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them up into a neat cube in the snuggest corner of the press. This- 

 may be done by the aid of boards kept in position by props from the 

 sides of the press, remembering to put a layer of banana trash between 

 the tobacco and the boards, and to do the work quickly. The fonque 

 may be packed on the top or kept separate until it is sold, no more 

 attention being given it in the way of curiug. As soon as there is 

 sufficient tobacco dry, another pilon should be fermented and the 

 matulas packed firmly into the space between the wall and the cube of 

 matulas in No. 2 press, taking away the boards and trash; the next lot 

 that is fermented just about rilling the press. A thermometer should 

 be placed at the centre as in No. 1 press and should be read once a 

 day ; it will then be observed that heat is not generated as quickly as 

 in press No. 1, requiring some two and a half or three weeks before the 

 temperature arrives at 125° or 130° F. When the latter figure is 

 reached the whole pilon must be taken out and repacked, turning the 

 bulk upside down and inside out The room must be closed, mats 

 spread over the floor, and the work done quickly. Four heaps should 

 be made, < ne of the top matulas, < ne of the outside, one of the middle 

 and one of the bottom ; this ensures accuracy in repacking. The ma- 

 tulas are then stacked as closely as possible in the press again, re- 

 membering the thermometer, and carefully covered as before with the 

 corn-bag mats. This time the temperature will rise even more slowly 

 but will eventually reach 120° to 130° and go as gradually down again ; 

 if, however, wet weather prevails for some time the temperature will 

 rise quickly, and, if the tobacco is not taken down and re-stacked, would 

 probably go over the mark, i.e. 130°, and spoil ; and if left long 

 enough would catch fire. When the temperature of press No. 2 has 

 risen and fallen as described, the tobacco must be allowed to remain 

 undisturbed until the whole crop has been through the same processes, 

 when the classing is commenced; beginning, in a large plantation, 

 with press No. 2, No. 3 and so on. The " classing" of the crop is for 

 the guidance of the manufacturer who buys it. 



Classing : this operation is a very important one, and requires con- 

 siderable practice before it can be done at profitable speed ; it entails 

 the handling and inspection of every leaf. 8ix classes are made, three 

 of carpa and three of tripa ; — carpa larga, carpa mediana, and carpa 

 courta ; tripa larga, tripa mediana, and tripa courta ; meaning respec- 

 tively long, medium and short wrappers, and ditto fillers. 



As before mentioned, the tobacco is classed roughly when taken 

 out of the first press and made up into matulas, square bundle* some 

 five or six inches thick; now, after the last slow fermentation the 

 matulas are opened up and the leaves made up into " manitas ;"-small 

 neat bundles that can easily be encircled by the thumb and forefinger 

 (about 40 leaves) at the place in which it is tied, i.e., about \\ inches 

 from the base end ; this time exercising greater care in the selection of 

 the leaves. It will then be found that owing to the rapidity with which 

 the stripping had to be done after the first fermentation some tripa 

 leaves had crept into the carpa matulas and carpa into the tripa ma- 

 tulas. It would appear that the first rough classing is unnecessary 

 since the leaves have to be carefully gone through a second time ; in 

 practice, however, it is not so ; if it were not that a carpa ma tula 



