Fertilization: The generous use ot nutrients to pro- 

 duce more tobacco on less land. This releases 

 land for the production of otiier crops and live- 

 stock on the farm. 

 Management: A management program that quali- 

 fies the Burley grower as being one of tlie best 

 production managers of any group of farmers 

 in the United States. 

 Intensive studies are now ])eing done at the College 

 of Agriculture, Uni\ersity of Kentuck)' in the areas of 

 mechanization, smoking and health, chemistry of the 

 tobacco plant, insecticides and residue studies on 

 tobacco leaf, agronomic studies in all areas of produc- 

 tion and economic aspects of production. 



Xaking in and drying out 



Meanwhile, the standard procedures persist in fields 

 and l)arns. A few Biuley farmers will first remove 

 matured lower leaves by hand before full-scale harvest- 

 ing. Soon after this operation, called "priming," the 

 plants are cut down, stalk and all. This method of 

 taking in a crop applies to all types grown in Kentucky. 

 Five or six of the plants are then speared onto sticks. 



Burley, Green Ri\'er and One Sucker tobacco plants 

 are hung in barns and cured by air. The process, which 

 starves the food reserves in tlie plant, takes four to six 

 weeks. By then the leaves will have dried out and have 

 the desired color: tan to reddish brown. 



There has been some experimentation with "bulk 

 curing." B\ this method some tliousand pounds of 

 leaves, stripped from stalks, are placed in a specialK' 

 designed unit. Heat, conducted bv flues, is provided In 

 an oil huiiace. Curing bv this process can be completed 

 in a wiH'k or less. 



