Jan. 2, 1899.] 
Siqji'lement to the " Tropical Agriculturist." 521 
CUBING CIGAR TOBACCO. 
B? R. S. Neville, 
Tobacco Expert. 
Growers of tobacco should bear in mind that 
the housing and curing of a crop is the most 
important of all the work done, and that drying 
tobacco is not curing it. It should be allowed to 
rip;a well before cutting, and the aim should be 
to regulate the planting that not too much time 
will elapse between harvesting the first and the 
last of the crop. The importance of this will be 
recognised when it is known that different 
styles of the curing require different treatment, 
and tobacco cut at different times will require a 
different treatment at a given time -^hich cannot 
be given unless you liave a number of curing sheds. 
A short time will not seriously affect results, but 
two or three weeks elapsing between the cuttings 
may be serious. You can tell by the thickening of 
the leaves and brown spots appearing on it when 
"the tobacco is ripe ; also by folding the leaf it will 
break ; but the farmer that carefully watches his 
crop will detect the first signs of ripenitig. 
It is best to do the cutting after 3 p.m., -when 
the sun is not so hot, unless the day be cloudy 
and cool, when it may be cut at any time ; but 
never cut or handle tobaeco when it is wet with 
rain or dew, A hard rain will wash the gum off, 
and unless the tobacco is very ripe it is best to 
let it stand a few days to again gather gum after 
much rain, but if it is very ripe it is best to continue 
cutting as soon as it has dried off. Splittiag the 
stalks is not generally practised in cutting cigar to- 
bacco. Many methods of gathering the crop are in 
"use in the United States, but that most commonly 
practised is what is called slalk curing, and it is 
not a settled fact that other methods are better, 
lexcept where the plant ripens unevenly. Take 
the stalk in the left hand near the middle, and 
bend it over slightly, and with a quick stroke cut 
it off' 2 or 3 inchis above the ground. Lay the 
plant down carefully with back to the sun, being 
careful not to bruise pr break the leaves. When it 
iias wilted [i.e. withered), so fts to be iiandled without 
breaking, it should be taken to the shed and 
'hung. If hauled in the cool p;irt of the day, it 
m ly be laid carefully on a bo.ii d-bottom frame, 
liUjttis out and tails lapping, but sliould be taken 
to tiijC slieds at once and hung, as it will heat if 
left on tob long, and ruin the leaf. Two methods 
are practised in liangiiig. Some use a spear, 
hollow at one end to fit over end of stick, and thus 
pusli the spear through the stalk 4 or 5 inches 
from the butt, and passing it on over the stick, 
and when full remove the spear and put it on 
iiuotlier slick, and so on. Otliers use a string, 
tying the plant to the stick. Do not tie the plants 
together, but tie each separately, first on one 
side of the stick and then on the other, about 6 or 
7 inches apart. If you tie two together they 
press ag.iinst each other, and you are liable to 
Inve ])ole-burn if the weather is damp. The 
Slicks of tobacco when placed in the shed 
eliould b(! about 12 inches apart, so that the 
plants will scarcely touch eacli other. The curing 
sIiikI should be so arranged so as to make it very 
op -n and very close as desired, with ventilation 
at top and gables ; the gable windows being hung 
up Ml ])i\ ols so as to be opened or closed as desired ; 
also openings on sides from base board to eaves 
and base board hung upon hinges so as to be 
lifted up and give bottom ventilation to create 
currents of air when other openings are closed. 
By this means you can create light currents 
of air when not too much is needed — doors iu tiie 
ends of the shed. For the first 10 days or 2 weeks 
after housing the shed should be kept open, 
unless you have hard and heavy drj-ing winds 
in which case the windward side should be 
closed to prevent too rapid drying. After this 
the shed should be kept closed during the day if 
the weather is drying, and open at night if the 
weather is not damp or foggy. The idea is to 
keep the leaf in a moderately soft or pliable con- 
dition during the curing process, and nevei let it 
get dryjand harsh : and sometimes it is necessary 
to sprinkle the floor to prevent this. On the 
other hand it should not be allowed to get wet or 
it will rot, bur keep the air in the shed moderately 
moist, thus keeping the tobacco curing at a uniform 
rate all the time. If there should be a continued 
wet spell, and there is danger of the tobacco 
getting too soft, it is then well to have a heating 
stove with pipes running outside,' and build fires 
just enough to keep tlie air at a proper humidity, 
being careful not to get it too dry. If 
the ■ wet weather continues only for a 
day or two and then turns off drying, opea 
your shed until it has dried out and thea 
proceed as before. During the last stages of cha 
curing light should be excluded, as strong light 
will injure the colour. With these instructions 
you ran-t use your own best judgment as to 
how to proceed under any special conditions. 
The time required to cure a shed of tobacco is 
from 8 to 12 weeks, depending upon the season. 
Stripping and hauling up should not com- 
mence till the stalk and stem are thoroughly 
cured, and in taking down the tobacco for this 
purpose, it sliould be done when the tobacco 
is coming iu condition, and never when it is 
drying out. If it "get5^~too soft then let it 
alone until it dries out completely and you 
get another season- When tobacco is drying out 
j'ou cannot tell its proper condition as the 
stem is likely to be surcharged with moisture, 
and when put into bulk this is distributed 
back into the leaf and the tobacco gets too soft 
and will damage The proper condition 
for cigar tobacco is when the leaf is pliable 
and the stem just soft enough not to break 
in working ; when in this condition it is ready to 
strip and bulk. In sorting put leaves of the same 
colour and same length together; put those 
perfectly sound, partly sound, and tlje inferior 
each in a class to itself. In packing the tobacco 
down to be sweated, put it on a raised floor, 
having the floor tight that no dampness may 
penetrate. In bulking make two rows, heads out 
and tails lapping in the middle o or 6 inches; 
cover over the bulk well and put on weight to 
press it down. Watch it carefully to see that it 
does not get too hot, and if found to be getting 
so, shake it out and rebulk ; but this will not be 
necessary if condition is mjide right at the start. 
After it has been in bulk 4 or G weeks it should 
be put into boxes and well pressed down, 
leaving a space of one inch between tiie bulks and 
the end of the bo.\. Pack heads towards end of 
