34 



leiigtli he will take no chances, and will rather put it with the third 

 than run the risk of criticism from the European dealers. AlsOj if the 

 tobacco is all packed and a little tobacco left of two or three of the 

 different grades, which would make together one bale, the planter i)uts 

 on that bale the mark of the most inferior of the kinds, so that the 

 buyer gets the benefit of the doubt in all cases. This is oue reason 

 why the Sumatra tobacco commands such a good price, as the pur- 

 chaser can be sure that the contents of the bale have been very care- 

 fully assorted, and that it always conforms to what is written upon 

 the outside of it. 



BALING. 



After the bundles are assorted into lengths the tobacco is pressed 

 into bales of 80 kilograms, equal to 160 Amsterdam x)ounds and to 

 176 English i)ounds. The trade-mark chosen for the estate is then put 

 upon the outside of the matting which covers the bale, and marked to 

 indicate the grade and length of tobacco. The bale is made in the 

 following way: A wooden or iron receptacle, consisting of four loose 

 sides without cover, is put under the press. It is about 2^ feet square 

 and something over 2 feet high, and goes in on rollers. The four sides 

 are taken off when it stands under the press. Matting is put on to the 

 bottom in such a way that it projects out on either side. Then the 

 four sides are put up and filled with tobacco which has previously been 

 carefully weighed out in baskets. The filling of the box with tobacco 

 has to be done by experienced hands, and great care is taken to spread 

 the leaves out uniformly in the bundles. Care is especially taken to 

 spread them out at the corners in such a way that it will make a nice 

 package with square corners. When the proper weight of tobacco is 

 put in the whole is covered with matting which has previously been 

 labeled with the estate's especial marks. The press is applied until 

 the i)ackage has a thickness of about one foot. The iron cover to the 

 press fits in the box so that it goes down without touching the sides. 

 It frequently takes as many as twenty able-bodied men to press the 

 cover down and squeeze the bale into the proper dimensions. When 

 in this condition, the sides are removed and the matting of the top and 

 bottom is pulled together and sewed on the four sides, and iron jnns are 

 put ill to keep it in position. When thus fastened the pressure is 

 removed and the package is rolled out. The matting is then strongly 

 sewed with stout twine, and then the iron pins which secured it tem- 

 porarily are taken out. The bale is then marked as to its grade and 

 length and is ready for shipping. 



The coolies are paid 3 doewits per bale, making it necessary, in order 

 to earn a Mexican dollar, to make 333 bales per day, which they never 

 do. As a matter of fact, it takes from 16 to 20 men to put up 120 bale^ 

 per day, and they consider that they have worked pretty hard in doing 

 this. Most of the coolies are already at work in the fields for the next 

 crop before the tobacco is all baled and ready to be shipped. Bales 



