26 



THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



thing else, previously in place, for the purpose 

 to exclude the rays of the sun. 



The next operation (after the heat of the sun 

 has declined) is to remove the tobacco to the 

 house or scaffold, and hang the plants on 

 sticks four and a half feet long, and about one 

 inch square. The common pine affords the 

 best timber for this purpose, which will rive 

 straight and with ease. From ten to twelve 

 plants, according to size, may be hung on each 

 stick, the width of two fingers to be left between 

 each plant. The scaffolds are raised four or 

 five feet from the ground, and the poles to re- 

 ceive the sticks are placed four feet apart, and 

 are made to range east and west, so that the 

 sticks will be north and south, to give both sides 

 an equal benefit from the sun. The tobacco is 

 commonly removed from the field to the house 

 or scaffold upon the shoulders of the laborers, 

 carefully put on and taken off to avoid bruising ; 

 but if the distance is great, carts are used, 

 greater care being necessary to avoid bruising. 

 This is considered so important that some judi- 

 cious planters make temporary scaffolds in the 

 field, preferring the risk of injury from a smart 

 rain, to that of bruising by moving far in a 

 green state. 



There are two modes of curing tobacco. One 

 in the house altogether by fire ; the other by the 

 sun on scaffords. The first is esteemed the best 

 and most effectual, but it is attended with great 

 risk. Our houses are generally four-sided pens, 

 twenty feet square, built of round poles, and 

 about twelve feet pitch. The joists are placed 

 four feet apart, the rafters immediately over 

 them, having beams corresponding with the 

 joists, three feet perpendicular from each other, 

 so as to afford ranges or tiers for the tobacco up 

 to the crown ; and the same tiers are fixed be- 

 low the joists and at the same distance by ex- 

 tending poles across the house between the logs 

 of the pen. The house is covered tightly with 

 pine boards, and if it is intended to cure by fire, 

 the openings between the logs should be closed 

 to prevent the escape of heat. Such a sized 

 house will cure from two to three thousand 

 weight, according to the quality of the tobacco. 

 If it be decided to cure by fire, the tobacco is 

 carried immediately from the field to the house, 

 hung on sticks as before described, and these 

 sticks crowded as close together on the tiers as 

 they can possibly be, so as to exclude all air 

 from the tobacco. It remains in this situation 

 until the leaves of the plants become yellow or 

 of the color of hickory leaves just before they 

 fall. This will generally happen in four or five 

 days, when the sticks must be spread and placed 

 at their proper distances apart in the house. — 

 About six or seven inches is the proper distance, 

 or any other that will prevent the plants on dif- 

 ferent sticks touching each other. A moderate 

 heat which is gradually increased to a very 



strong one, is then applied, by making different 

 ranges of fires throughout the house — and that 

 wood is preferred and sought for, which will 

 make the greatest heat with the least blaze and 

 smoke. The fires must be continually kept up 

 until the curing is effected, (say from four to six 

 days,) when not only the leaves, but the whole 

 stalk becomes dry ; and changes from a green 

 or yellow, to a light brown color. 



If it is not to be cured by fire, the tobacco is 

 brought to the scaffold and hung, and the sticks 

 are crowded in the same way on the scaffold, 

 until the same yellow color is imparted to the 

 leaves, and some planters are so particular as to 

 cover their scaffolds with green bushesduring this 

 crowded state, to prevent sun-burning. When 

 the proper time arrives, which is indicated by 

 the yellow color of the leaves, the sticks are 

 thinned and placed at such a distance as to ad- 

 mit the influence of the sun and air, and if the 

 weather is warm and fair, in five or six days 

 the curing will be so far effected as to justify 

 the removal of the tobacco into the house, when 

 it must be properly and finally arranged, and 

 the cure will be gradually accomplished by time 

 and season. But if clamp, hot weather super- 

 venes, it will be necessary, both in this and in 

 the case of tobacco already cured by fire, to 

 make moderate fires under each, whenever it 

 comes in very high order. In such weather 

 and in such order, tobacco is liable to contract a 

 mould about the stems, which can only be pre- 

 vented by keeping it dry by fires. This mould 

 injures both the quality and appearance greatly, 

 and cannot be easily rubbed off. Great atten- 

 tion is therefore necessary to prevent it by these 

 occasional firings, until regular cool weather sets 

 in, after which there is no danger. From the 

 vicissitudes of our climate for some years past, 

 and other causes, it happens commonly that 

 some portion of our tobacco is not mature, and 

 is left until we are compelled to cut it by the 

 approach of frost. Such plants, even if fully 

 ripe, seldom cure of a good color or quality for 

 want of proper seasons. And here we may 

 venture a general remark ; which is, that tobac- 

 co cut early and fully ripe, will cure well and 

 be of good quality under the most unfavorable 

 circumstances, while that which comes late into 

 the house, is difficult to cure and of inferior 

 grade. After the housing of tobacco is all ac- 

 complished, and cool weather begins, the house 

 should be closed with green bushes or fence 

 rails set up on end, close around on the outside 

 of the house, to exclude damp air, and beating 

 rains, which generate mould, &c. 



(To be continued.) 



CLAY LANDS. 

 Mr. Allen, of the "American Agriculturist," 

 in giving some directions for the management 



