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(ANSI and ISO TEST CHART No 2)
_J /APPLIED \MA3E In
1653 tost MoFr Street
fio'hesier. Htm Tork 14609 USA
(H6) •82 - 0300 - Phor-e
(?16) 288 - M89 - Fa«
DOMINION DEPARTMENT OF AQRICULTUR TOBACCO DIVISION OTTAWA, CANADA
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TOBACCO
'%■
THE GROWING OF TOBACCO
BY
f:6lix obaslan
Bulletin on Tobacco No. -A.- 3
PuMWMd by «rM»en «f the Hon. SYDNEY A. FISHEa Miniator of AgrleuHuw, OtUwa
JAXDABT. 180T
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DOMINION DKPAKTMKNT OK A (. H I ( T LTrUK
TOBACCO DIVISION
OTTAWA. (AN ADA
T O \l A C C O
TMK (JKO\VIN(i OF TOBACCO
fI:lix chablan
l^ulh'tin i>\i T<j1)Ji<'i-o >ro. ^\.- -i
Published by direction of the Hon. SYDNEY A. FISHER, Minister of Agriculture, Ottawa
.lAMAItY. 1!M»7
BULLETIH8 OH THE CULTVBE OF TOBACCO.
No. A-1.— Preparation of the seedlings and the care to be given to them. No. A-2.— Manures in tobacco culture.
Sent free upon application to the Department of Agriculture, Ottawa.
T O B A. C C O .
Orowing of Tobacco— Selection of the Land— Sowing — Care of the Plantation — Harvetling— Curing— Preparation— Fermentation — Diieatei and In—ei Fou.
Although the tobacco reniaini on the land a compirttively ihort time (from seventy to one hundred days, according to variety) the fanner who take* up the in- duitry must, to be »ucce«»ful. give hig attention to it for a much greater length of time. In Canada, the seed beds are made usually in the early part of April; and from that date until the crop is sold, or is in such condition that it may be kept without risk, lay by January or February, the tobacco must receive intelligent and constant care. There must be such care, to obtain a good crop ; and a continuation of such care wten the crop has been harvested to prevent ita deterioration.
It will be readily understood that in such a long space of time aa has been re- ferred to, from April to the following January or February, the plant will require various sorts r* attention, according to the various phases of its growth and pre- paration for the market. A review of these various phases will be found in thia bulletin.
SELECTION AND PREPARATION OF THE LAND.
All soils are not suitable in an equal degree to the growing of tobacco. Rich and light soils, containing a good supply of vegetable matter, will yield the beat results.
Soils deprived of vegetable matter, however rich they may be in mineral elements, f.re not sunitable for tobacco growing. Tobacco is a plant which, during the greater lx>riod of its growth, affords poor protection to the soil against the sun ; and moreover, in spite of its endurance, it may be expected to suffer from the effects of a protracted drought.
The plant, which is a weak seedling when transplanted from the seed bed to the field, has a rapid growth, and should be able to throw out easily a large numbw of roots; and to this end a deep soil, which retains moisture and is more easily drained, is preferable. Such a soil facilitates • hilling up,' and thus permits the adoption of the flat cultivation system, which is cheaper than the system of ridge cultivation.
Good drainage of the sub-soil water is essential; for an excess of moisture will do even more injury than a prolonged drought. Sufficient drainage must be pro- vided in any soil where an accumulation of sub-soil water is to be feared.
The soils of hillsides with a normal slope generally yield excellent results, mainly on account of the rapidity with which an excess of water drains off.
Low and marshy soils yield tobacco of coarse and loose texture which dries and burns badly. Such soils should be avoided altogether. The same may be said of soils containing an excess of lime, whicn yield a leaf lacking in elasticity.
Good crops may be obtained on clay soils, provided the latter contain a sufficient proportion of sand and humus to be easily brought to and kept in a good state of tilth with the plough, harrow and cultivator. Such soils, known as ' heavy,' are con- mon in some parts of Canada. Some, however, contain a rather large proportion of lime, giving them a marly appearance, and these yield a tobacco of thicker texture than do the light soils, while the difficulty of getting them into proper shape is a serious defect, the favourable time for ploughing being hard to determine. 8541— li
Thf U-m noiln for tho gruwiiiv »< lohiur.. arc thivc wliifh nmlHiii ii miffloient propc.tion of clay miil hiiinui to I'imbl.' tlirm to ntniii it |{<mh| iiipply of moittiiiw, ■ml whi.h iin- known iiii.l«T iJu- giutru] jpp«llMtioii of ' loamy soils." iintl cla««ed » ••ndy loHUw, loanin, clay lo«in» or Iruvy loonui. m tb- proportion of vhy in<'n>a*p« or decrt-atcii. Stil! clay soils arc- the l<«st miitabli'.
The colour of aoils intluences the colour of tobacco. Light coloured tobacco i* obtainH mon- easily from a light colourwl noil. This quMtion has little importance, in so far as Canada is c«incfrn<il. iit the pn-aent time; aa the liKhtcst coloured pro- ducts of thu country, ' burley ' and ' Comiutror,' may be easily ohtainc<l from som* of the lijrht soils of Ontario imd QucIk-*-.
Sundy loams or tvcn loamy soils will kivc the liest results with light tobaccoa, »uch as Havana S«*d Leaf, ('oiuKHiicut Seed L«'af. (.V>m»to«'k and Zimmer Spanish. Tobaccos wirh a rather heavy texture will do In-st on loama, or clav loams.
Some gravelly soils appear to be suitable to the growing of suuill varieties of Canadian lobiictjo. such us Canelle and INtit Kouge; but analyses of these soil* show that they may 1h« clas«il as clay loanw. iiljowiiuiv of courm' being made for the larger particles.
ToliHcco being n very exacting irop. und its period of growth of comparatively short duriition, •'!.• soil in which it i» grown nliould lie rich and frequently manured. The bind select..! should Iw ploughed as early lis iM)»*iblo the prweding fall, in order to be well H<rate<l and pro|H'rly saturated with moisture. It will be b«'ttcr to plough twiiv; once at the end of .Viigiist or the b«'ginning of September, and again, ■ay two or thre.- wei-ks Is-fore the hard frosts and heavy falls of anow.
The farm-yard manure, which is available at that tinu", should be ploughed in at the last ploughing. Only well decom|xw<M| manure should be used. The advan- tage of applying the manure in the fall is that it will have time to become availoblo during the winter months, thai is to say. the eletnent* of the manure will have time to change into soluble plant food before the scfHllinga are put in.
Spring ploughing should bo done as early as possible. The manure may h» buried by the plough, or spread over the field after ploughing, and mixed in by the disc harrow. The latter system is practised at the Central ExperimenUl Farm at Ottawa with very good rtwults. Green manure may be used in the spring; but care should be taken to let sufficient time elapse between the time of manuring and getting out. Manure should be applit-d in the proportion of ten to fifteen ton« per acre.
Commercial fertilizers should be applie<l only in the spring. When the plant* are to be set in clos«' together, such fertilizers may bo sown broadcast, and incorpor- ated with the )il by the disc harrow. When the plants are to be set wide apart, in rows, the fertilizer may be spread so as to be buried under the ridges, or •« near a> possible on the location of the future rows. A few growers even wait until the seed- ling* are set out. and distribute the fertilizer around each plant, mixing it with the earth. This ii a rather exiiensivo method; but. judiciously practised, it give* good
results.
Commercia fertilizers may Ik- used in the spring iis nu addition to an applica- tion of farin-yB.d manure put on in the preceding fall ; mid in such cases they are applied at the rate of 200 or MO pounds of complete f.rtilizer per acre. They may also be used exclusively, ut the'rate of one thousand to fifteen hundred pounda per acre; but tMs is not ns good a method.
sowixt;.
Sowing may be <lone on hot or cold l»>ds. The first are preferable, owing to the finencws of tobacco Hee<i. .in<! tiiey afford better protection to the j-oung plants against the inclemencies of tlie weather when such are to be feared. In most parts of Canada, and even in the Province of Ontario, owing to the occasional severity of the spring, the use of hot beds can scarcely Is- disiM-iised with.
'I'lif iiiiTBi.im "f i"iwiiiif liiu< Imi'ii 'Icttit with ot IntiKth in litilli-tin Nd. A-l of tliu Tobmco l)ivi»i<)ii ..f Hw Ihpnrtiiii'iit of Agriciiltiiri'. Ott.iwu, «<i that th<- iubject tu-iti not Im- ilralt with Uirv: l(ut ii i-npy of thi! Imlletin nf. ni,| to will 1>.- fiirniih<«l upon rf<iui'«i.
All u<lvHiituir<' woiilil \<f KuiiK'il liy ImvinK l><>t hnW ri'iilly hot; that U, main- tttiiii)! nt a UMiiiMTnturf of from TO' to wr Kohr, «o thiit thoy could Ix- ventiUti-d from tinif to tiinr, . viii mi col.l ilny<, by lifliiiR up the glu** fiuinci. They would nipiilly r<-fc.iin tlic f . w .liifrf.* of hint wliich thin o|i»«riitioii might puiwe tliom to Uhm'. Airing will prrviMit llif r"\. wliiih »oiiiitinu's ocnir* in iirolongwl riiiny wi-ntlur, an injury of wliiiii niMiiiTniiH iM-iiiiuHit wi'rc obncrvrd in tht> xpriiig of 1906.
The whil<'Wii»liiii»r iif till- (fill-- toi" or frnmi'H. in ofiU'r To protect the young pliint» iijci'i"»t •iciidly sunatrolMH. iit ricoiiiiiiiiMli'd, in pri'fnniicp to the mo of cloths for till- minii' piiriBiw. I'l.^Hilily the nlMnrption hy tho l>od of oiitiidp hciit will be re- diic<-d by lhi« 11101I10.I. Imi tli.' iib-orplion will tip more rcffulnr, utid lh*> powibility of iicgli'i'l is l»'«« than when cloths iirc used. However, it is well to usp the latter at iiiKlit, unci duriiijf 11 fUnw full, if sueh should hiipiKii to occur, tho\igh in the case of u snow full 11 eoveriiiK of lioiirds wciuld iiiiswer tlu' purixiiw better.
For si IliiiK out, tlic pluiit^ hlinuld lie from three to three mid n half inches long, riiints of this size will Ih' easily obtiiiiied on thin Uth. It is a convenient aire for either hand or tmiehiiie traiisplnntiiiK. and eiisuren n goml new start for the young plant.
Ill order to promote the development of the roots of the young plant in the hot ImmIs, it will be iieetwsary to rediici' the frcnucncy of sprinkling toward the end of the .-lay of the plants in the ImmIs. I?i order to harden the plants Wforc the time of mlliiiK oiii, the to|w should be lifted up gradually 1. little inori- each 9ucepa»<ive time, until they may bi' completely removed on fine days.
The pract'ce favoured by some growers of caii;*ing an exaggerated dejcrec of geriuinatiiii of tlie si-ed U'forc sowing cannot be rceoniinended. It i.s lietter to use seed simply nwollcn, or even dry 8e<'d.
A good hot Im'iI, sown with dry kissI from the loth to li'tli .\pril. will easily yiebl plants ready for Matting out about .May JSth.
SKi ITXCi OI'T.
The foil of tho tolmceo tield slioiiM Im- in a iwrfeet sta»c of til.li at the time of Setting out or traiLsplanting, It should then be prcpanni according to the system of planting to be arloptcd, viz.: level or ridge planting.
Flat — i.e., level cultivation is iiractieable on deep and well drniiii'd lanils. Itidgc c.iltivalion will give better results on noils lacking in di'iitli and in which an exee>s of moisture is to U- feared. For planting on the li>- l'1, the tield should be marked both ways with a marker, into checks or irregular sipiare.s, the points where the lines intersect U'iiig the jHiints wlier<> the plant- arc to be put in. A child may Im» eiiipbijed to go ahead and distribute tho plants, that i.s, lay n plant down at every
cross section of the lilies, while 11 follow, and set the plantii in. A [Vg may be
used in planting, to iiinke a bole to set the plant into; thoiiBh in very ligh*: .soil,; the hand may Ik; used. The plants are set nt a nioderate depth, to the collar, immediately above the ri ,tj«. Care should be taken to avoid setting the plant.* on pieces of un- decomis>s<'d iiianiire, and to avoid bending the roots, which might cause the plant to become disea-sfd.
Cloudy weather i.s favourable In the revival of the young plant-. Fvapnnition is thill less active, and the iilants do not wilt so much. Plantinir .should be done thiring the cool hours of the luoming or early evening. Whenever the soil is too dry. each iilimt should be watered carefully as soon as set in.
In taking up the plant- f-oni the hot bed.s the greatest possible care should be used to avoid breaking the roots or .slinking off the earth clinging to them. To this end. the bed should be well watered half an hour or so Before taking up the plants.
For setting out, care should be taken to select well formed plant*, green and thick-set, well provided with roots, and all as equal in size as possible, in order to obtain regularity of growth and size in the field.
Hand planting is rather tedious and costly. On large plantations, a planting machine is used. Such a machine, drawn by a team of horses, and operated by three men, will set out some twenty thousand plants in a day, doing the watering at the same time. These machines may be had from agents in Canada for from $7S to (00.
The distance apart at which plants should be set varies accoraing to the variety. Such varieties as Canelle and Pptit Rouge may be planted 18 inches apart between the rows, and 12 inches apart in the rows. Other varieties, such as Havana Seed Leaf, are planted two and a half feet by two feet apart. ' Very satisfactory results, so far as growth is concerned, have been obtained from a plantation of Comstock Spanish set out 26 by 18 inches, in spite of the drought which prevailed during the year. As a general rule, it may be said that the varieties Havana Seed Leaf, Con- necticut Seed Leaf, Comstock and Zimnier Spanish, when grown in Canada, should not bo planted wider apart than two nnd n half by two feet.
When the row.* are 26 inches apart, it will be possible to give the three hoeings necessary with a horse hoe, even though a very heavy horse should be used, before the development of the plants interferes with this work.
Some varieties with long, spreading leaves must be set farther apart. Tho Bur' ly variety is set three by three feet apart, nnd sometimes even three and a half by three feet; but the necessity of planting more than three feet apart has not been proved.
There is another system of planting calleil the quincunx system, which has the advantage of affording much room for plant development. By this system the plants in each row are set so as to face the open space between the plants in the next tow.
RESETTIXG PLANTS.
I'lic pl.aiitiition should be visited a few days after the setting out, and all plcnls winch have been destroyed by insecfj or which did not succeed should be reset (replaced).
Kesotting should be done narly, in order to obtain a plantation as uniform in size as pa-siblr. Early resetting is particularly necessary in the case of close set plantations; for, in this case, late plants are checked in their development by tho first ones, the growth of which has been normal since the start.
This is also the time for spreading poisonous solutions if traces of injuries cauaed by insects are observed.
There are many points in favour of early planting. There is the possibility of early fall frosts, and also llie difficulty of obtaining a thorough drying of tobacco in the shed 1 < fore the severe weather sets in; so that all varieties of average size, such as Havana, Connecticut and Comstock. shotild !« planted toward the end of May. As to Canelle and Petit Rouge, which ripen early, they may be safely set out from the 15th to the '20tli of .Tune.
\VTion the platits are .s.'t out early, toward the end of spring, they find sufficient moisture in the soil to enalilo them to make a pood start. They throw out an abund- ance of roots and are thus better prepared to withstand dry weather, their roots drawing the wafer neee?«ary to their growth from the sub-soil. In 1906 a drought prevailed, and it lias been ohwrved that fields set nut early in that year, from ^fny 25th to J\me .">tli, siiffered less than fields later planted, and yielded better developed products.
CULTIVATION.
Cultivation "^Imnld start early after the setting out of the plants; that is, as soon as the plants are well established, and the plants which have been set out to
xeplace unsuccessful ones have got a good start, which will be about tweiTe dajrw after planting.
The object of cultivation ia not only to destroy the weeds, but also to keep the soil loose. It facilitates aeration, and, on the other hand, checks the too rapid evap- uration^f the water in the surface soil. The earth always gets firmly packed during the operation of setting out and resetting, and in view of this the first stirring of the surface soil should be effected as early as possible.
Cultivation by the horse cultivator is not sufficient. To complete the work, each plant must be hoed around by hand.
Subsequent cultivation is effected at varying intervals, according to the more or less rapid growth of weeds and atmospheric conditions. Heat, following a heavy rain, generally causes a thick crust to form upon the soil, and cultivation ia then necassary for the aeration of the soil. Horse-hoe cultivation should continue until the time when, owing to the development of the plants, the passage of animals or muchines might injure them.
HILLING.
This operation can scarcely be dispensed with in the case of flat cultivation. It
is easily done by means of a small, double mould board plough, the spreading of
which is regulated according to the distance between the rows, and which throws the
. earth from both sides along the rows of plants. The first result of hilling is to firm
tlie plants.
Before hilling, cleaning should be done; that is, the small leaves which are at the lower part of the plant should be removed. These leaves are left scattered around the plants, they decompose rapidly as soon as they are covered with earth in the hill- ing process. Short roots called adventitious roots develop in their places, and contri- bute in a larg^e degree to the rapid and vigorous growth of the plants.
Hilling should be done when the plants are about six or eight inches high, and not before the ground has been cultivated at least twice.
Do not hill up when the ground is either very damp, or too dry as in a drought. In the first case, the earth would pack closely and aeration would be checked; in the second case, the opening \ip of the soil at such an unfavournble time would cause it to dry out completely.
THINNING AND TOPPING.
Thiuuing consists in removing from the lower part of the plants all of the leaves which, being close to the soil, become torn or dirty. Thinning should he done ap high as three or four inches above the earth where hilling is practised ; and still higher in the case of ridge planting where no hilling is done and where cleaning, which precedes hilling, is not practised.
The utility of thinning will be easily understood. It relieves the plant of all valueless leaves, which would never come to maturity, and which, owing to their being close to the ground, afford a harbour for insects. Through the removal of such leaves, all the vigour of the plant will rise up to the 'high parts of the stem.
It is only after a proper thinning tliat tlii' ;;ri'\ver is able to determine just how much of the plant sho\ild be topped, that is to say. to .indge of the number of leaves which should remain on each plant, proportionate to the plant's vigour and the weather conditions.
Topping should be done early, i.e., ns soon as the plant has formed the required number of leaves and the operation may be done without injury to the top leaves. As nearly as possible, the stem should be cut or topped on a level with the highest leaf left on the stalk.
Early topping affords more time for the complete development and better ripen- ing of the top leaves. Late topping may cause the crown leaves to remain small and
8
thick aud of inferior quality. On a properly topped plant, the top leaves should be almoat as fully developed as the mid-stem leaves.
SUCKERING. ^
After the foppiiii^ is done, numerous suckers will appear at the base of the leaves and the top of tlio stem. They should be carefully removed.
Suckerinir is done to allow the plant to reserve all its strength for the nutrition of its leaves. However, it in not iieee.*sary to destroy all of the short suckers as soon as tlipy upix-ar. This oixTntion does not need to be started until the suckers are four or live inches lontr. The whole plantation should be srono over .systematically, row after row, starting fron the end which has been topped first, imtil the other end is reached, as(*uniing that the topping has l)een done in the same systematic way.
Generally »i)eaking, it will be sufficient to do this oiieration three times, in order to keep the plantation in good condition.
The lust suckerintr -liould be dmie one or two diiys before harvesting.
i
SEKl) PLANTS.
Plants reserved for the production of s<^ed for future crops require close atten- tion. Such plants arc. of course, not topped. The best plants in the plantation should he selected tor this pMrp<ise, and the selection should l>e made early. They should l>e niiirked or t:igge<l, and their di'velopment watched with the greatest care. Any plants showing tli(> slightest .sign of dis.ii.se or of a weak constitution, should not be kept for s»>.d, but only such us will unite, with the best possible conditions of growth, all the i-liiiracleristics of the type which it is ilesired to propagate.
rndcsirnblo- cros> breedings may be avoided by covering the Hower heads of the elected plants with giiii/.e. or light i>aper bags, .shortly before the op«-ning of the first fiowers. .
Keep only the inain Howering stem: and remove all branching stems, whicn generally yield si'c.l too light and of poor quality.
It is a bail praotiee to remove all the leaves from the plants kept for seed. The leaves arc aiksolutely nee.ssary to the life of the plant, and their complete removal is n practii'e that shmild never be followed.
Tiie l.ave- of the seed plants iire generally <if iiiferidr .piality. and arc very often damaged liy the fidi of the fragments of flowers. Their lo.ss must be regarded aa a matter of course, the only aim being to obtain stwl as heavy as possible.
A part of the leav.'.s may be removed only when the ripening of the pods is proceeding too slowly, and when it is desired to hasten it. But this should not be done before the brown colouring of the pods is .sufficiently developed. The lower leave> are removed at tirst, and the re^t, if n<'<'es.sary, are taken off slowly and gradu- nlly as the season advances and renders the operation more urgent.
Things may be considered a.-< .satisfactory if the seed is ripe- before more than half of tlie leaves of the plant have lieeu removed.
When the leaves are removed too soon, the s<'ed is light and of inferior quality, showing lack of nourishment.
When some pods are too long in ripening, it is better to cut them off with scissors and destroy them.
The stem may be cut with the pods on, the latter being left on the stem until they are dr>' ; or the cluster of pods may be removed and hung iiii in a dry an<l well ventilated place. The last named method seems to be the best.
The .see<ls are left for the winter in the pods, the latt«T being opened only sb<irtly before s-.wing time. Tin' seeds sbi>uld W caiefully sifted. They may 1h- kept foryears in botthw not tightly corked, so as to )i«>rmit of the access of air, in bags, or in wooden boxes.
HARVESTING.
i
Tobacco plants should he harvoated as soon as they are ripe.
A leaf of tobnoco may be coiisidorpd ns rip« when it bocomca apottod with short, yellow marking, which first make their appearance at the edge and tip of the leaf, and extend toward the mid-vein. The tip curves and hardens. On bendingr, the leaf breaks straight across with a sharp, characteristic sound. Sometimes, when the rijx^ning is far advanced, the leaf l)ecomes slightly swollen. In some varieties, the characteristic yellow si>ots are scarcely visible, but the tip of the leaf curves inwards, and the leaf itself hardens, and seems to l)econie thicker. Ripe tobacco fields exhale a penetrating aroma, especially in hot weather.
Rip<'ning proceeds from the bottom leaves to the top ones. When harvesting is done l>y cutting tlw stalks— the u-ual method in f'nnada— the date should be chosen when the top leaves are ripe enough to take a good colour in curing, and before the bottom leaves are over ripe. When the liottom leaves have be<>n too long ripe on the stem, ihey liavi' no longer any weight, elasticity nr firmness.
(ieiKi-ally .sjx'aking, the cutting should Ix done eight days after the appearance of the signs of maturity on mid-stem leaves, and when they l)egin to appear on the t4)p leaves.
There are some eases, liow<-ver, when riix>ning proceeds very irregularly.
A long drought will cause the leaves to ripen liefore they have attained normal development, thus causing* si^rious lo«.s in the weight of the crop.
It may hapiwn that, with the <-iinditions of riinniing satisfactory, and the giowtli normal, just as the grower prepares to harvest, a rain occurs, and the plants get green and start to gri>w again. On n<i aeeount should harvesting be done then : as such plants, cut in the full ix'riod of growth, would l>e hard to cure and woidd take on a green colour. It will be ne<-es<ar>- to wait— but not lunger— until the signs of maturity have reappeared, and then harvest as rapidly as possible. Kt^sides the poor condition in which they are for curing, ti>l)aeen plants harvested inim.'(liately after a rain are deprived of the gums nr resins v.hieh exude fron\ riiK? toliacco. Such plants are called ' washeil.'
SITIAULK Tl.MK FOU lIARVKSTIXti.
\\
<bi
in dry weather, when ripening is progrosing satis-
Harvesting should be faotorily.
l)o not start cutting early in the morning, when the leaves are still covered with dew, and are brittle, as they are too liable to break then, and the water would injure the tissues.
The best time for harvesting is on a bright day, when the dew has all evaporated, and when the leaves, having regaine<l their elasticity, hang down sliphtly, aiul are less liable to break when iKJng r<Miioved from the field. I'ndcr such conditions, the wilting takes place rapidly, and the handling which follows is facilitated. The cutting may Ix- ciuitiini'd until late in the afternoon.
Harvesting may be done either by cutting the stalks or stripping the leaves (Priming). With thi' first nietluxl, the stalk is bent with one hand and cut at the li.se, a^ near the ground us possible, with a hateliet or storing knife. The stalks are put together, in bunches ol from -1 to S, ac<'or(ling to their size, and are left to wilt <.n the grouml for a certain length of time ri'gulaled by weather conditions (cloudy or bright ^kies).
When the wilting is doui'. the stalks are .^ixared upon a strip or lath by, means of a V-sbaped spear which tits upon the lath. In order to facilitate the operation of spearing, which requires some effort these laths are laid upon sjiecial trestles, or held upright, one end u|)<.n the ground. The length of the laths corresponds to the inside dimension- of the drying houses : generally speaking, they are about four feet and perhaps a few inches in length, and from six to eight plants may be speared upon a lath, according to the size of the idants.
10
After being ' loaded,' the laths are hung in special wagons fitted with frame* in about the same way as the drying houses, though, on the carts, the laths are cloaer together to reduce the risk of bruising of the leaves during the hauling from the field to the curing shed. They may alao be loaded in small heaps, the layers being put crosswise and the tops of the sUlks inward, but when this method is followed, care should be taken to unload the wagon as soon as possible, as over-wilting might reiult from a long exposure in heaps.
Care should be taken not to leave the plants too long lying . t .leld. A proper wilting will ensure a good colour, as wsell as a greater degree of firmness and elasticity in the leaves, provided the curing be not carried on too rapidly nt the beginning. An extreme wilting will reduce the elasticity of the tissue, and very often cause an appre- ciable loss of weight.
• When the priming, or loaf hnrvestiiig mothod, is followed, ihe leaves are stripped from the stems gradually as they become ripe. The work begins with the lower leaves, which are the first to ripen, and continues progressively until the top leaves are
reached. r i l •
'J"he leaves are strung on heavy twine, which is stretched in place of laths in the drying house, though the lengths of twine are closer together than laths would be. The leaves are put on the string back to back, to avoid too close fitting and thus faci- litate passage of air between them. ...
Long exposure of the stripped leaves on the ground is still more objectionable than in the case of stalk cutting. A good wilting is sufficient. The curing should, at first, l)e conducted more slowly than in the case of stalks.
CURING HOUSES AND CURING.
Buildings specially fitted for the curing of tobacco are termed curing or drying houses. Any clean building may be used for this purpose, except when the curing is to be done by means of fire or hot air, but the I'est results will be obtained in tight Louses where aeration may be easily controlled, increased or decreased, or even entirely -uppressed.
Tight curing houses are therefore preferable. Sinnll trap doors to permit en- trance of air should be provided at the base of the building ; and there should be iiir llues in the roof, for which there are various plans. The number of ventilators in a building is of course regulated by the length of the building.
The ventilation of the central part of the house will be. more easily done if the building is only of a moderate width, say twenty-seven or twenty-eight feet. A build- ing of this width will affoiJ ample space for a central passage about four feet wide, iiiid three strips or It* - either side of the passage. The passage is necessary for c^.nvenience and ve. .. It permits of inspection of the hanging tobacco, and
facilitates the exit of wnrm and damp gases, which gtther in the open space of the pit.ssage and escape through the ventilators in the roof.
The choice of location of the curing house is nn important matter. The"curing house should be built on dry ground. If necessary, the site should be wised in order to avoid dampness. Low places, situated near marshes or mining water, should be carefully avoided, as well as hill tops or too high places where strong winds might influence the curing process. The best location will be a well drained site in an open space, but not exposed to the wind. The building should be placed lengthwise with the direction of the prevailing winds during the curing season.
In arranging for the hanging of to.bacco, care shoiild be taken to have the laths far enough above each other, so that when the tobacco is hung there will be sufficient ventilation space between the tips of the stalks or leaves of the top tier and the ends of the stalks of leaves of the tier below. The space between the laths of the different tiers « ill be d-jtermined by the average size of the product, i.e.. the length of the stalks or plants : or by the variety of tobsrrn. If the leave are bun? on twine, as has been
11
referre<l to, thirc will of coiirso be much less space between the ynriou* tiers of twine thni) between the tiers of Intha.
Ijiths should be placed side by side, six inches npart. The lengths of twine should lie at such a distance from one another as to leave a space of half the width of the hand when the wilting is completed, thus allowing for ample ventilation.
The bottom tiers should be placed liiprh enough above the floor to leave a space of at least one and a half or two feet between the latter and the tips of the tobacco.
The curing should start very slowly, in order to obtain n good yellow colour ; after which more air may be admitted. To hasten the colouring, the curing house may be kept closed a day or two at the start : that ia to say, the side trap doors should Iw closed. Imt the ventilators at the top should remain open, so as not to supress venti- liitifin altogether. The ventilation may be increased na soon as the edg«« of the leaves h ive turned brown, and when the mid-rib of the leaf has become supple. On warm iind damp days, the curing house may be eonipletely opened. On n verj- windy day, eare should be taken to close the openings facing the wind, in order to .^void breaking tlio leaves or too rapid drying. v ■ * v
In continued damp weather, it will be necessary to dry artificially the air of the house, to avoid mould. Little fir' s of smokeless materials such as drj-, scentless wood, charcoal, &c., should be started at vnrio\is places on the floor of the curing house, in order to dry the air evenly in all parts of it, without causing too high an elevation of temperature. Continued dampness might cause the iiroducts to turn dull and gray, instead of taking on a bright colour. Artificial drying will remove this danger. This operation makes tight nirinp houses indispensable.
The be3t results will be secured when the leaves remain slightly supple all through the curing period, until the time of taking them down. Tobacco dried under such con- ditions is generally more elastic, and the leaves are less mottled.
STRIPHNG— BULKI^'G.
A caref'.il exaniiinition of the mid-rib of the leaves will show whether or not the drying is eoniplttc.
The to'iiaieo nniy be taken down from the laths when the colour of the leaf tissue is normal, and when the ribs arc wrinkled in thoir whole length. On being opened up, the ril)- seem to consist of a mass of independent fibres ; and only the ligneous, Oi- woody, ti^s\ie should remain. Ko water should come out of the rib when the latter is squeezed near its inferior extremity. Sometimes a viscous substance will come out when this means of verification is adopted, but such substance should not be mistaken for water. The tobacco should also be supple, but not damp, with enough elasticity to regain its former shape after being squeezed .vith the hand.
For taking down the tobacco from the laths, a day should be chosen when the weather is neither too dry nor too damp.
In very dry weather, the tobacco will become rigid and would be in a poor con- dition for the handling which is to follow. In very damp weather, the tobacco might absorb too #irge a quantity of water, which would interfere with its keeping quali- ties. Weather generally known as •mild' will !« the most .suitable.
As soon as the curing is completed, the tobacco should be removed from the curing house. A longer stay would injure its quality. The leaves are affected by changes in the moisture contents of the air; they turn dull, lose their firmness, and even get moiddy in contact with the stalks. ^
The leaves are stripped from the stems, and piled into small heaps or 'bulks, in which they remain supple until the timi- of grading and tying into hands.
The ' bulks ' should be only moderately high. Tlie leaves are placed in two rows, tip to tip inside. They should b(> freqm tly examined, in order to make sure that no rise in temperature takes place. V» hen such a change i.s observed, the bulks should be broken up and rebuilt upon another sijot. Cloths are laid over the bulks, in order
IS
to retain the elasticity of the tobacco, but no weight should be pjt upon them, at iermentatioii miKht result. If the leaves ix)s»ess the rinht proportion of humidity when put in bulks, the bulkintf improves tlieir colour, which l)ecome» more uniform, and litcht streaks disappear.
TYIXO.
The tyinjf, or putting into ' haiiiL"!' of tobacco. coriHists in putting toRcther a certain nunilx'r of leiives, from \!'> to 20. ami biiiilinK the 'hniid' with another leaf, wound nround the bitfttcst end of tiic rib, tin- lip of liu' biudiiiK leaf Whits lucked con- veniently into the ' hand." !5eforc tyinu tlic Icavi*, into " hands," the >?rowir shciuld can'- fully jfraile the leave*, so ns to pai-k only a uniform quality of producN Inio bales or b'lxes. in ^radin);. llic i)oiiils to be considereil are: the length of the leaviw, their tbii-kiics>, ilieir ela-lii'ity, and llnir colour. Torn leaves slunild never be Hradeil with leaves in (jood condition.
(iradint; is a rather delicate tar-k; that is, it rei]uirp.s a nice .■^iiisi' of discrimina- tion and therefore .some trai.iiiifi;. However, the necosary skill and judgment moy be rapidly acquireil. The value of the crop is alwa.vs increased by caireful grading.
After Ix-ing jrathcred into ' hand.s ' the leaves are nfiain piled into bulks. Two rows of 'bands.' — with the tip.s insi<le anil slijibtly overlapping — nre piled up to a height of three feet, or more. These ' band ' bidks nre covered with cloths to prevent . their 'rying. ami slightly weigblinl down. The tobacco in these ' hand ' bulks should be examiiud more frequently than in the leaf bulks, as the ' hamls ' pack down much more easily and are therefore much more liable to ferment.
However, ti.baeco nuiy be kei)t in bulks for a fairly lung time, provided the tem- jierature i.s not too high. Care must be taken, of course, to protect the tobacco from fro.sl, anil the bulking should be done in a building where such a tiling as frost is not to he feared.
The tobacco i.s packed jtist before nuirketiiig. Tii paeking. the hands sboidd be arranginl slightly overlapping, with the tips always in the centre. The bales are 8ubmitte«l to a light pressure, until they have acquired s\itticieut compactness to witbstaiul the handling they will necessarily receive during trausimrtation. The bales are wrapiH^d with idotli.s, or thick paper, and secured with straps or bauds which nre wide enough not to cut into the leaves.
FKRMKXTATIOX.
Tobacco whieh 's not to be marketed at an early date should be fermented.
As -'■oon as the ler. s are pu: into 'hands.' the latter are piled into bulks .") or 0 feet high. A tberinometiT is placed in the centre of the heap or 'bulk,' in order to secure a record of its temperature. The temperature rises more or less rapidly, ac- "onliiig to the proportion of moisture in the leaves, the sjzc and height of the bulks, anil the temiicrature of the room in which the tobacco is bulked; but it should never be iilloweil to go above Il'i)" to 12."i" Falir. When the ihennometer gives this reading, the bulk >lii'iilil be broken up and rebuilt, care being taken to place in the centre of this new heap the '♦lands" which were at the bottom and at the top of tin- first bulk. This exchange of position of the 'bands' will ensure a uniform fermentation of the total heap.
The tir.st bulk shoidd be broken uj) not only when the temperature threatens to rise above the maximum at which an injury may occur, viz., l^.'i" Fahr. ; but also« when the fermentation decreases and when the heap shows a tendency to cool off.
The tem|x>rature will rise again in the second liulk. lull not so r.ipidly. and not -i high as during tlie tir>t fermentalio'-. This second bulk is allowed to cool off until tlie temperature of ibe tobiieeo i.s the >ame as that of the room. Packing may then be started.
1.1
When (IrtiliiiK with a (iri'iit i|iiiiiilit,v of toldicoo, liirft<' hciips rDiitniniiiR several rciWH (pf iivi'rlii|i|>iii<r 'liiiiiil«' inti.v Ic Imilt. Ffriiicntiitinn is thus iiiiiilc i'H!'i<T iiml iii'in- rPK»li>r, the loss of hi'ut iint lii'ii'jf so kn""'- IJiit tlic biiililiiiK iiiul the care of Ru<-h hca|iH r('<|iiir<- n ■•crtiiin iiiiKiiiiit of priictici', s|H'<'iiil i'i|\ii|iin<-iit, ami I'xiM-rt niuntifd'iiicnt.
Ft-riiK'iitHtioii may hIho lie cnrricil on in l>o»->, in which tlic tobacco is packed. It will start liiriiiR the coiirxc of the followin(f siunmiT, or as soon UR the hoxcg are pluci'd ill rooms with suitiililo ti'iniH'ratiirc. Hoxes of suitubir- size aro prepared, and the ' haiuls ' packiil in, hiitts ontwanl. Pressure is exerted so as to obtain a net weijfht of some H(N) or .'l.ld immiikIs |ier box. Faeiliti:'.-. for the eseaiw of ir<>M!g pro- dnced by the fermentation are proviiieii by Iravini; an empty ;<paee at eaeh end of the box. This is done by piittiiiK in boards one and a half or two inches thick, one at each end of the box. before tillinfr, and withdrawinir thes<' boirds after the box has be<'n tilled and the pressure applied. The eorrespondinn parts of the boxes are put together .s<i as to provide for a friK- circulation of air.
With this mode of fermentinif. it sometimes hapjK'iis that f-rnientation does not proi'eed with the same uniformity either in the eentrc, or near the .-ides of the box. The I'hief objection to thin process in that no coiitroi may lie kept over the progress of fermentation; and when tln' bo.xes are o|K'iied. it is sometimes found that a part •of the tobacco has been injurfil liy over fermentation, while another part has not had sufficient fermentation.
Fermentation can also Im- carried on in bale.s. Thes ■ are piled up to a height of ii or 4 tiers, and taken down from time to time in order t'> put in the centre the Ip^^lrs which were at the top. Of all methods, however, this one is the least worthy of re- commendation.
Never pack tobaceco in bales or boxes until the leav.'s are absolutely dry. al- though still stijtple, and the ribs are completely shrunk. To neglect this precaution would be to court certain failure.
1)1SK.\SK.S AND INSECT KNK.MIK.s OF TOHACCO.
Tobacco is subject to various diseases. Tlie most common and at the same time most severe of thes«' are Blight, or Mosaic Piseasc, and the .\nlracnose.
The Mosaic Disease reveals itself in spots distributed over the leaf, some parts of the leaf taking on a darker green than the nornml hu<'. while other parts take on a light yellow hue, as though they were wilted. The di.sease will be easily detected by holding the leaf up to the light. Some of the yellow parts ilry up towards the end of the period of growth, and rust spots apiHMr whieii rapidly extend and go through the tissues.
In some cases, the yellow parts colour more dreply. and Ix-come reddish, giving to the leaf almost the appearance of mosaic, heii.-e th • name " .Mosaic Di.sease,' ap- plied to an advanced stage of the blight. When tin- disease reaches an acute stage, the leaf generally swells up.
The Antracnose is easily detected by the yellow ;!sp'et of the affected plants, A closer examination of the stalk will jihow on some p:irts of the stem, or on the ribs of tlw leaves, soft and black spot.s. When the disea-c starts at the intersection of two ribs, the tissue of the leaf is itself infestxi. In tl'.e lust siiifie of the <liseas«', tl»e appearance of the plant is tlie same as in tlw ca.se of tiie .Mosiae Di.sea.sc, viz.: mar- bling of the liesue of the leaf, and numerous rust spots.
These diseases are contagious. They are easily transmitted by insects' bites, and by topping and suckeriiig.
It has been observed that a healthy .se«'dlinp. plautc-ii on a bunch oi. manure, almost always becomes atTe<-teil with Mosaic Disease.
Ilijthly nitrofrenous manures may predijsposc toliacco to Mosaic Disease.
14
When only a amall number of plants are affected with either of th^ diaeaaea ra- ierred to, the beat course to follow is to remove these plants at onoe, and to burn them. When th« diaeaia ia spread over a large area, oare ahould be taken to con- fine it aa much aa poaaible. To thia end, the grower in topping and suckering ahould atart with the healthy planta and finish with the diseased onea, in order to avoid carrying the diaeaae from one plant to anothjr.
The sick planta should be harreated before they have reached maturity, and dried separately.
In the case of seed planta, a close watch should be kept over the suckers, aa these make an appearance. Often traces of the diseabe will be found on the latter, while normal leaves will appear healthy. Only the seed of planta the buds of which were of a healthy green, diould be kept for sowing purposes.
Tobacco haa many insect enemies. The worst of these make an appearance at the time of the aettin^ out of the plants, and among tiiem is the cut worm.
The cut worm is generally found in lands overrun with weeds, or that have been long in grass. It works near the surface of the ground, cutting the plant at the collar. The greater part of the damage ia done during the three weeka which follow the setting out, and there are many cases on record of plantationa which had to be entirely re-set. When the plant has become fairly well developed, and the stem more resistant, the attack of the worm does not cause the death of the plant, but th^ growth is never so vigorous afterward, and the cut made by the worm favours in- fection with some contagious disease. ,
The out worm can be successfully fought by spreading poisoned grasses between the rows of the plantation. The following solution is recommended for the purpose: S ounces of Paris green to 10 gallona of water. The grassea are soaked in thia solu- tion and spread upon the plantation at nightfall, the worms being attracted both by the coolness of the wet grasses and the food they offer. A mixture of commeal and Paris green, in the proportion of 1 lb. of Paris jfJ'een to M or 100 lbs. of eommeal. may also be used for spreading around the plant-s. liie mixture is slightly iiiiiisttnifil with water, to which sometimes a little molasses ia added. Bran, slightly moistened, may be used in the place of cornmeal. It spreads very easily.
The spreading of poisoned grasBes, with the view of poisoning the worms, will be more efficient if it is done a few days before the setting out of the plants.
The grower can hardly be reminded too earnestly of the care and caution which should be exercised in the handliuR of such a dangerous thing as Paris green. It should cdways be kept out of reach of fowls and cattle, and of children and inex- perienced or irresponsible persons.
As to the caterpillars, which attack the foliagre, and in some districts completely devastate the plantation, a close search should be made for them, and this search may be made by women and children. The caterpillars are found, in daytime, on the lower surface fif the leaves. When the infested plantation covers only a small area and is situated near the farm buildings, the fowls may be allowed access to it.
An attempt has recently been made to destroy the caterpillars by spraying the infested plants, by means of a spraying machine, with a solution of arsenious acid. The spraying should be done ns soon as caterpillars appear, as these are more easily destroyed when young. Early spraying will also permit of tht excess of poisonous matter to be washed off by the r-^ins before harvesting.