56 TOBACCO GROWING IN GREAT BRITAIN. 



Letter from Mr. Brotherston. 



Shedden Park Road. 

 Dear Sir, 



You ask how I dried the tobacco ? To begin 

 while still growing. As soon as the flowers 

 appeared I pinched them out, and also the lateral 

 shoots, which gave the large leaves the full 

 benefit. 



The lower leaves began to get yellowish first ; 

 these were picked off and hung in an airy place 

 to dry. In dull autumns they never got this 

 yellow tinge. In that case I took the whole 

 plant and hung it top downwards. After they 

 were thoroughly dry I took advantage of a damp 

 day to pack the leaves close together, so that 

 they might get slightly heated, after which they 

 were redried. When preparing the leaves for use 

 I sprinkled a little Avater on them, and, when 

 moist and flaccid, cut out the midribs and packed 

 them in a metal box (rather larger than a cake 

 of cavendish), and pressed it in a vice. I found 

 that the longer and heavier it was pressed it got 

 the blacker ; when lightly pressed it was brown. 

 I grew something under 100 plants, which was 

 within the limit allowed by law. The excisemen 

 told me I could grow as much as I pleased for 

 my own use, but not for sale. 



