  leaf. 
  Poor 
  tobacco, 
  

   without 
  body, 
  has 
  a 
  smooth, 
  lifeless 
  yellow, 
  improper 
  ripen- 
  

   ing, 
  due 
  to 
  wet 
  seasons, 
  rendering 
  it 
  almost 
  impossible 
  to 
  

   attain 
  the 
  desired 
  color. 
  The 
  plant 
  will 
  not 
  ripen 
  well 
  in 
  

   wet 
  seasons, 
  rendering 
  it 
  almost 
  impossible 
  to 
  attain 
  the 
  

   desired 
  color. 
  The 
  plant 
  will 
  not 
  ri[)en 
  well 
  in 
  wet 
  seasons, 
  

   especially 
  when 
  rain 
  follows 
  drought, 
  but 
  it 
  is 
  not 
  injured 
  

   by 
  rain 
  after 
  it 
  is 
  ripe. 
  It 
  may 
  begin 
  a 
  new 
  growth, 
  but 
  

   will 
  ripen 
  again 
  in 
  a 
  few 
  days. 
  Cool 
  nights 
  and 
  heavy 
  

   dev/s 
  thicken 
  the 
  plant, 
  and 
  cause 
  it 
  to 
  mature 
  rapidly, 
  with 
  

   good 
  body. 
  

  

  CUTTING 
  OF 
  TOBACCO. 
  

  

  Tobacco 
  is 
  always 
  cut 
  thoroughly 
  ripe, 
  unless 
  it 
  is 
  neces- 
  

   sary 
  to 
  sacrifice 
  quality 
  to 
  escape 
  total 
  loss 
  from 
  frost. 
  There 
  

   is 
  a 
  difference 
  of 
  opinion 
  as 
  to 
  the 
  effect 
  of 
  rain 
  or 
  dew, 
  

   almost 
  all 
  asserting 
  that 
  it 
  does 
  no 
  harm 
  to 
  cut 
  even 
  when 
  

   w^et 
  with 
  rain 
  or 
  dew 
  ; 
  yet 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  best 
  authorities 
  on 
  the 
  

   subject 
  declares 
  that 
  the 
  least 
  water 
  on 
  the 
  leaf 
  spoils 
  the 
  

   color 
  in 
  drying. 
  

  

  When 
  the 
  plants 
  are 
  fully 
  ripe, 
  each 
  cutter 
  takes 
  two 
  rows, 
  

   a 
  stick-carrier 
  walking 
  between 
  two 
  cutters, 
  holding 
  a 
  stick. 
  

   The 
  plants 
  are 
  split 
  down 
  the 
  center 
  of 
  the 
  stalk 
  and 
  cut, 
  

   and 
  six 
  to 
  eight 
  plants 
  are 
  placed 
  astride 
  the 
  stick; 
  another 
  

   hand 
  takes 
  two 
  sticks 
  at 
  a 
  time 
  to 
  the 
  wagon 
  ; 
  and 
  a 
  third 
  

   hand 
  keeps 
  the 
  stick-carrier 
  supplied. 
  The 
  plants 
  are 
  as- 
  

   sorted 
  in 
  the 
  field, 
  so 
  that 
  those 
  only 
  of 
  a 
  uniform 
  color 
  and 
  

   ripeness 
  shall 
  be 
  cut 
  and 
  cured 
  together, 
  and 
  the 
  tobacco 
  is 
  

   placed 
  at 
  once 
  in 
  the 
  wagon, 
  if 
  possible, 
  without 
  exposure 
  

   to 
  the 
  sun, 
  and 
  without 
  allowing 
  it 
  to 
  wilt 
  or 
  to 
  lie 
  upon 
  

   the 
  ground. 
  It 
  is 
  desirable 
  that 
  the 
  plants 
  shall 
  be 
  stiff 
  and 
  

   open, 
  so 
  that 
  the 
  hot 
  air 
  can 
  circulate 
  freely 
  among 
  the 
  

   leaves, 
  and 
  is 
  never 
  scaffolded 
  before 
  housing. 
  

  

  Cutting 
  is 
  done 
  on 
  Monday 
  and 
  Tuesday, 
  so 
  as 
  to 
  cure 
  

  

  