24 
N. C. AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 
of moisture only. The analysis of these samples shows no material 
difference in the composition, and as they represent samples of like 
growth, etc., the results are valuable in drawing conclusions in the 
principal experiment. 
A complete consideration of the difference between the processes of 
curing, especially in reference to the chemical composition of the 
leaves as affected by the two methods, requires that we begin with 
the tobacco as it stood in the field before any of the harvesting had 
been done, for the reason that the manner and times of harvesting 
were quite different. By the stalk-curing process many of the 
lower leaves became ripe and dropped off before the plant was con¬ 
sidered ripe enough to cut. When the plant was harvested some of 
the lower leaves were over-ripe, while the tips were still green. 
By the leaf-curing process this difficulty was overcome to a cer¬ 
tain extent. The leaves which would have been lost by the stalk 
process were saved by priming them off as they became ripe. The 
remaining leaves were primed in like manner until the whole plant, 
except the stalk, was harvested, which in this case was accomplished 
with three primings. The first priming by the leaf-cure took place 
August 17, the second September 1, and the third September 14. 
By the stalk-curing process all the t )bacco was cut September 15, 
making nearly a month from the first priming hy the leaf-curing 
process. Thus it will be seen that there was quite a difference in 
the time of harvesting by the two methods, which must necessarily 
have its effect upon the results. 
By the leaf-curing process, the priming of the lower leaves has 
a tendency to renew the growth of the remaining leaves, which 
becomes very marked in case of the tip leaves. The analysis 
of these tip leaves shows a large increase in nitrogenous matter and 
nicotine compared with the stalk-cure. This would indicate a 
stronger and somewhat inferior quality of tobacco in case of these 
leaves, but the gain in weight more than compensates for the loss in 
quality. Aside from the tips there are no very marked variations 
in composition resulting from the two methods of curing. The 
slight difference noticed is probably due to the time and manner of 
harves'ing to which reference has been made. 
It will be noticed that the ash by the leaf-curing process is some¬ 
what higher than by the s‘alk process. After the leaves of the 
tobacco plant, as with most other plants, arrive at a certain stage of 
growth, the tendency is for the percentage of ash to decrease if the 
plant is allowed to stand. As the difference in this case is most 
noticeable in the lower grades, representing the lower leaves, it is 
likely that this difference is largely due to the condition of the leaf 
when harvested. The same may be said of the organic nitrogenous 
substances, which are noticed to be slightly higher by the wire¬ 
curing process. This is particularly noticeable in case of the black 
tips, which in the wire-curing process have had the whole stalk to 
feed upon, developing a coarser and heavier leaf with a large 
increase of albuminoids 
