Some Minor Farm Crops. 
157 
a few hours to “ wilt.” Wilting makes the leaf pliable and 
prevents injury from handling. 
The plants are swung on sticks 4 ft. 6 in. long ; six to 
seven plants to one stick. The plants on the sticks are taken 
to the barn and hung up as they are to cure. 
The writer’s barns are 30 ft. by 20 ft. by 20 ft. in size, this 
being enough for one acre ; tier poles are arranged 4 ft. apart 
horizontally, and 4 ft. vertically, so that the 4^ ft. sticks rest 
firmly on these. The sticks should be placed 9 in. apart. It is 
essential the barn should be well ventilated from top to bottom. 
To ensure even curing it is best to fill one barn in a day. 
In the barn the leaf becomes yellow, and in damp weather 
a slight heat is required to prevent mildew, but no high tem- 
perature should be used whilst the leaf is changing colour, 
otherwise the tobacco will cure green. 
The “ Old Kentucky ” method of curing was followed in 
1911. This consists of lighting logs fires of oak in the barn, 
thus filling the building with smoke, the temperature varying 
between 40° and 70°. By this method curing took two months, 
but in 1912 the crop was cured by flues at a temperature 
of about 100°, and only took from two to three weeks after 
colouring. As soon as the mid-rib of the leaf is quite dry 
curing is complete. 
The barn must now be thrown open to allow the leaves 
to soften, otherwise handling would be impossible. The plants 
should be then taken down and the leaves stripped off and 
sorted. The qualities are known as “ middles,” “ tops,” and 
“ bottoms,” middles being of the highest quality. 
After tying the leaves into bundles or “ hands,” ten or 
twelve leaves to each hand fastened by one leaf, heaps are made 
about 4 ft. wide by 4 ft. to 5 ft. in height, extending as far as is 
necessary for the crop, with the butts placed outwards and the 
tips protected from the air. Each curing should of course be 
kept separate. The heaps must then be covered up and 
weighted, and the tobacco will soon begin to ferment. If 
overheating takes place during this “ mellowing ” process the 
heap must be unpacked and re-packed top to bottom, outsides 
to inside, and vice versa. The writer finds that it often 
improves the quality of the tobacco to open the heaps and 
unpack them two or three times. Mildew may take place in 
damp weather at this point. It is easily detected by the stems 
feeling moist followed by a musty smell. The heap will have 
to be opened and the leaves thoroughly dried before repacking. 
The whole of this process is known as “re-handling.” 
Nothing else remains but packing the leaves in bales, when 
they are sent to Bond. The cost of growing one acre works 
out as follows : — 
