27 



shade of brown when cured. From data obtained in this work the 

 author considers it warrantable to conclude that tobacco should be 

 cured in as moist an atmosphere as possible without incurring dam- 

 age from pole burn. A temperature within the curing- house not 

 exceeding 75 F. and a degree of humidity among the plants repre- 

 sented by a wet bull) depression of 2 C are regarded as suitable con- 

 ditions. In order to maintain these conditions the author recommends 

 that the plants should be evenly distributed in the curing house in 

 order to equalize the humidity in the building, and that the Aentilation 

 of the curing house should be under perfect control, with a provision 

 to regulate the humidity of the air by the use of artificial heat. 



In connection with other experiments in 1895 l the loss in curing 

 leaves harvested on different dates, from August 24 to September 2. 

 ranged from 85.5 per cent to 87.6 per cent. The percentage of loss 

 in curing w;i< not materially smaller in the later harvested leaves. In 

 one case where the weight of the cured stalks was deducted in addition 

 to the loss of water the loss in curing ranged from 90.77 per cent to 

 92.58 in four samples. 



Experiments with tobacco culture were conducted for several years 

 at the North Louisiana Experiment Station, at Calhoun." and in con- 

 nection with these the percentage of loss in curing the product was 

 determined. The percentage of loss in curing bright leaf and cigar 

 tobaccos grown with or without fertilizers on red sandy, gray sandy, 

 or new land ranged from about 70 to 90 per cent, but the results did 

 not -how that the different types of tobacco or the different soils 

 and methods of fertilization had any special influence on the loss in 

 curing. 



In 1897 the Connecticut State Station 3 made a test of curing tobacco 

 on the stalk in a curing room in which the conditions of temperature 

 and humidity were under control. The temperature never went above 

 88 : and seldom over 82 . and the lowest point reached was 59 c : but the 

 average temperature for the coldest portion of the twenty-four hours, 

 from 3 to 6 a. m.. was 69°. The heat was kept uniform throughout 

 the room, and before the leaves had come to color the humidity was 

 such that they were perfectly limp and hung like damp cloths. The 

 curing was continuous, an advantage derived from the control of the 

 atmospheric conditions within tin 1 room. The results of the experi- 

 ments were so satisfactory that it was repeated on a large scale in a 

 curing barn. Here the results obtained, so far as the work was carried 

 on. were even more satisfactory than in the curing room. The acci- 

 dental burning of the barn and the tobacco prevented drawing any 

 further conclusions. 



1 Wisconsin Station Rpt., 1895. 2 Louisiana Stations Bills., Nbs., 20, 25, 33. 



3 Connecticut State Station Report. 1897. 



