32 



It is impossible in the space of tliis article to describe the process 

 of fermentation in all its details. Experience and judgment enter into 

 the matter so largely that only one who has had this experience can 

 appreciate the changes which are going on in the pile, and can judge 

 of the necessary and further treatment. 



The tobacco is put into piles of three kinds, the ''quality" or top leaves, 

 bottom leaves, and ragged tobacco. The i)iles are built up on matting. 

 One rowis spread on the matting, the bundles being placed close together 

 with the heads in the same direction. At the corners the leaves are 

 si)read out like a fan. In this way layer after layer is put on until the pile 

 is from 4 to 6 feet high. When a large or rather a high pile is to be made, 

 hollow bamboo rods are inserted in the middle of the pile, in which a 

 thermometer is placed at the end of a stick. The outer end of the bamboo 

 has a plug of cotton, so that the temperature of the outside can not 

 interfere with that of the inside. With smaller x>iles, and esi)ecially 

 with trash and inferior tobaccos, simply a bamboo stick is inserted in 

 the pile without a thermometer. The manager, on touching the stick 

 when it is withdrawn, judges how warm the pile is inside. In still 

 smaller piles the hand is simply ])\it in between the bundles. When 

 the temperature rises to about 100^ F. the pile is taken down, the 

 tobacco is given a chance to cool off slightly, and a new pile is put up 

 in another place. Care is taken that bundles from the interior are 

 placed on the outside, to give those which were formerly on the outside 

 an equal chance of fermenting. The temperature gradually goes higher 

 until it finally attains the temj^erature of about 130° F., when the fer- 

 mentation is stopped. This maximum temperature must not be attained 

 too quickly, as the quality of the leaf would suffer. Ko statement can 

 be made as to how often the piles should be turned over, or when this 

 should be done, as it depends upon the condition of the tobacco, 

 especially as to how moist it was when i^ut into the pile. 



The so-called fat or "quality" tobacco, made up of leaves from the 

 second half of the stalk — -that is, from tox) leaves — has to be treated 

 differently from the drier bottom leaves of the plant. It can not stand 

 as much heat as the latter and must be fermented much more slowly 

 and gradually. It will have to be torn down and rebuilt more often 

 than the dry tobacco in order to obtain the light colors which are 

 desired. In making up a pile of the finest grades of tobacco the bottom 

 layers and the top of the pile are usually made of broken and inferior 

 tobaccos, as the fermentation does not take place as readily here as on 

 the inside of the pile. 



The principal fermentation is thus done before the sorting, as after 

 the sorting there are so many different grades which have to be kept 

 separate that it is impossible to make as large a pih.. with many of 

 them as would be desirable. Occasionally, however, these grades are' 

 refermented in order to improve the quality of the leaf. 



