No. 4.] HARVESTING AND CrRIXG TOBACCO. 91 



the 1)nyors. 'Jliis yaw tliey all want 20 inches of dark, 

 leather-like snbstance, and I cannot supply that for them. 



The Chairman. We wonld like to hear from Mr. Rus- 

 sell. 



Mr. IT. C. Russell. We have had more or less tronljlc 

 lately with white mold on the stems when the tobacco was 

 going through fermentation. I would like to ask the speaker 

 if he can account for this trouble. 



Dr. Garner. There are two points worth considering. 

 One is that these molds flourish only in the presence of con- 

 siderable moisture. If the stem is apparently moist there is 

 danger from mold. Molds cannot go above a certain tem- 

 perature. Our experience is that if the tobacco heats up 

 properly there is not much danger from mold, but that if 

 it refuses to heat up the molds will develop, because there 

 is not sufficient heat generated to kill them. If the tobacco 

 is high cased, with special reference to the stems, there is 

 danger from molds. On the other hand, even with a rea- 

 sonable amount of moisture there remains some danger of 

 molds if the temperature is not high enough. 



Mr. Russell. Is it possible to ferment a crop of tobacco 

 successfully that grew in a dry season, and has a thick leaf 

 that lacks life or quality ? 



Dr. Garner. I do not think so. We can do something 

 in the curing, but of course we cannot make a wet-weather 

 crop out of a dry-weather crop by any means of curing or 

 fermenting. The curing is the more important in correct- 

 ing these difficulties. The trouble in the sweating is that 

 the tobacco has not the proper material in it to ferment. 

 The conditions under which it has been produced are not 

 right, and therefore the material that induces fermentation 

 and produces heat, bringing about the changes we desire, 

 is deficient in the leaf. 



Mr. ITussell. The Avliole question of these fads and 

 fancies about the leaf of tobacco is brought about more by 

 the whimsical notions of cigar smokers than anything else. 

 Fifty years ago the buyers would pay about cents a pound 

 for the tobacco, and did not care nuu-h whether it was dark 



