Class 2 - Fire-cured is medium to heavy in body, light to dark brown in 
color, and strong in flavor. It is so-called because of the smoky flavor and 
aroma it receives from "firing" it over open fires in the curing barns. It is 
used for making snuff, roll and plug chewing tobacco, strong cigars, and heavy 
smoking tobacco. Production currently amounts to around 50 million pounds an- 
nually, of which about half is exported. 
Figure 2.--Kentucky-Tennessee fire-cured plant. Fire-cured is 
also grown in Virginia. 
Class 3 - Air-cured is so-called because it is cured under natural weath- 
er conditions, usually without the use of supplementary heat. 
(a) Light air-cured is normally very thin to medium in body, light 
yellow shaded toward red to reddish brown in color, mild in flavor, and is 
used chiefly in making cigarettes. It is usually combined with flue-cured and 
small quantities of imported or "Turkish'' tobacco to form the blends for ciga- 
rette manufacture. Each of the two types, burley and Maryland, has special 
characteristics. 
(See following page for descriptions of burley and Maryland.) 
(b) Dark air-cured is medium to heavy-bodied and ranges from light 
to medium brown in color. It is used in the manufacture of about the same 
products as the fire-cured types--mainly for chewing tobacco and snuff, but 
also to some extent for smoking tobacco and cigars. Annual production is de- 
creasing, and now amounts to less than 25 million pounds. Exports are about 4 
million pounds a year. 
