14 



the plant and that, in turn, topped and suckered like the original 

 plant. In topping, cut below the third leaf from the seed bud. 



HARVESTING AND CURING. 



Between the time of planting and harvesting, a tobacco barn 

 must be provided large enough to care for the entire crop. This 

 structure should be of lumber rather than galvanized iron, with 

 shingle roof, hinged frieze, or gable-ventilators and the sides 

 provided with vertical ventilators extending from sill to plate 

 the idea being to secure complete control of temperature and air 

 draughts within the building during the curing process. The 

 side walls should be of i"xi2" N. W., with the cracks battened. 

 Windows are not required, as the ventilators may be opened 

 for light during the process of filling the barn with green leaf. 

 The inside arrangement should be such that the tobacco leaves, 

 fastened on four foot laths, can be hung in tiers from top to bot- 

 tom of the shed, so as to fill the whole space. The larger the barn, 

 the more readily can the air temperature within it be controlled. 

 A tobacco barn, properly constructed, should last for twenty 

 years. In Hamakua, at the elevation where our tobacco experi- 

 ment is being conducted, a stove must be provided to heat the 

 air and control moisture, because of the frequent periods of fog 

 and cloudy weather. This stove is placed outside of the shed with 

 the pipe or flue passing either across through the house, from side 

 to side, or, inside a large barn, around two or more walls. 



In from 3 to 4 weeks after topping, some of the leaves will be 

 ripe. The lower ones ripen first and if not removed, they wither, 

 turn yellow, dry up at the point, get spotted in patches and then 

 fall off, a total loss of leaf, as the tobacco is then fit for nothing. 



There are two methods in use in harvesting tobacco. For high 

 grade cigar leaf, priming is the one to employ. Each leaf is cut 

 from the plant as it ripens, and, as three or four leaves are ripe 

 at about the same time, it is not so much work as one would think. 



The primed leaves are placed in shallow trays or baskets and 

 taken to the curing house. The leaves should be carefully handled 

 to avoid bruising and breaking. It is a great saving of room in 

 the curing house, if at this time, the leaves are assorted according 

 to length. 



Tobacco does not cure well if strung, say a 20 inch leaf that is 

 12 inches wide next to a 12 inch leaf that is 6 inches wide. The 

 wide, long leaf will, in curing, roll over the small one and cover 



