148 



Ippi-appa. 



1. Ripe fruit, beginning to burst open. 



2. Pistilate flower (seen from the top.) 



3. The same, — side view. 



4. Vertical section of pistillate flower. 



5. Transverse section of same. 



6. Group of staminate flowers as they are set between the pisillate.- 



7. Single staminate flower, — seen in two positions. 



8. Staminate flower with some of the stamens removed. 



9. Stamen. 



10. Vertical section of )ipe fruit. 



11. Part of young leaf, showing the divisions, — length of leaf from 



where it joins the stalk to tip, 29 inches. 



TOBACCO : CULTIVATION AND CURING. III. 



By T. J. Harris, Asst. Supt., Hope Gardens. 



"Whilst the planting operations are proceeding, some attention should 

 be given to the curing house in the way of preparing it for the recep- 

 tion of the crop ; if no curing house exists it will be necessary to build 

 one, and if this is contemplated the following simple directions may be 

 found useful. 



A tobacco curing house should be constructed in such a way as will 

 enable the operator to shut out very dry, and very damp air when 

 either of the two extremes occur, as it is most essential when 

 tobacco is drying that the atmosphere be at all times warm and dry 

 but not of a parching dryness. The non-conducting thatched roof , and 

 shutters constructed as in drawing No. 2, with the assistance of the 

 door as a means of ventilation, will ensure this. Each "room" should 

 be 14 ft. long, with a space of 3 ft. between to enable the workmen to 

 move the bars of tobacco from one "barradera" to the other, and for 

 ventilation. The posts should be so arranged that each room of tobacco 

 is supported by four of the stoutest, the latter being about 3 ft. in the 

 ground. These should be of good durable wood and not less than 8 

 inches in diameter at the top ; the two smaller posts support the shut- 

 ters and, to some extent, the roof. The posts that form the central 

 passage (Fig. 1.) may be 3" in. to 4" in. diameter, perfectly straight and 

 gmooth. 



A house of three rooms of the dimensions shown would be capable 

 of drying a crop of two acres of tobacco. 



Having decided how many rooms will be required, the first opera- 

 tion in the building is to line off, peg, end dig the holes for the posts ; 

 when this has been properly started the barraderas and frames should 

 be made and stacked ready for putting in position. The posts are then 

 set up, plumbed and lined, half filled in and rammed, then sawn level 

 at the top to a line stretched from one end of the house to the other ; 

 they are then plumbed again and filled in and rammed firm. The next 

 to go up is the 4" x 4" plate ; this will have been constructed and light- 

 ly put together on the ground so that it can be put up in sections ; the 

 splices should always be at the top of a post, and a main one if p( s~ 

 sible. The next to be fixed up is the 3" x 4" barraderas (fig. 1.) join- 



