150 



sible ; if rain happens to fall without due warning the ripe tobacco 

 may be cut during the following day and a half, but if it is not cut out 

 by that time it must be left, as the moisture has then got up into the 

 plant and turned it green again or unripe ; in this case the plants 

 must remain in the field uEtil they ripen again. 



"When the plants are carried to the house preparatory to tying and 

 hanging they must be spread out as thinly as possible, say three or 

 four plants deep ; for if allowed to remain in heaps for more than half 

 an hour they will ferment, get hot, and spoil. It is hardly necessary 

 to point out that the greatest care should be exercised in the handling 

 of the plants from first to last so as not to break the leaves. 



"When all the cut plants have been transferred to the tobacco house, 

 the work of tying and hanging should be commenced and continued 

 until the whole has been safely hung in pairs upon the bars ; the ty- 

 ing material must be passed around the stem and under the leaf that 

 is nearest the base aDd then drawn tight to prevent the plant slipping 

 out of the tie. The pairs of plants must be placed at a distance of 4 to 

 6 inches from each other so that they just touch without pressure ; a 

 fourteen ft. bar will usually hold from 34 to 40 pairs of plants. As 

 the bars are filled they are packed close together on the lowest barra- 

 dera and are allowed to remain so for three days and nights or 72 hours ; 

 at the end of this time the bars are spread out to a distance of 1 ft. or 

 15 inches apart, giving the bars a shake to separate any leaves that 

 may be sticking together, filling up the top barraderas first, 1 ft. apart 

 when the atmosphere is very dry and 15 inches when moist. In re- 

 arranging the bars care should be taken to open out the plants at each 

 end that are liable to slide towards the middle of the bar during re- 

 moval, for if several pairs are allowed to remain packed together, 

 fungus will make its appearance and cause what is known as " sweated" 

 tobacco. This is easily recognised when it appea>s by the black spots 

 that it makes on the still half -green leaves, though the really first in- 

 dication of sweat is the swelling or thickening of the leaves, their cold 

 wet feel, and the appearance of moisture on the surface ; these spots 

 increase in size until the whole of the leaf is covered, and once this 

 fungus gets a start it will extend its operations into the tobacco that 

 is not too closely packed and eventually go through the whole house. 

 The fungus breaks down the tissues of the leaves and renders them 

 absolutely useless as cigar tobacco, and the very best leaves can in this 

 way be reduced to the status of " fonque" The fungus will also 

 make its appearance on partially dried tobacco if the weather sudden- 

 ly changes to cold and wet after a fairly long dry spell ; if the cold 

 wet weather continues for more than a day it will be necessary to pro- 

 cure several old zinc buckets, knock some boles in them, make char- 

 coal fires and keep moving them about from place to place under the 

 tobacco ; hut to ensure no sn,oke retching the drying tobacco, the fires 

 should be started at a distance auay frcm the house, and not taken in 

 until there is a nice glow on. 



If the fungus has been overlooked and has had a good start, it can be 

 stopped by removing the affected bars to temporary barraderas erected 

 outside the house on the side that gets the morning sun ■ three hours 

 sharp fun, say frcm nine to twelve, will be quite sufficient to check it 

 effectually. If bright sun be not forthcoming the charcoal fires must 



