148 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



ence. Yet there are some signs of maturity which will help 

 one to judge of its ripeness. In the first place, when the 

 plant is becoming ripe, or nearly so, the leaf presents a mot- 

 tled or calico appearance. Second, the suckers, which com- 

 mence to grow at the axil of the leaf at (he top of the plant 

 first, and work downward, will become two or three inches 

 in length at the roots when the plant is ripe. After topping, 

 the plant requires to stand not less than twenty days to 

 ripen, and Havana seed requires a period of four weeks 

 after topping. A farmer has recently told me that he con- 

 siders it advantageous to let Havana tobacco stand much 

 longer than that. 



A building made especially for the purpose should be pro- 

 vided for curing tobacco, with hanging doors on each side for 

 airing, and with sufficient means for ventilation at the top 

 and bottom of the building. Unless one can provide such a 

 building, with good sawn poles for hanging the crop, the rait^- 

 ing of the crop had better not be attempted. A large share 

 of the accidents which befall persons in hanging or in taking 

 down the crop, results from poorly arranged buildings. A 

 building not more than thirty feet wide is preferable to those 

 that are wider (twenty-six feet is better), as tobacco will 

 cure better, and dampen better also, in a narrow building. 



The tiers should be five feet apart, and only three tiers in 

 height ; tobacco hung near the ground is of better quality 

 than that hung higher. 



There are several ways of fastening the plant to the pole 

 for curing. The more common ones, however, and the only 

 ones with which the writer has had personal experience, are 

 two: one by the means of twine wound around each plant, 

 and the other by splitting the stalk of the plant to run 

 through it a slat or lath, five or six plants being put upon 

 each slat, and the slat is then hung on poles. 



Of these two methods, the writer is strongly of the opinion 

 that the former is preferable, and each successive year's 

 experience strengthens this opinion. My reasons for this 

 opinion are : The act of splitting the stalk hastens the drying 

 of the leaf to such an extent that the quality of the leaf is 

 affected unfavorably ; for the same reason, kiln-dried tobacco 

 will not produce a leaf of so good texture, flavor or color ; 



