TOBACCO PRODUCTION IN THE UNITED STATES. 



Cellars to tne best sheds are now prepared to be used as stripping-rooms and for bringing and retaining the 

 tobacco in proper condition. Sheds which have recently been erected cost from 300 to $1,000 ; sticks, $3 per thousand. 



The following is the elevation of a model barn or shed for tobacco, erected by G. W. Mitchell, of South 

 Britain, Connecticut. This barn is 00 feet long, 32 feet wide, and 27 feet iu height, and holds six tiers of tobacco, 

 beside a small tier in the ridge of the building : 



CUEING TOBACCO. 



The dampness arising from the ground is supposed to exercise a beneficial influence in the curing process, and 

 for this reason many prefer sheds with dirt floors. At every three or four feet vertical doors are made in the 

 sides of the sheds, and these are opened or shut, as the necessities of the tobacco require. The rule governing 

 this matter is that the tobacco shall become damp at least once a week. If the weather is very moist, the doors 

 are closed to prevent pole-sweating; if it is very dry, so as to cure the tobacco too rapidly, the doors are closed 

 and the floors dampened. The periodical dampenings cause the juices to permeate the leaf and insure a uniform 

 color; but if subjected to too much moisture, there is a tendency to mold, and the texture of the leaf is impaired 

 by the excessive absorption of water, which, when it evaporates, carries away the oils that give it softness and 

 silkiness. The most difficult problem -in wet weather is how to prevent injury from these sources without the use 

 of fire, the practice being to close the sheds securely and keep out as much moisture as possible. 



G. W. Mitchell, of New Haven county, says in relation to the ventilation and curing of tobacco: 



The openings should he made at the top of each tier of tobacco horizontally, instead of perpendicularly, as the old stylo is. The 

 usual method has been to put a pair of strap-hinges at the top of the door, one foot wide, and open at the lower end; but a muck 

 better plan is to have the doors open lengthwise of the building, so that the air will pass through between thn tiers of tobacco. They 

 should also open at the bottom and have a ventilation at the top, so as to have a circulation from bottom to top. The building nhould 

 be so constructed as to be shut up tight in very dry or windy weather. Give plenty of air for two or three weeks after it is first 

 housed, then let it cure slowly by closing the doors during the day and opening them at night, so that the tobacco may receivo 

 moisture. This will give a uniform color. 

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