12 CIRCULAR 435, IL S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



chases sometimes show a dirt and sand loss as high as 30 percent. 

 However, losses from this source, considering all grades, average 

 about 2 percent. 



An additional loss in weight, due to the removal of moisture, 

 occurs in the redrying process, running from 8 to 10 percent. The 

 percentage of moisture loss varies during the marketing season 

 according to weather conditions and the quality or grade of tobacco 

 handled. It also varies with crop years. When packed for export, 

 tobacco usually contains about 11 percent of moisture, and when 

 packed for domestic trade, from 12 to 14 percent. The total loss in 

 weight in the rehandling and redrying of flue-cured, including dirt 

 and sand losses and moisture losses, considering all grades over a 

 period of years, averages about 10 percent for tobacco packed in 

 domestic order and about 12 percent for that packed in export order. 



The stem is removed from some flue-cured tobacco prior to re- 

 drying and packing, but most of it is packed in leaf form and the stem 



Figure 6.— Tobacco-prizing operation. Hogsheads along the sides of the pit are being packed with 

 tobacco. Note the extra container placed on top of hogshead. 



is removed at a later date. The loss in stemming flue-cured tobacco 

 ranges from 16 to 28 percent. This range is due to some extent to 

 difference in quality of the leaf and the relative weight of the stem in 

 proportion to the total leaf. It is due principally to the quantity or 

 portion of the stem removed. The average loss in stemming flue- 

 cured tobacco is about 22 percent. 



Formerly the stem was removed from a large part of the tobacco 

 entering into foreign trade, especially that going to the United King- 

 dom, but during recent years the quantity stemmed before export 

 has been reduced substantially. At present, only a very small per- 

 centage is stemmed prior to export. 



Flue-cured tobacco has relatively light losses in storage. In some 

 cases it gains weight in storage. Considering the weight gains and 

 losses, the average loss in storage is about 1 percent the first year, 

 0.5 percent the second year, and is negligible thereafter. Table 1 

 shows the various weight losses on flue-cured tobacco progressively. 



