Flue-curing operation . When priming begins, curing barns are completely 

 filled each day to insure uniformity in the curing. Heat is applied with 

 attention to the gradual changes in the leaf, particularly to the changes in 

 color and moisture content. Curing may be considered to take place in three 

 stages: (1) Yellowing, (2) drying of the leaf, and (3) drying of the stem. 

 (1) In the yellowing stage, the heat is maintained at around 90° to 100°, 

 for 24 to 40 hours under average conditions; (2) it is then moved up fairly 

 rapidly to 135° to 140° to dry the leaf and fix the color, which takes from 

 30 to 36 hours; (3) and then it is gradually raised to 160° and maintained at 

 this level until the stems are thoroughly dry. Careful watch is kept through 

 out the whole curing process, which is completed in 4 to 6 days. 



When the curing is completed, the tobacco is quite dry and brittle. In 

 order not to shatter the leaves it must be brought in "case" (see page 21). 

 If the leaf can be folded in the hand without breaking the stem, it is in 

 proper condition to be taken down without injury. 



Sometime prior to delivery to the auction market, the tobacco is sorted 

 into different lots or grades. As a rule, the different primings are handled 

 separately and only a few grades are made of each. Care is taken to remove 

 all the strings by which the leaves were attached to the sticks with the con- 

 ventional curing method. Metal racks hold the tobacco for bulk curers and no 

 strings are used. 



The majority of flue-cured 

 growers still use this type of 

 structure. 



J Figures 21 ami 22,—Conven- 

 | tional flue-curing hams. 



25 - 



