26 



trolled in the sweat-room (where the ventilation, tempe- 

 ratue, and humidity can be easily regulated), than in the 

 curing shed. At the present time the demand is for 

 bright colour in wrapper leaf, and the longer the second 

 stage of the cure is protracted by a relatively high humi- 

 dity the darker will the leaf be. The rational method 

 of procedure, therefore, is to maintain a high humidity 

 during the first stage of the cure, and then, as soon as the 

 colour has developed, to dry out the leaf comparatively 

 rapid lv 



After the cure is finished the leaves are tied into 

 bundles, and arranged in bulks on an elevated platform. 

 The bulks are covered with oil-cloth or other suitable 

 material to prevent the leaves from drying out. They 

 must be carefully watched to prevent their becoming 

 heated, which is practically liable to occur if the leaf is 

 packed down too moist. If heating does occur, the piles 

 must be torn down, and rebuilt after the bundles have 

 been shaken nut. 



Ilefore the leaf is ready fur the manufacturer, it 

 must undergo a process of fermentation, commonly 

 spoken of as "sweating" To carry out this process 

 successfully requires a thoroughly equipped plant with 

 adequate facilities for controlling ventilation, tempera- 

 ture, and humidity, so that as a rule the growers sell their 

 leaf in the bundle to the dealers, who make a business et 

 carrying on the fermentation on a large scale. The 

 tobacco must also be \ cry carefully assorted into grades, 

 but the dealer generally prelers to do this himself in 

 order to secure greater unilonnity. The work of grad- 

 ing and fermenting cigar-leaf tobacco has become a 

 highly specialised industry, quite distinct from the cur- 



