406 
THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. [December i, 1889. 
grow from the root and lower part of the stem. After 
the third suckering the plants will be fit for cutting, 
but this should never be done until the leaves are 
matured so as to obtain the Tobacco of prime colour 
being careful at the same time to avoid their being too 
ripe, for if this should happen they get discoloured, or 
dappled, thus losing in quality and producing much 
" fuma (that is, almost valueless Tobacco). The leaf is 
matured when on its surface are formed elevations or 
blisters, called by Cuban planters " vejigar" blistering, 
and when the tops of the leaves, held in the hand, 
sound as if they cracked. It is then that the leaf is 
fully developed. When the plant has been cut suckers 
spriug' up. The leaves developed from these are called 
" capaduras " or " capones " and to obtain a good To- 
bacco from them not more than two suckers must be 
allowed to grow from each parent-root, according to its 
strength, and leaving only those which spring up from 
below the surface of the earth and furthest from the 
cut stalk. The suckers or " ratoons " should be care- 
fully weeded, avoiding throwing the earth on the cut 
Btem or on the suckers, and moulding should be per- 
formed as frequently as the weather and the vigor of 
the parent-root requires it. 
The after-cultivation and curing of these suckers is 
identical with that of the first crop of Tobacco. 
" Ratoons " or suckers are developed as many as five 
times in succession, provided the weather be rainy and 
the number of suckers left be proportionate to the vigor 
of the parent-root. The Tobacco obtained each time 
will be of good size and quality, and sometimes, in 
every respect, superior to the first cut. 
Chapter "V. — Harvesting. 
When the plant is properly ripe and fit for harvest- 
ing, cutting must not be commenced until the dew has 
dsappeared and the leaves are thoroughly dry, that is, 
after ten o'clock in the morning and continued till about 
three o'clock in the afternoon. The best knife for use 
is the hook-nosed pruning knife. 
The leaves are best cut in pairs " mancuernas," com- 
mencing from above and proceeding downwards to a 
level with the earth, in preference to the method of 
cutting down the whole plant. The " mancuernas " 
shou'd be placed on poles (of convenient length and 
thickness, first stripped of their bark) as quickly as pos- 
sible to prevent the sun from burning the leaves while 
in the ground, for if this should happen the Tobacco 
would be greately damaged. Bach " cortador " or 
cutter should have as many collectors as may be found 
necessary in order that the Tobacco cut may be on the 
ground the least possible time. The cutters should 
throw the "capa " or wrappers (the best Tobacco) on 
the space or wall between the rows of plants which 
they may be following and the " Tripa" or fillers in the 
next, thus keeping the two clases separate, and for 
a like reason each pole should be filled with the same 
class, and when full of the Tobacco should be kept 
separate in the House. When on the poles the Tobacco 
should be kept for a while in the sun to wither and 
then taken to the House ; for while it is beneficial to 
dry in the sun when on the poles, it is destructive to 
the quality of the leaves if it is dried by the sun while 
lying on the ground. 
_ If it be decided to cut the plant whole, as is some- 
times practised, cutting always commencing at the 
proper time of the day, each carrier should be provided 
with bands eighteen inches in width and of any desired 
length. With these bands the cut plants are carefully 
tied into buudles or " matcles," so as not to break the 
leaves, and should be of a size which the men employed 
as carriers can readily carry. Instead of bands, bags 
may be used to carry the cut Tobacco to the Tobacco- 
house. Every endeavour ought to be used not to allow 
the Tobacco to remain on the ground longer than is 
absolutely necessary to pick it up, to avoid the inevitable 
burning which will occur if left long on the ground. 
The bundles or bag-fulla may be carried to the House 
eit her 011 Lead, small carts, or any other manner. 
The manner of curing the Tobacco cut in these two 
ways will be described in another Chapter. 
JJcfore detailing the curing, which has to be done in 
the House, it is convenient to give a brief sketch of a 
Tobacco- house, and at the same time of the "Pilon" 
or " Prensa," the " Bulking-box " or "Press." 
Chapter VI. — Curing. 
Tobacco-House and Press. 
It is understood that the House mast be finished 
by the time cutting is to commence. The "Pilon" 
or Press is to be made when the Tobacco is dry on the 
poles and nearly ready for bulking or fermenting in 
the Press. 
The Tobacco-House. 
The house should run from North to South (one end 
looking North and the other South). Of whatever 
length it is built, take half the le.vgth, less one part 
for the breadth, and with these dimensions well.shiped 
house will be contructed. Two-thirds the breadth is 
taken for the length of the rafters, and if the H use 
be thatched, one foot more should fee added to the 
length, so as to have a greater inclination of the roof 
to throw off the rain water rapidly. For example, a 
house of 20 yards in length (the posts supporting the 
roof being 4 yards high), the breadth will be 9 .yards 
and the length of the rafters 6 yards : half of 20=10, 
less 1 yard=9 yards, aud two-thirds of 9 yards = 6 
yards. A house of these dimeusious is to be divided 
into sections, " aposentos," allowing a space of 27 
inches between each section so that a man may easily 
get in to put up or bring down the poles. The sime 
space left between each section (27 inches) should be 
left at both ends of the house to afford the same 
facility. A passage one yard in width should be left, 
dividing the house lengthwise iuto halves, and each 
half will have by this passage four sections on each 
side, thus making in all eight sections, and each of 
these sections will have four square yards. The apart- 
ments are framed by post. 
The poles for a house of the foregoing dimensions 
must be at least thirteen feet i'i length. 
The poles filled with the Tobacco are placed on 
what are called in Cuba " Barrederas," which are 
stout, strong rails, of the length of the sections, 
nailed horizontally on posts, which form the sections 
one above the other aod at a convenient distance, 
namely, one yard, so that the tips of the leaves of 
the upper poles do not touch the but ends of the 
lower. The space above the tie-beam is divided in the 
same manner as was done below it. To be able to 
do the division above as below, it is necessary to 
put two tie-beams and two cross beams or cross pieces 
to form each space, and by these the spaces sepa- 
rating each apartment below will be continued above. 
We would advise the beginner to see a house built 
by an Expert as the best means of becoming ac- 
quainted with its construction. 
When the house is singled or thatched, a kind of 
window or ventilator should be left at the top of 
each gable so that the air may refresh the Tobacco 
which is at the upper part of the house. In a foggy 
locality the sides of the house should also be covered 
with thatch. Several doors should be made so that 
after the fog has disappeared they may be opened 
and air allowed to circulate freely through the house. 
The sides of the house should be wattled. 
The Press or "Pilon." 
The Press is made in one of the sections of the 
Tobacco house, and of the required size. The section 
in which the Press is constructed must be well closed 
to exclude the outer air. Long logs are placed 
paralled to, a little apart from, each, other, and on 
these a kind of floor is made of either boards or 
wattles, at a height of about one foot. The floor so 
formed is covered with thatch or dry plantain leaves, 
and the Tobacco can now be placed in it. 
Conditioning or Fermentation. 
1. Mancuernas, or pairs of leaves. 
As soon as the poles are carried to the House 
filled with the Tobacco, cut and arranged ' as before 
described, they are placed on the horizontal rails or 
" Barrederas " closely packed together. They are left 
in this stat for three days, if it be in the months 
