30 BULLETIN 16, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
In seasons of normal growth, under the conditions existing in the 
Old Belt, when all the leaves of the plant mature at approximately 
the same time, quite likely the crop may be most economically and 
satisfactorily harvested by cutting the entire plant at one time. But 
when, as in 1912, a prolonged drought causes the bottom leaves to 
turn yellow and waste away while the top leaves are still quite green, 
there can be no question that it is much better to prime off the 
leaves as they ripen, as was actually done by many growers. If 
priming had been universally followed in that year, undoubtedly it 
would have saved many thousands of dollars to the tobacco growers 
of the Old Belt section. Figures 9 and 10 show characteristic har- 
vesting scenes in the New Belt and Old Belt sections. 
Fic, 9.—Tobacco harvest in the New Belt section. Stringing the primed leaves under 
the shade of a tree. 
CURING AND HANDLING. 
The expert curer exhibits his skill from the very first, as he begins 
to harvest the crop. He cuts or primes, having clearly in mind what 
he expects to accomplish in making the cure. For a uniform curing 
of good color, a first requisite is that the barn be filled with plants or 
leaves of uniform ripeness and character. 
The first step in curing is to yellow the leaf properly. This takes 
place while the plant is yet hving but is slowly approaching death 
from starvation, since the food and moisture supply is cut off. To 
expose too long to the sun and air after cutting, even though actual 
sunburning does not result, greatly diminishes the vitality of the 
cells of the leaf and it will not yellow so well. The tobacco should, 
therefore, be housed without excessive wilting or long exposure to the 
sun and wind. 
