44 TOBACCO CULTURE IN THE WEST INDIES 
it off without impairing the terminal bud of the plant. 
Suckering is the process of removing the suckers or 
offshoots formed in the leaf axils. If these suckers are 
allowed to develop they will injure the main crop by dwarf- 
ing the plants and the individual leaves. 
HARVESTING 
All the leaves of the tobacco plant do not ripen at the 
same time. The lower leaves ripen first and the younger 
leaves towards the top last, necessitating from three to 
four cuttings in order to get all-the leaves of the same de- 
gree of ripeness. This method of cutting the leaves one 
by one is employed where the tobacco is grown for wrap- 
per but seldom for filler. The usual method for filler is to 
either cut the whole plant with all the leaves attached, close 
to the ground, or to cut the plant stalk off in sections, 
each section having one pair of leaves attached. The method 
best adapted will depend upon local conditions as well 
as the class of tobacco produced. A wrapper leaf must 
be of a uniform ripeness in order to attain the standard of 
perfection. It must of course be free from blemishes, such 
as worm holes and rents, and must therefore be handled 
very carefully all through the process of growing and har- 
vesting. A filler leaf is very much improved also if cut 
and handled in the same manner. 
If the leaves are picked off one by one they are either 
placed carefully in flat baskets and carried to the drving 
barn and there strung on strings so that they can be hung 
up or they are strung directly in the field and carried on 
poles to the barn. The stringing consists of running a nee- 
dle, threaded with cotton twine, through the base of the 
