“Curing and Fermenting Tobacco 291 
it by the hands, at one place and then another 
in the heap, at intervals of, say, three or four 
days until the desired colour and flavour is 
obtained. Excessive heating spoils the colour . 
and the flavour. 
In Behar the plants are carried to some 
grassy spot and laid out to catch the sun 
during the day and the dew at night, being 
turned daily. After a week or so, the plants 
are stacked together. After three or four days’ 
heating the stack is broken and the plants are 
laid out on the ground where they are kept for 
two or three days. Then the plants are again 
stacked for four or five days. This process of 
heaping and spreading on the ground is repeated 
six or seven times until the leaves and stems 
are fully dried, when the curing is considered 
over. The plants are then carried home when 
the leaves are stripped and separated according 
to their grades. The former method of curing 
tobacco is recommended. i 
Of late there has been some demand for 
cigar and cigarette tobacco in India. It would 
not be feasible for the ordinary Indian raiyats 
to prepare these classes of tobacco. For the 
‘growers of this tobacco, I may point out that 
the cigarette tobacco should be. completely 
dried very quickly, say within three days, for 
which artificial -heat, gradually: rising from 
80° to 170° F., in a specially constructed room 
provided with ventilators, is necessary. A lower 
grade of this tobacco may be dried in the sun. 
