BULLETIN No. 90a. 
83 
CONCLUSIONS. 
1. In arriving at conclusions in this experiment it is necessary to 
distinguish between the immediate effects of the curing and the 
effect that the priming, time of harvesting, etc., have had on the 
quantity and quality of tobacco produced. On account of the great 
diversity in the character and composition of different vareties of 
tobacco, together with the various methods employed in curing, 
these conclusions can only apply to yellow tobacco and varieties 
similar to it, when cured according to the methods employed in 
this experiment. 
2. The larger amount of tobacco obtained by the leaf-curing 
process resulted both from saving all the lower leaves when at their 
best, and an increased growth of the upper part of the plant, caused 
by priming the lower leaves. 
3. The superior quality and appearance of the bulk of the tobacco 
cured by the leaf-process as indicated by the sale, was mainly due to 
the fact that the leaves were harvested as they became mature. By 
the stalk process many of the lower leaves were over-ripe, while the 
tips were still green. In addition, it is believed that the leaves 
received less damage from handling by the leaf-curing process than 
when handled on the stalk. 
4. The difference in chemical composition of like grades resulting 
from the two methods of curing is chiefly due to the manner and 
time of harvesting. This difference is most noticeable in case of the 
fillers, where the increased growth, caused by priming the lower 
leaves in the leaf-curing process, has made a large increase in the 
percentage of albuminoids and nicotine. Some of the differences are 
also due to the variation in composition of leaves from different 
parts of the stalk selected to make up these grades. 
5. The chemical composition of tobacco cured by similar methods 
is not materially affected by separating the leaf from the stalk before 
curing, provided the condition of the tobacco is the same when put 
in the barn. 
6. The time required for curing leaves from different parts of the 
plant varies according to their ripeness. Some of these leaves 
require an entirely different range of temperature from others to 
produce the required color, etc. For these reasons the leaf-curing 
process is more desirable, as the barn is filled each time with tobacco 
requiring like treatment to produce the best results in color, quality 
and general appearance. 
7. The priming process as followed in the leaf-cure method has a 
marked effect on the growth and chemical composition of the leaves 
taken from the upper part of the plant. The removal of the lower 
leaves causes the top of the plant to grow with increased vigor, thus 
producing heavier and coarser leaves, with a considerable increase 
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