﻿THE CULTURE OF KLUE-CURED TOBACCO. 31 



As soon as the leaf is dead or dry, further yellowing takes place 

 only very slowly, and if there yet remains any considerable amount of 

 moisture in the leaf a red or brown color will immediately begin to 

 develop. In curing', one should keep well in mind the principle that 

 it is necessary to preserve the life (cell activity) and at least some 

 of the moisture while the leaf is yellowing, and so manage as to have 

 the moisture exhausted by the time it is completely yellow, or, rather, 

 a little before it is fully yellow, as the most satisfactory cures and 

 clearest colors generally follow when the leaf is dried out with some 

 green remaining in it. Tobacco yellows best, especially in the first 

 stages, when the temperature of the barn ranges from about" 80° to 



Fig. 10.- — Harvesting tobacco by the whole-plant method, showing a good type of 

 hauling frame, which should be more generally used. 



100° F., but it will continue to yellow in the later stages up to 115° 

 or 120°. As the yellowing proceeds, it is well, toward the later 

 stages, to increase the heat slowly toward these higher temperatures 

 and to begin to dry a little on the yellowest leaves by admitting a 

 little extra ventilation. 



In order to obtain the best results in yellowing under varied con- 

 ditions, it is best to have the barn very tight, so that in the earlier 

 stages of yellowing the desired temperatures may be obtained with- 

 out exhausting the moisture too rapidly. As the yellowing pro- 

 gresses, however, it is necessary that this moisture be gradually and 

 later rapidly removed ; and to accomplish this to the best advantage 



