Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 67.djvu/85

Rh according to the size, color and condition of the leaf. The sorted leaves are put on sticks about one meter in length, the classes being kept separately. One hundred tobacco leaves are put on every stick and this is hung on the drying-shed to dry. The drying-shed most generally found in this country is made in the shape of the native house with roof, but with uncovered sides. The sticks with the tobacco leaves are hung on supports, usually set at the following distances: The first about five feet from the ground, the next two feet higher, while the succeeding ones usually have a distance between them of from three to four feet. It is seldom that the native takes the trouble to cover the sides of his shed and thus protect his tobacco from the intense sunlight, strong winds and rains. I have seen large quantities of tobacco hung on rafters to dry in the open fields, without any covering whatever to protect the leaves from the searching rays of the sun, and from the rains and dews. Again, the practise is very common of hanging the tobacco on poles horizontally suspended from the floors of the native shacks. More attention should be given to the proper construction of drying-sheds if the best results from the curing are to be obtained.

When dried, the tobacco is taken to some company's curing-house, where the first fermentation is done. The tobacco during this fermentation is still on the sticks used for hanging. The piles are kept at a temperature of between 35° and 40° C, the object being to give the tobacco a little color for guidance in classification and in further curing. After the first fermentation is complete, the tobacco is divided into five classes according to length and quality of the leaves. In the second fermentation, which is made with the tobacco in fardos, the temperature is kept at about 55° C. The piles are frequently turned over to secure the proper heat and regulate the fermentation. The success of the operation depends principally on the experience and skill of the manipulator, as there are so many vital points that enter into consideration.

The curing-houses owned by the several tobacco companies are not constructed so as to get the best results from the fermentation. Usually ventilation is lacking, and it is very difficult to control the fermentation the way that it should be done in order to obtain the shades of color in the tobacco which the market demands.

The yields vary greatly with the seasons and also with the character of the soil. An average for several years from one acre is 610 lbs. In favorable seasons 3,000 lbs. of dry tobacco have been obtained from one acre of land.