140 



AGRICULTURE 



and the later ones should be shallow to avoid cutting the 

 roots and to conserve the soil moisture. 



Harvesting the crop. Tobacco is harvested by one 

 of two different methods. Either (1) the entire plant is 

 cut off near the ground when the middle leaves are ripe, 



Curing tobacco in barn on a large Kentucky plantation. 



allowed to wilt for a time, and then hung under cover to 

 cure; or (2) several pickings of leaves are made by be- 

 ginning with those nearest the ground, which ripen first, 

 and stripping them from the central stalk. When this 

 plan is followed the leaves are carried to the curing barn 

 when partly wilted and hung in rows to dry. Usually five 

 pickings are required for harvesting the entire crop. 



