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TOBACCO FERMENTATION. 



In an article in the Tobacco World on the cultivation of tobacco in 

 Sumatra, after dealing with the care and labour bestowed id its cultiva- 

 tion, particulars of the mode of fermentation are described as follow- : — 



" The tobacco comes direct from the drying sheds to the one fer- 

 meuting shed, which holds all the tobacco of the estate. It does not 

 leave here until packed and ready for shipment to the European 

 markets. 



The fermentation has two purposes. The first is to insure the proper 

 texture, glossy appearance, and colour to the leaf. It brings out the 

 characteristic properties of the wrapper leaf, which are hardly apparent 

 when the leaf is cut in th } field. It is furthermore necessary to press 

 the tobacco into bales so ihat it can be shipped in compact form. 



Formerly, when dark colours for cigar wrappers were in much 

 favour by the dealers and manufacturers, the tobacco was worked up to 

 a very high heat in the fermenting pile ; but since lighter colours are 

 more sought for, the fermentation has to be done more slowly and not 

 lo such a high degree of heat as formerly. 



It is impossible in the space of this 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 piles are built up on 

 matting. One row is spread on the matting, the bundles being placed 

 close together with the heads in the same direction. At the corners the 

 leaves are spread 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 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 cannot interfere with that of the inside. 



With smaller piles, and especially 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The manager, on touching the stick when it is withdrawn, judges 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 it is inside. In still smaller piles the hand is simply put 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 tho»e which were 

 formerly on the outside an equal chance of fermenting. The 

 temperature gradually goes higher until it finally attains the tem- 

 perature of about 130 ° F., when the fermentation is stopped. The 

 maximum temperature must not be attained too quickly, as the quality 

 of the leaf would suffer. No 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 put into the pile." — Cape of G. Hope Agri. Joum. 



