in the North- West of Europe. 
753 
drying must be done under cover, to prevent the sun's heat con- 
verting the tobacco-leaves into a mass of powder. j\lr. Meadows 
Taylor mentions 20 leaves as the regulation number in the 
Department of the Lot et Garonne ; but in the most northern 
Departments of France (Xord and Pas de Calais) it is 50 ; 
and in Belgium and Holland, where people can do as they like, 
the number rises to 75 and 80. The fact is, that in these 
northern climates, supposing that the tobacco retains its proper 
percentage of moisture after drying, there is less reason to fear 
fermentation during the winter than in the more southern 
climes, and therefore more leaves may be put together in one 
bundle without danger. After the bundles are made, they are 
kept in heaps in the granary and covered over with straw or 
sacks, sufficiently to enable them to retain their remaining 
moisture until it is time to deliver them to the Regie in France, 
or to sell the crop in the ordinary way of commerce in Belgium 
and the Netherlands. As another example of the differences 
which the French Government have found it necessary to impose 
upon the growers of tobacco, I may mention that while in the 
Department of the " Nord " each bundle must be composed of 
50 leaves and must be delivered in masses of 50 bundles, in the 
adjoining Department of the " Pas de Calais," although the 
bundles still contain only 50 leaves, yet each mass must contain 
100 bundles. 
I have seen a heap of bundles of tobacco-leaves, two years 
old, in a Belgian barn, covered simply with old sacks ; but in 
France, the Regie gives a fortnight's notice of its requirement 
for delivery to the Magazine of the district. Time has not yet 
permitted me to investigate what takes place after the tobacco 
leaves the farmer's hands, except in one case in the North of 
France. The delivery of the tobacco begins annuallv in 
January, and generally continues until jNIarch. Upon arrival, 
the bundles are examined by a Committee of experts, who fix 
the price to be paid to the groAver according to the quality of 
his crop and the fidelity with which he has classified the leaves 
in the several bundles. Payment is made immediately, and 
afterwards the bundles are taken possession of by the authorities. 
The next process is an official fermentation in large masses 
of from 10 to 12 tons, as follows : — The tobacco on deliverv at 
the Magazine should contain only about 28 per cent, of moisture; 
the bundles are placed in a long series of double rows, leaf-tip 
to leaf-tip, to a height of about 7 feet and a depth of 15 to 
20 feet, according to the length of the mass, until the required 
weight is obtained. Wooden tubes containing thermometers 
are placed at intervals in the mass, so that the temperature 
may be observed from time to time. The heat desired is from 
