Edible Products. 



240 



[Sept. 1906. 



Great care must be taken to prevent excessive moisture, as pole sweat, mould, 

 or other damage to the leaf arises in tliat case, which must be prevented. The 

 curing of the tobacco is completed when the midribs of the leaves are brown and 

 soft. The time for curing the tobacco that has been primed is from twenty to 

 twenty-two days, at which time it is ready to be fermented, or the laths may be 

 adjusted on the top barraderas of the house, and there remain until such time as 

 sufficient dry tobacco is ready for fermentiug. To get the tobacco in condition to 

 handle, all the doors and ventilators must be kept open during the night previous to 

 putting into the press. The next morning the tobacco will be in what is called ' good 

 case,' that is, it should have taken up sufficient moisture to become soft and pliable. 

 The tobacco should contain at least 25 per cent, of moisture before being put in the 

 bulk (press), then the process of fermentation gives the leaf a light-brown colour. If 

 the tobacco contained 25 per cent of moisture when bulked, and the curing house be 

 kept at a temperature of from 75 to 85 P., the tobacco will generate sufficient heat to 

 cause a daily rise in temperature of from 8 to 10 P. For determining the temper- 

 ature of the bulk of tobacco, during the process of fermentation, a thermometer was 

 placed in the centre of the bulk. The following record of temperature (in degrees 

 Fahrenheit) during the first fermentation process is given as follows :— April 12, 

 tobacco put in bulk (press) ; 13 at 7 a.m., 80, at 3 p.m., 89 ; 14 at 7 a.m., 96, at 3 p.m., 

 102; 15 at 7 a.m., 110, at 3 p.m., 114; 16 at 7 a.m., 119, at 3 p.m., 122 ; 17 at 7 a.m., 125 

 tobacco taken out of bulk and put in a second bulk (press). The second bulk should 

 be allowed to remain fifteen or twenty days, by which time the tobacco will have 

 warmed up considerably, though it will not reach as high a temperature as in the first 

 bulk. If the tobacco did not contain an overabundance of moisture when first bulked, 

 it will be dried off by this time and the temperature will fall to about 96 or 100 F. 

 The tobacco will now be thoroughly cured and ready for assorting and baling. 



SIZING AND ASSORTING. 

 When the tobacco has been thoroughly cured it is ready to be sized, assorted, 

 and baled or boxed. The sizing is the first work. The various lengths of the tobacco 

 represent its various characteristics and types of the leaf, making five lengths from 

 10 to 12 inches, 11 to 14 inches, 14 to 16 inches, 16 to 18 inches, and over 18 inches. 

 After this work is completed the assorting or shading is completed, making claro or 

 very light-brown; Colorado claro, light-brown; Colorado maduro, brown, and 

 dark-brown ; and light and dark broken leaves. With the last named all leaves 

 of uneven colour-, or those which are in any way imperfect, are included. The tobacco 

 is tied in 'hands' fanshaped of from thirty to forty leaves each ; these are tied with 

 fibre and the tobacco is ready to be baled. 



COST OP GROWING TOBACCO UNDER SHADE. 

 Calculating on the wood-work lasting for five years, putting on new cloth 

 each year, and including cultivation and curing, the cost of the tobacco to the 

 grower varies from 2s. to 2s. 21d. per lb. 



SUN GROWN TOBACCO PROM SUMATRA SEED. 



A small experiment plot was planted in the open field to test the quality 

 of cigar wrapper leal from out-door cultivation. A local cigar expert who examined 

 the cured crop thinks highly of it, and was so favourably impressed by the 

 quality that he intends growing it on a large seale. He valued the best-grade 

 leaf at from 5s. per lb. About 10 per cent, could safely be relied on as being 

 of first-grade leaf. The plot was planted on .November 16, 1904, the first ripe 

 leaves were picked on February 7, 1905, 159 days from date of sowing ; the 

 average maximum temperature in the shade during the growth of the plants 

 was 86 F. taken daily at 3 p.m. ; the minimum average temperature taken at 

 7 a.m. was 67 F. The crop was cultivated, harvested, and cured in the same 

 manner as that grown under shade. 



