82 CIRCULAR 249, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
The objective is to bring the tobacco into proper keeping order as to _ 
moisture content, and at some stage of the process it is reclassed or 
“picked” to achieve uniformity of grades or blends of grades. 
In connection with the reclassing of tobacco it may be noted that 
most of it is done without untying the hands. This is usually known 
as ‘‘bundle picking,’’ and the operation is a common practice among 
dealers and manufacturers—the former to achieve the grades desired 
by their customers, the latter to achieve those necessary for their own 
manufacturing requirements. Because of faulty preparation of 
tobacco for market, however, much tobacco as delivered by the growers 
is so mixed in the bundle that it has to be untied, resorted, and 
retied. This is known as leaf picking. It is an expensive opera- 
tion, and the cost falls on the grower by reason of the fact in buying 
such mixed tobacco the buyer discounts the price to allow for the 
expense of leaf picking. 
REDRYING 
Redrying is the most expeditious method of getting tobacco into 
the proper order (moisture content) for storage. After having been 
resorted, the bundles of tobacco are hung over sticks 4 feet 4 inches 
long which are placed on the chain conveyers at one end of the redry- 
ing machine, there being one or two conveyers in each machine (fig. 
40). For untied tobacco, apron conveyers are used. The tobacco 
is carried first through a steam-heated chamber where practically all 
the moisture is expelled. It goes next through a reordering or con- 
ditioning chamber where moisture is introduced under such control 
that when the tobacco emerges from the other end of the redrier it 
contains a predetermined percentage of moisture. 
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AMA 2196 
FigurE 40.—One end of a redrying machine, of which less than one-half is 
shown. The tobacco on sticks is carried by chains through the various drying 
and reordering chambers. Upon exit from the other end of the machine the 
tobacco is packed in hogsheads for storage. 
