Stalk-cut cigar tobaccos are packed in farm bales or bundles as the 

 leaves are stripped. Most cigar tobacco is now sold unsorted, except that 

 very inferior qualities are thrown out as the leaves are stripped from the 

 stalk. Specially constructed box presses are used for packing. After placing 

 four heavy strings in the box, it is lined with heavy manila paper which is 

 used to wrap the bundle. The leaves are laid with the tips overlapping, and 

 the butts of the leaves to the outside of the bundles on each end. The leaves 

 are not tied in "hands" by the growers, as in the auction market areas. When 

 the box is full, the leaves are pressed down, the paper folded over, and the 

 strings tied. The tobacco is ready for delivery to a buyer. The weight of a 

 farm bale ranges from 40 to 60 pounds. 



After the primed shade-grown tobacco is completely cured, the sticks of 

 leaves are taken down and placed in temporary bulks with the sticks to the 

 outside. The tobacco is then removed from the sticks by detaching the string 

 at each end and tying the ends together to form a hand. The hands are packed 

 in wooden boxes for delivery to the packing house . After curing, the primed 

 Puerto Rican tobacco is prepared for delivery by detaching the strings from 

 the tier poles and tying them together around the rolled up leaves to form 

 hands. 



Figure 1 7. --Connecticut Valley cigar binder tobacco hanging in curing bam. 



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