CONNECTICUT VALLEY CIGAR LEAF TOBACCO. . 181 



Tlie production of cigar leaf tobacco in the United States has remained 

 practically the same from 1912 to 1917. With the crop of 1917 smaller by 

 5,000,000 pounds than the 1916 crop, and the production in the European 

 countries very materially decreased, it became necessary for European 

 countries to secure the larger part of their tobacco from tliis country. 

 Our exports of all kinds of tobacco leaf and trimmings to some countries 

 have considerably increased, while to others the increase has not been 

 large, owing to the lack of transportation facilities. 



Preparation for Market by the Grower. 

 Harvesting. 



Three methods of harvesting tobacco are in vogue m the valley to-day. 

 The first two described below have been in practice for j^ears; the third is 

 a new method that is gaining in favor. The first if "hanging on lath." 

 The plants are cut close to the ground with a thin-bladed hatchet made for 

 the purpose. They are then laid lengthwise of the row and overlapping 

 each other. Wlien wilted they are handed to the "stringer" who strings 

 them on a lath. One end of the lath is attached to a "stringing horse" 

 and the other end is fitted with a steel needle. The plants are strung on the 

 lath by forcing the needle through the butts of the stalks about 6 or 8 

 inches from the end, five or six plants being strung on a lath. The full lath 

 is placed on a wagon fitted with a rack made to prevent the plants from 

 being broken while being hauled to the curing sheds. The laths are arranged 

 in the curing sheds so that each end of the lath rests on a pole. These 

 poles are usually 15 feet long and allow room for 25 to 30 laths. 



"Planging on string" is the second method of harvesting tobacco, and 

 manj^ growers favor it above all others. The plants are cut as before,, 

 only they are laid crosswise of the row, and after being allowed to wilt are 

 loaded directly on low wagons, the butts all laid one way. The plants are 

 then drawn to the shed, where they are himg on poles with twine. The 

 hanger carries a bag on his back, which holds a ball of twine. With this 

 he hangs the plants about 8 inches apart on the poles by tying a half hitch 

 around each plant. When the pole is full the end of the twine is tied 

 around the last plant. 



Priming. 



This is a method of harvesting tobacco which came in with the shade- 

 gro^vn industry' and has found favor among many growers of sun-grown 

 tobacco. The barn is differently arranged, with the tiers only half as far 

 apart as in the methods previously described. The plant is not cut, but 

 the leaves are picked or "primed" as they ripen, four or five leaves at a 

 time at intervals of from seven to ten days. The bottom leaves are picked 

 first and the top leaves last. The pickers walk between two rows, priming 

 both and placing the leaves in little piles. These piles are gathered up, 

 placed in baskets and drawn to the end of the row on a hand truck. There 

 they are loaded on a wagon and hauled to the shed where they are strung 



