39 



or metal ones. It is most important that the shed should be so con- 

 structed that the temperature and humidity can be controlled. In 

 order to accomplish this it should be sufficiently tight to prevent air 

 currents when closed. The ventilators should be at frequent inter- 

 vals and sufficiently large to secure any desired amount of ventilation. 

 They should be so constructed that they open against the wind, can 

 be fastened to any sized opening, and can be quickly and tightly 

 closed. The interior framework should be so constructed with poles 

 and cross poles that the whole space can be utilized for hanging 

 tobacco. Strong wires may be tightly stretched and take the place 

 of the smallest poles. Poles sufficiently strong to support movable 

 planks on which the workmen stand should be placed at intervals 

 sufficiently close to enable all parts of the space to be easily reached. 

 The sticks on which the tobacco is strung may consist of ordinary 

 lath -J by 1| inches, by 4 feet long, with a saw notch in each end to 

 hold the cord, or they may consist of small native saplings of any 

 desired length. 



Two kinds of aeration or ventilation are recognized — one slow and 

 continuous, the other rapid and periodic. The first is acquired by 

 opening the small ventilators at the bottom and top of side walls or 

 by opening the large ventilators only slightly. The rapid ventilation 

 is effected by opening the large ventilators as wide as possible, always 

 guarding against the direct entrance of wind or sunshine. Large ven- 

 tilators may consist of ordinary doors extending from the ground to 

 the eaves and hinged at the side, or the same form of door may be 

 hinged at the top and open from the bottom. Another form consists 

 in having the side boards of the shed horizontal and have every other 

 one or every third one hinged at the upper edge. These may all be 

 opened to any desired width and a uniform ventilation of any desired 

 volume given to all parts of the shed, or the top and bottom one only 

 may be opened, giving a slow ventilation. 



CURING. 



The filling of a curing shed should be concluded as rapidly as pos- 

 sible and the shed closed for the curing process, so that the tobacco 

 in all parts will require as far as possible the same time and ventila- 

 tion. For this reason it is advisable to limit the size of curing sheds. 



During the early period the curing should be effected by a slow 

 and continuous ventilation. After the colors are obtained the ven- 

 tilation may become rapid and periodic. During very hot days the 

 sheds should be kept closed and opened during the following night. 

 After excessively damp weather it is also well to give more rapid ven- 

 tilation on a dry day to drive away the excess of moisture and pre- 

 vent molding. If damp weather continues for several days it 

 becomes necessary to build fires in the sheds. Charcoal is preferable 

 to wood for this purpose, because it produces less smoke. Care must 



