Chapter 21

Cutting the Plants.

After the plants have ripened the operation of cutting or

begins. The cutter passes from plant to plant cutting only those plants that are ripe. In harvesting a light hatchet orsaw may be used or a tobacco cutter which is the better and not as liable to injure the leaves. The plants may be cut either in the morning (after the dew is off) or just at night, providing there are no indications of frost. Lay the plants carefully on the sides to avoid breaking the leaves. If the plants are cut during a very warm day they should be examined from time to time as they are liable to "sun-burn," an injury much dreaded by the planter, as sun-burnt leaves are useless for cigar wrappers.

Putting on Lath.

After the plants are wilted on one side they are turned so that the entire plant will be in good condition to handle without breaking. Harvesting should be performed in the most careful manner. At this time the leaves are very brittle and unless the cutter is an experienced hand much injury may be done to the leaves. The stem of each plant is severed as near as possible to the ground and afterwards if hung on lath they are divided longitudinally to admit the air and dry them sooner. When the plants are to be hung on lath they may be wilted before "stringing" or not, at the option of the grower. Most growers are of the opinion now that the plants should be harvested without wilting at all, stringing on the lath as soon as cut and carrying them immediately to the shed.

When wilted in the field there is often much damage done to the leaves whether they are sun-burnt or not. Oftentimesthe ground is hot and the plants in a few hours both on the under and upper sides become very warm and almost burnt by the rays of the sun. For this reason the manner of hanging on lath is the better way and in New England is fast displacing the old method of hanging with twine. When hung in this manner five or six plants to the lath are the usual number unless they are very large. When placed or strung on the lath the plants are not as liable to sweat or pole rot, owing in part to the splitting of the stalk, which causes the rapid curing of the leaves as well as the stalk itself. A new method of hanging tobacco has been introduced of late in the Connecticut valley by means of tobacco hooks attached to the lath. This mode is considered by many growers the safest way, and by others as no better than the more common way of hanging simply on the lath.

Carrying to the Shed.

In Virginia in "ye olden time," the following method of harvesting was adopted:—

"When the plant has remained long enough exposed to the sun, or open air, after cutting, to become sufficiently pliant to bear handling and removal with conveniency, it must be removed to the tobacco house, which is generally done by manual labor, unless the distance and quantity requires the assistance of a cart. If this part of the process were managed with horses carrying frames upon their backsfor the conveniency of stowage, in a way similar to that in which grain is conveyed in Spain, it would be found a considerable saving of labor. It becomes necessary, in the next place, to see that suitable ladders and stages are provided, and that there be a sufficient quantity of tobacco sticks, such as have been described to answer the full demand of the tobacco house, whatsoever may be its size; time will be otherwise lost in make-shifts, or sending for a second supply."When everything is thus brought to a point at the tobacco house, the next stage of the process is that termed hanging the tobacco. This is done by hanging the plants in rows upon the tobacco sticks with the points down, letting them rest upon the stick by the stem of the lowest leaf, or by the split which is made in the stem when that happens to be divided. In this operation care must be taken to allow a sufficient space between each of the successive plants for the due circulation of air between: perhaps four or five inches apart, in proportion to the bulk of the plant. When they are thus threaded upon the sticks (either in the tobacco houses, or, sometimes, suspended upon a temporary scaffold near the door), they must be carefully handed up by means of ladders and planks to answer as stages or platforms, first to the upper tier or collar beams of the house, where the sticks are to be placed with their points renting upon the beams transversely, and the plants hanging down between them. This process must be repeated tier after tier of the beams, downwards, until the house is filled; taking care to hang the sticks as close to each other as the consideration of admitting air will allow, and without crowding. In this position the plants remain until they are in condition to be taken down for the next process."

"When everything is thus brought to a point at the tobacco house, the next stage of the process is that termed hanging the tobacco. This is done by hanging the plants in rows upon the tobacco sticks with the points down, letting them rest upon the stick by the stem of the lowest leaf, or by the split which is made in the stem when that happens to be divided. In this operation care must be taken to allow a sufficient space between each of the successive plants for the due circulation of air between: perhaps four or five inches apart, in proportion to the bulk of the plant. When they are thus threaded upon the sticks (either in the tobacco houses, or, sometimes, suspended upon a temporary scaffold near the door), they must be carefully handed up by means of ladders and planks to answer as stages or platforms, first to the upper tier or collar beams of the house, where the sticks are to be placed with their points renting upon the beams transversely, and the plants hanging down between them. This process must be repeated tier after tier of the beams, downwards, until the house is filled; taking care to hang the sticks as close to each other as the consideration of admitting air will allow, and without crowding. In this position the plants remain until they are in condition to be taken down for the next process."

In Cuba about the beginning of January the tobacco is ready for cutting. If the harvest is good, all the leaves are taken from the plants at once. Tobacco consisting of those leaves is called Temprano, or "Early Pipe." If, on the contrary, the harvest is not good, the immature leaves are left to grow. Tobacco formed of these leaves has the name of Tardio, or "Late Pipe." In every respect, appearance included, the Temprano is much superior to the Tardio. In the purchase of tobacco, it is a principal thing to ascertain how much or how little Temprano a parcel contains. Moreover, there are what may be called bastard leaves, whichgrow after the leaves proper have been gathered.[79]Tobacco made from these bastard leaves is easily recognizable, the leaves being long and narrow, of a reddish color, and a bitter taste.

The mode of harvesting tobacco in Virginia at present is thus described by a Virginia planter:—

"In bringing to the barn place the tobacco on scaffolds near the barn-door, so that it can be readily housed in case of rain. As Bright Wrappers and Smokers pay so much better than dark tobaccos, it is advisable, whenever practicable, to coal-cure all that ripens of a uniform yellow color. The quality of the leaf will determine the hanging: 'Shipping' should be hung seven to nine plants to the stick four and a half feet long. To cure the plants properly requires some experience, great care, and much attention. The plants should not be 'cut' until fully ripe. Be careful in cutting to select plants of a uniform size, color, and quality, putting six or seven to the stick. Let the plants go from the cutter's hands on to sticks held in the hands of women or boys; and as soon as the sticks are full, place them carefully on wagons and carry them to the barn. Place the sticks on tiers about ten inches apart, and regulate the plants on the sticks."It is impossible to lay down any uniform system or give specific instructions. General principles will be suggested to guide the planter amid the changeableness of seasons and variableness of material to be operated upon."

"It is impossible to lay down any uniform system or give specific instructions. General principles will be suggested to guide the planter amid the changeableness of seasons and variableness of material to be operated upon."

In Turkey—

"The planters calculate always fifty-five days from May 12th, for their crops to be ready for gathering. When the leaves show the necessary yellow tips, they are carried to the house, and there threaded into long bunches by a large, flat needle, about a foot long, passed through the stalk of each."

In Ohio the process of harvesting tobacco for cutting is thus described by a grower:—

"When thoroughly ripe, having stood two or three weeks longer than is necessary for cigar leaf, it is ready to cut. This is done with a knife made for the purpose. It resembles a wide chisel, except that the handle and chisel are at right angles. Before cutting, the stalk is split down through the center. Being ripe, it splits before the knife, and following the grain the leaves escape unharmed. This splitting isdone in as little time as is necessary to cut the stalk off in the ordinary way. Split it to within about three or four inches of the ground, and cut it off in the ordinary way with the same knife. Cut it off and hang it over one of your sticks that you have driven slanting into the ground near you. Cut and put six stalks on the stick, and then lay it down on the ground to wilt, taking the usual care to prevent sun-burn. When it is sufficiently wilted, haul to the shed and hang it up."

In the East Indian Archipelago,

"as soon as the leaves are fully grown they are plucked off, and the petiole and a midrib are cut away. Each leaf is then cut transversely into strips about a sixteenth of an inch wide, and these are dried in the sun until a mass of them looks like a bunch of oakum."

In Persia, when the plants are ripe they are cut off close to the root, and again stuck firmly in the ground. By exposure to the night dews the leaves change from green to yellow. When of the proper tint, they are gathered in the early morning while wet with dew, and heaped up in a shed, the sides of which are closed in with light thorny bushes, so as to be freely exposed to the wind.

In Japan, the leaves are gathered in the height of summer. When the flowers are of a light tint, two or three of the leaves nearest the root are gathered. These are called first leaves, but produce tobacco of second quality. After the lapse of a fortnight, the leaves are gathered by twos, and from these the best tobaccos are produced. Any remaining leaves are afterwards broken off along with the stem and dried. These form the lowest quality of tobacco. After gathering, the leaves are arranged in regular layers and covered with straw matting, which is removed in a couple of days. The leaves are now of a light yellow color. They are then fastened by the stem in twos and threes to a rope slung in a smoke room, and after being so left for fourteen or fifteen days, they are dried for two or three days in the sun, after which they are exposed for a couple of nights in order that they may be moistened with dew. They are then smoothed out and arranged in layers, the stems being fastened together, pressed down with boards, and packed away in a dark room.D'Almirda says that in Java, the leaves are gathered and tied up in bundles of fifteen, twenty or thirty, and suspended from bamboo poles running across the interior of the shed, where they are left to dry for twenty days or more, according to the state of the atmosphere.

As soon as the plants have been hung in the shed the process of

begins. If fully ripe at the time of harvesting, the plants will "cure down" very fast and take on a better hue than when they cure less rapidly. During cool weather the doors and ventilators should be left open that the plants may have a free circulation of air and cure the faster. When, however, the weather is damp, they should be closed, to avoid sweating and pole rot. When a light leaf is desired, the tobacco shed should be provided with windows to let in plenty of sunlight, which has much to do with the color of the leaf. When a dark leaf is desired, all light should be excluded.

The time necessary for the curing of the plants will depend upon the ripeness of the plants as well as the weather during curing. There are three kinds or methods of curing, viz: air curing, sun curing and firing, or curing by flues. Air curing is the curing of the plants in sheds or barns. Sun curing is the process of curing in the open air, while "firing" is the process of curing by "smoke," the common method employed at the South and to some extent at the West. This is the common way of curing cutting leaf, while air curing is the manner of curing cigar leaf. Tatham, already quoted, gives the following account of the process as performed in Virginia of

"From what has been said under the head of hanging the plant, it will be perceived that the air is the principal agent in curing it, but it must be also considered that a want of uniform temperature in the atmosphere calls for the constant care of the crop-master, who generally indeed becomeshabitually weather-wise, from the sowing of his plants, until the delivery of his crop to the inspector. To regulate this effect upon the plants he must take care to be often among them, and when too much moisture is discovered, it is tempered by the help of smoke, which is generated by means of small smothered fires made of old bark, and of rotten wood, kindled about upon various parts of the floor where they may seem to be most needed."In this operation it is necessary that a careful hand should be always near: for the fires must not be permitted to blaze, and burn furiously; which might not only endanger the house, but which, by occasioning a sudden over-heat while the leaf is in a moist condition, might add to the malady of 'firing' which often occurs in the field."

"In this operation it is necessary that a careful hand should be always near: for the fires must not be permitted to blaze, and burn furiously; which might not only endanger the house, but which, by occasioning a sudden over-heat while the leaf is in a moist condition, might add to the malady of 'firing' which often occurs in the field."

In Virginia the manner of curing tobacco at the present time, is thus described by a planter.

"For curing tobacco the simplest method is sun-curing or air curing and the one most likely to prove successful. The tobacco barn should be so constructed as to contain four, five or six rooms four feet wide, so that four and a half feet sticks may fit, all alike. Log barns are best for coal curing. All should be built high enough to contain four firing tiers under joists covered with shingles or boards and daubed close. Fire with hickory all rich, heavy, shipping tobacco.

"As soon as the barn is filled kindle small fires of coals or hickory wood, about twenty fires to a barn twenty feet square, four under each room. Coal is best, but hickory saplings, chopped about two feet long, make a good steaming heat. The successful coal-curer is an artist, and all engaged in the business are experimenters in nature's great laboratory." A North Carolina planter gives an interesting account of curing tobacco yellow. "Curing tobacco yellow, for which this section is so famous, is a very nice process and requires some experience, observation, and a thorough knowledge of the character and quality of the tobacco with which you have to deal, in order to insure uniform success. Much depends upon the character of the crop when taken from the hill. If it is of good size, well matured and of good yellowish color, there is necessarily but little difficulty in the operation. As soon as the tobacco is taken from the hill and housed, we commence with a low degree of heat, say 95° to 100° Fahr., 'the yellowing' or 'steaming' process. This is the first and simplest part of the whole process, and requires from fifteen to thirty-six hours, according to the size and quality of thetobacco, and this degree of heat should be continued until the leaf opens a lemon color, and is nearly free from any green hue. When this point is reached, the heat should be gradually raised to 105° in order to commence drying the leaf, and here lies the whole difficulty in curing (I mean in drying the leaf). The last degree of heat indicated, should be continued five or six hours, when it should again be gradually raised to 110°, when it should be maintained at this point, until the tail or points of the leaves begin to curl and dry. Indeed it will probably be safest for beginners to continue this degree of heat until one-third of the leaf is dried."The temperature may then be gradually increased to 115°, and kept for several hours at that point, until the leaf begins to rattle when shaken, then again raise the heat to 120°, at which point it should be continued until the leaf is dried, after which the temperature may be increased to 150° or 160° to dry the stem and stalks; the latter should be blackened by the heat before the curing is complete. Ordinarily it requires from two and a half to five days to cure a barn of tobacco, dependent entirely upon the size and quality. Put seven or eight plants on each stick and place them eight inches apart on tier poles. In the yellowing process the door of the barn should be kept closed to exclude the air. When this point is reached for drying the leaf, the door may be opened occasionally, and kept open for twenty or thirty minutes at a time, especially if the tobacco gets into a "sweat," as it is called, or becomes damp and clammy."The temperature is raised in the barn by cautiously adding coal from time to time to the fires, which should be placed in small piles on the floor, in rows, allowing about five feet between each pile, which should at first contain a double handful of coal. In adding coal, you will soon learn the quantity necessary to be applied by the effect produced. Avoid raising the heat hastily after the drying is commenced, lest the leaf should be scalded and reddened; on the other hand, it should not be raised too slowly for fear of 'raising the grain,' or the leaf becoming spongy and dingy. Both extremes are to be avoided, and the skill required is attained only by experience and observation. We usually cut tobacco the latter part of the week, house it and suffer it to remain until the first of next week, that we may not violate the fourth commandment."

"The temperature may then be gradually increased to 115°, and kept for several hours at that point, until the leaf begins to rattle when shaken, then again raise the heat to 120°, at which point it should be continued until the leaf is dried, after which the temperature may be increased to 150° or 160° to dry the stem and stalks; the latter should be blackened by the heat before the curing is complete. Ordinarily it requires from two and a half to five days to cure a barn of tobacco, dependent entirely upon the size and quality. Put seven or eight plants on each stick and place them eight inches apart on tier poles. In the yellowing process the door of the barn should be kept closed to exclude the air. When this point is reached for drying the leaf, the door may be opened occasionally, and kept open for twenty or thirty minutes at a time, especially if the tobacco gets into a "sweat," as it is called, or becomes damp and clammy.

"The temperature is raised in the barn by cautiously adding coal from time to time to the fires, which should be placed in small piles on the floor, in rows, allowing about five feet between each pile, which should at first contain a double handful of coal. In adding coal, you will soon learn the quantity necessary to be applied by the effect produced. Avoid raising the heat hastily after the drying is commenced, lest the leaf should be scalded and reddened; on the other hand, it should not be raised too slowly for fear of 'raising the grain,' or the leaf becoming spongy and dingy. Both extremes are to be avoided, and the skill required is attained only by experience and observation. We usually cut tobacco the latter part of the week, house it and suffer it to remain until the first of next week, that we may not violate the fourth commandment."

In California tobacco is cured by the method known asthe "Culp process" from the name of its patentee. When the plant lies in the field, Mr. Culp's peculiar process begins which is described as follows:

"Tobacco had long been grown in California, even before Americans came. He had raised it as a crop for fifteen years; and before he perfected his new process, he was able usually to select the best of his crop for smoking tobacco, and sold the remainder for sheep wash. One year, two millions of pounds were raised in the State, and as it was mostly sold for sheep wash, it lasted several years, and discouraged the growers. Tobacco always grew readily, but it was too rank and strong. They used Eastern methods, topping and suckering, and as the plant had here a very long season to grow and mature, the leaf was thick and very strong. The main features of the Culp process are, he said, to let the tobacco, when cut, wilt on the field; then take it at once to the tobacco house and pile it down, letting it heat on the piles to 100° for Havana. It must, he thinks, come to 100°, but if it rises to 102° it is ruined. Piling, therefore, requires great judgment. The tobacco houses are kept at a temperature of about 70°; and late in the fall, to cure a late second or third crop they sometimes use a stove to maintain a proper heat in the house, for the tobacco must not lie in the pile without heating. When it has had its first sweat, it is hung up on racks; and here Mr. Culp's process is peculiar."He places the stalk between two battens, so that it sticks out horizontally from the frame; thus each leaf hangs independently from the stalk; and the racks or frames are so arranged that all the leaves on all the stalks have a separate access to the air. The tobacco houses are frame buildings, 100x60 feet, with usually four rows of racks, and two gangways for working. On the rack the surface moisture dries from the leaf; and at the proper time it is again piled, racked, and so on for three or even four times. The racks are of rough boards, and the floor of the houses is of earth. After piling and racking for three weeks, the leaves are stripped from the stalk and put into 'hands,' and they are then 'bulked' and lie thus about three months, when the tobacco is boxed. From the time of cutting, from four to six months are required to make the leaf ready for the manufacturer. "Piling" appears to be the most delicate part of the cure, and they have often to work all night to save tobacco that threatens to overheat."

"He places the stalk between two battens, so that it sticks out horizontally from the frame; thus each leaf hangs independently from the stalk; and the racks or frames are so arranged that all the leaves on all the stalks have a separate access to the air. The tobacco houses are frame buildings, 100x60 feet, with usually four rows of racks, and two gangways for working. On the rack the surface moisture dries from the leaf; and at the proper time it is again piled, racked, and so on for three or even four times. The racks are of rough boards, and the floor of the houses is of earth. After piling and racking for three weeks, the leaves are stripped from the stalk and put into 'hands,' and they are then 'bulked' and lie thus about three months, when the tobacco is boxed. From the time of cutting, from four to six months are required to make the leaf ready for the manufacturer. "Piling" appears to be the most delicate part of the cure, and they have often to work all night to save tobacco that threatens to overheat."

In Mexico the leaves are hung up on bast[80]strings, dried in the shade and then sent to the chief depots, where, when they have undergone fermentation, they are sorted, and tied up in bundles. In Persia, the plants are carried to the shed and heaped, and in four or five days the desired pale yellow color is further developed. The stalks and center stem of each leaf are now removed and thrown away, while the leaves are heaped together in the drying house for another three or four days, when they are fit for packing.

Stripping.

In Turkey the bunches of leaves are exposed to the sun to dry, and some months' exposure is necessary before they are sufficiently matured for baling. Rain sets in at a later period, and the tobacco becoming moist and fit for handling, is thenremoved from the threads, and made into bundles or "hands" of about sixty leaves each and tied around the stems.

After the leaves are thoroughly cured they are in condition for

The leaves of the tobacco are easily affected by the humidity of the atmosphere and during damp weather every opportunity is improved by the grower for taking down the tobacco preparatory to stripping. After taking down from the poles the plants should be packed in order to keep moist until stripped. The tobacco should not be removed from the poles when it drips or the juice exudes from either the stalk or the leaves. If stripped in this condition the leaves are apt to stain and thus become unfit for wrappers. The operation of stripping consists in taking the leaves from the stalk and tying them in bundles or hands with a leaf around the base of the hand. Each "hand" or bunch should contain at least eight leaves and from that number to twelve. If the plants are large the leaves of one stalk will form a hand; a poor leaf is used for binding as it can not be used for the same purpose as the leaves around which it is bound.

Hands.

The old planters of tobacco in Virginia called this operationof taking off the leaves and tying them up "stripping and bundling" which is here described.

"When the plants of tobacco which are thus hanging upon the sticks in the house have gone through the several stages of process before the time of stripping, and are deemed to be in case for the next operation, a rainy day (which is the most suitable) is an opportunity which is generally taken advantage of when the hands cannot be so well employed out of doors. The sticks containing the tobacco which may be sufficiently cured, are then taken down and drawn out of the plants. They are then taken one by one respectively, and the leaves being stripped from the stalk of the plant are rolled round the butts or thick ends of the leaves with one of the smallest leaves as a bandage, and thus made up into little bundles fit for laying into the cask for final packing."

Hazard gives the following method of assorting and stripping tobacco in Cuba:—

"Among the Cubans, the leaves are divided into four classes: first,desecho,desecho limpio, which are those immediately at the top of the plant, and which constitute the best quality, from the fact that they get more equally the benefit of the sun's rays by day and the dew by night; second,desechito, which are the next to the above; third, thelibra, the inferior or small leaves about the top of the plant; and fourth, theinjuriado, or those nearest the root. Of theinjuriadothere are three qualities; the best is calledinjuriado de reposo, or 'the picked over,' and the other two, firsts and seconds (primeros,sequndos)."Tobacco of the classesdesechitoandlibra, of which the leaves are not perfect, is calledinjuriado bueno, while all the rest, of whatever quality, that is broken in such a manner as to be unfit for wrappers are calledinjuriado malo. Amongst the trade in place of the above names, the different qualities are simply designated by numbers."

"Tobacco of the classesdesechitoandlibra, of which the leaves are not perfect, is calledinjuriado bueno, while all the rest, of whatever quality, that is broken in such a manner as to be unfit for wrappers are calledinjuriado malo. Amongst the trade in place of the above names, the different qualities are simply designated by numbers."

Meyer, a German writer who resided several years in Cuba, gives another classification, making ten classes altogether, while Hazard mentions only four general classes.

After the leaves are stripped from the stalk the process known as

commences. Assorting tobacco is doing up in hands the various qualities and keeping them separate. In the Connecticutvalley the growers make usually but two kinds or qualities excepting only when the crop is poor when three qualities are made, viz: Wrappers, Seconds, and Fillers. The Wrappers are the largest and finest leaves on the plant and should be free from holes and sweat as well as green and white veins. The leaves selected for this quality come from the middle and even the top leaves of the plant. The Seconds are made up of leaves not good enough for Wrappers and too good for Fillers. Such leaves sometimes are worm-eaten and of various colors on the same leaf—one part dark and another light. The fillers are the poorest quality of leaves to be found on the plants, and consist of the "sand" or ground leaves, one or two to each plant. Some of our largest growers in assorting the leaves keep each color by itself, an operation known as

This is a very delicate operation and requires a good eye for colors as well as a correct judgment in regard to the quality of the leaf. This mode of assorting colors in stripping is similar to that of shading cigars, in which the utmost care is taken to keep the various colors and shades by themselves. In shading the wrappers only are so assorted, and may be "run into" two or three shades depending on the number of shades or colors of the leaf. The better way is to make only two qualities of the wrappers in shading—viz., light and dark cinnamon "selections." Shading tobacco does not imply that it is carried to its fullest extent in point of color as in shading cigars, but simply keeping those general colors by themselves like light and dark brown leaves. Cutting tobaccos before being used are subjected to a process known as

Tatham gives the following account of the process of stemming in Virginia a century ago:—

"Stemming tobacco is the act of separating the largest stems or fibres from the web of the leaf with adroitness and facility, so that the plant may be nevertheless capable ofpackage, and fit for a foreign market. It is practised in cases where the malady termed the fire, or other casual misfortune during the growth of the plant, may have rendered it doubtful in the opinion of the planter whether something or other which he may have observed during the growth of his crop, or in the unfavorable temperature of the seasons by which it hath been matured does not hazard too much in packing the web with a stem which threatens to decay. To avoid the same species of risk, stemming is also practised in cases where the season when it becomes necessary to finish packing for a market is too unfavorable to put up the plant in leaf in the usual method; or when the crop may be partially out of case. Besides the operation of stemming in the hands of the crop-master, there are instances where this partial process is repeated in the public warehouses; of which I shall treat under a subsequent head.

Stemming.

"The operation of stemming is performed by taking the leaf in one hand, and the end of the stem in the other, in such a way as to cleave it with the grain; and there is an expertness to be acquired by practice, which renders it as easy as to separate the bark of a willow, although those unaccustomed to it find it difficult to stem a single plant. When the web is thus separated from the stem, it is made upinto bundles in the same way as in the leaf, and is laid in bulk for farther process. The stems have been generally thrown away, or burnt with refuse tobacco for the purpose of soap-ashes; but the introduction of snuff-mills has, within a few years back, found a more economical use for them."

As soon as the tobacco has been stripped it is ready for

Packing.

It is necessary to pack the "hands" after stripping in order to keep it moist, or in nearly the same condition as when stripped. Select a cool place, not too dry or too damp, but one where if properly protected, the tobacco will remain moist. It should be packed loosely or compact, according as the hands are moist or dry. It may be packed in the center of the floor so that it may be examined from either side, or against the sides of the packing house, as may be thought best. Hand the tobacco to the packer, who presses the hands firmly with his knees and hands, laying the tobacco in two tiers and keeping the pile at about the same height untilall is packed. If possible pack all together, that is, each kind by itself, as it is better to have the wrappers or fillers all together rather than in several places, as the moisture is retained better than when it is packed in small piles or heaps. Use in packing a plank or board, placing it against the front of the tier and bring the ends of the hands up against it. This will make the tobacco look much better and also render the process of packing firmer.

The tobacco may be packed any height or length desired, according to the quantity, but usually from three to four feet high will be found to be convenient while the length may be proportioned to the height or not. Tobacco may be packed by the cord or half cord so as to be able to judge of the quantity—good large wrappers averaging a ton to the cord. Seconds and Fillers will not contain as many pounds to the cord as wrappers. After the tobacco is packed, cover first with boards—planed ones are preferable,—or even shingles—and press firmly, especially if the tobacco is dry, then cover with blankets or any kind of covering, adding plank or pieces of timber if additional pressure is needed. It can now remain packed until sold or cased, and will hardly need to be examined unless packed while very damp or kept packed until warm weather.

Wailes says of planting by the early planters of tobacco in Mississippi:—

"The larger planters packed it in the usual way in hogsheads. Much of it, however, was put up in carrets, as they were called, resembling in size and form two small sugar-loafs united at the larger ends. The stemmed tobacco was laid smoothly together in that form coated with wrappers of the extended leaf, enveloped in a cloth, and then firmly compressed by a cord wrapped around the parcel, and which was suffered to remain until the carret acquired the necessary dryness and solidity, when together with the surrounding cloth, it was removed, and strips of lime-bark were bound around it at proper distances, in such a manner as to secure it from unwrapping and losing its proportions."

In Turkey, after the tobacco is made into bundles or hands, it is piled against the walls inside the dwelling rooms and acarefully graduated pressure put upon it until ready for baling. In Java, when the tobacco is ready to pack the leaf is examined, and if found quite brown, it is tightly pressed and packed up either in boxes or matting for exportation, or in the bark of the tree plantain, for immediate sale.

The next process on the tobacco plantation is that of

The term prizing originated in Virginia, and as performed by the early planters, is thus described by an old writer on tobacco culture:—

"Prizing, in the sense in which it is to be taken here is, perhaps, a local word, which the Virginians may claim the credit of creating, or at least of adopting; it is at best technical, and must be defined to be the act of pressing or squeezing the article which is to be packed into any package, by means of certain levers, screws, or other mechanical powers; so that the size of the article may be reduced in stowage, and the air expressed so as to render it less pregnable by outward accident, or exterior injury, than it would be in its natural condition."The operation of prizing, however, requires the combination of judgment and experience; for the commodity may otherwise become bruised by the mechanic action, and this will have an effect similar to that of prizing in too high case, which signifies that degree of moisture which produces all the risks of fermentation, and subjects the plant to be shattered into rags. The ordinary apparatus for prizing consists of the prize beam, the platform, the blocks, and the cover. The prize beam is a lever formed of a young tree or sapling, of about ten inches diameter at the butt or thicker end, and about twenty or twenty-five feet in length; but in crops where many hands are employed, and a sufficient force always near for the occasional assistance of managing a more weighty leverage, this beam is often made of a larger tree, hewn on two of its sides to about six inches thick, and of the natural width, averaging twelve or fourteen inches. The thick end of this beam is so squared as to form a tenon, which is fitted into a mortise that is dug through some growing tree, or other, of those which generally abound convenient to the tobacco house, something more than five feet above the platform. Close to the root of this tree, andimmediately under the most powerful point of the lever, a platform or floor of plank is constructed for the hogshead to stand upon during the operation of prizing. This must be laid upon a solid foundation, levelled, upon hewn pieces of wood as sleepers; and so grooved and perforated that any wet or rain which may happen to fall upon the platform may run off without injuring the tobacco. Blocks of wood are prepared about two feet in length, and about three or four inches in diameter, with a few blocks of greater dimensions, for the purpose of raising the beam to a suitable purchase; and a movable roof constructed of clap-boards nailed upon pairs of light rafters, of sufficient size to shelter the platform and hogshead, is made ready to place astride of the beam, as a saddle is put upon a horse's back, in order to secure the tobacco from the weather while it is subjected to this tedious part of the process.

"The operation of prizing, however, requires the combination of judgment and experience; for the commodity may otherwise become bruised by the mechanic action, and this will have an effect similar to that of prizing in too high case, which signifies that degree of moisture which produces all the risks of fermentation, and subjects the plant to be shattered into rags. The ordinary apparatus for prizing consists of the prize beam, the platform, the blocks, and the cover. The prize beam is a lever formed of a young tree or sapling, of about ten inches diameter at the butt or thicker end, and about twenty or twenty-five feet in length; but in crops where many hands are employed, and a sufficient force always near for the occasional assistance of managing a more weighty leverage, this beam is often made of a larger tree, hewn on two of its sides to about six inches thick, and of the natural width, averaging twelve or fourteen inches. The thick end of this beam is so squared as to form a tenon, which is fitted into a mortise that is dug through some growing tree, or other, of those which generally abound convenient to the tobacco house, something more than five feet above the platform. Close to the root of this tree, andimmediately under the most powerful point of the lever, a platform or floor of plank is constructed for the hogshead to stand upon during the operation of prizing. This must be laid upon a solid foundation, levelled, upon hewn pieces of wood as sleepers; and so grooved and perforated that any wet or rain which may happen to fall upon the platform may run off without injuring the tobacco. Blocks of wood are prepared about two feet in length, and about three or four inches in diameter, with a few blocks of greater dimensions, for the purpose of raising the beam to a suitable purchase; and a movable roof constructed of clap-boards nailed upon pairs of light rafters, of sufficient size to shelter the platform and hogshead, is made ready to place astride of the beam, as a saddle is put upon a horse's back, in order to secure the tobacco from the weather while it is subjected to this tedious part of the process.

Prizing in Olden Times.

"That part of the apparatus which is designed to manage and give power to the lever is variously constructed: in some instances two beams of timber about six feet long, and squared to four by six inches, are prepared; through these, by means of an auger hole, a sapling of hickory or other tough wood, is respectively passed; and the root thereof being formed like the head of a pin to prevent its slipping through the hole, the sapling is bent like a bow, and the other end is passed through the same piece of wood in a reversed direction, in which position it is wedged. These two bows are in this manner hung by the sapling loops uponthe end of the prize beam or lever; and loose planks or slabs of about five or six feet long being laid upon these suspended pieces of timber, a kind of hanging floor or platform is constructed, upon which weights are designed to act as in a scale. A pile of large stones are then carted to the place, and a sufficient number of these are occasionally placed upon this hanging platform, until the lever has obtained precisely the power which the crop master wishes to give it by this regulating medium."The prizing or packing by the old planters must have been a tedious affair, and far different from the quick work made by the screw-press now owned by all well to-do planters. The size of the hogsheads containing the tobacco was regulated by law to the standard of four feet six inches in length, but the shape of the cask varied according to the fancy of the cooper, or roughness of his work. At this period (a century ago), the tobacco hogshead was made most generally of white oak; but Spanish oak, and red oak, were sometimes used, when the usual kind could not be so readily commanded. Now the hogsheads are made of pine, but are nearly as rough as those made by the colonial growers."Tobacco, if well packed, and prized duly, will resist the water for a surprising length of time. An instance is recorded in strong proof of this, which occurred at Kingsland upon James river in Virginia, where tobacco, which had been carried off by the great land floods in 1771, was found in a large raft of drift wood in which it had lodged when the warehouses at Richmond were swept away by the overflowing of the freshets; an inundation which had happened about twenty years before this cask was found."

"The prizing or packing by the old planters must have been a tedious affair, and far different from the quick work made by the screw-press now owned by all well to-do planters. The size of the hogsheads containing the tobacco was regulated by law to the standard of four feet six inches in length, but the shape of the cask varied according to the fancy of the cooper, or roughness of his work. At this period (a century ago), the tobacco hogshead was made most generally of white oak; but Spanish oak, and red oak, were sometimes used, when the usual kind could not be so readily commanded. Now the hogsheads are made of pine, but are nearly as rough as those made by the colonial growers.

"Tobacco, if well packed, and prized duly, will resist the water for a surprising length of time. An instance is recorded in strong proof of this, which occurred at Kingsland upon James river in Virginia, where tobacco, which had been carried off by the great land floods in 1771, was found in a large raft of drift wood in which it had lodged when the warehouses at Richmond were swept away by the overflowing of the freshets; an inundation which had happened about twenty years before this cask was found."

Tatham gives the following account of a similar instance:—

"On the sixth of October, 1782, I myself was one of a party who were shipwrecked upon the coast of New Jersey, in America, on board the brigantine Maria, Captain McAulay, from Richmond in Virginia, and laden with tobacco. Several hogsheads, which were saved from the wreck were brought round to Stillwill's landing upon Great Egg harbor; and amongst them some which had lost the headings of the cask, and the hoops and staves, were so much shattered by the beating of the surf, that it was not thought worth while to land them, and they were just tumbled out of the lighter upon the beach, and left to remain where the tide constantly flowed over them for several weeks, so that the outside was completely rotten, and they had the appearance of heaps ofmanure. In this very bad condition, I still persisted in trying to save what I supposed might remain entire in the interior of the lump, and at last prevailed so far over the ignorance and prejudice by which I had been ridiculed, as to effect an overhauling and repacking of this damaged commodity and to save a proportion thereof very far beyond what I myself had expected. Some of the heart of this was so highly improved, that I have seldom seen tobacco equal to it for chewing, or for immediate manufacture; and what was repacked was sold to a tobacconist in Water Street, Philadelphia, at a price so little reduced below the ordinary market, that the man very frankly told me, that if he could have had the whole drowned tobacco in a short time after it was saved from the wreck, he would have made no difference in the price but would rather have preferred it for immediate manufacture, as it would have spared him, some little labor in a part of the process."

Prizing tobacco applies to the packing of tobacco in hogsheads all such leaf being used for cutting purposes, cigar leaf being either cased or baled. In some sections about 800 pounds net is packed in one parcel, while in others 1000 pounds and sometimes even 1500 and 1800 pounds. "Seed leaf" tobacco in this country is all packed in cases instead of hogsheads, each case containing from 375 to 400 pounds net. It is necessary that all kinds of tobacco should be pressed in some kind of package before it is ready to be manufactured. There are exceptions, however, as in the case of Latakia tobacco, which is simply hung in the peasant's huts through the winter to be fumigated and to acquire the peculiar flavor this tobacco has. Tobacco in good condition to case must be damp enough to bear the pressure in casing without breaking and crumbling, while it must not be too moist or it will rot in the case. The number of pounds to the case will vary according to the size of the leaf, as well as the condition of the tobacco.

When ready to case the "hands" are packed in the case, laying them in two tiers. The case being nearly full the contents are then subjected to a strong pressure until it is reduced to one half its bulk, then another layer is placed in the case and again pressed, and succeeded by as many as are required to fill the case. The tobacco should be packed evenly in layers with the ends of the leaves touching one another oreven crossing, and the whole mass presenting a smooth and even appearance. The "wrappers" should be cased by themselves and "the seconds" and "fillers" together or separate at the option of the packer. The tobacco should be cased hard so that the mass will rise but little when the pressure is removed. As the fillers are usually dry they must be moistened before casing or subjected to a very strong pressure. After packing the cases should be turned on their sides, and the grower's name marked on each case, also the kind of tobacco, whether wrappers or fillers, together with the number of pounds and the weight of the case. This is necessary to ascertain the quality of leaf produced by each grower, as well as to protect the buyer against all fraud in packing and casing.

Tobacco Press.

The cases may be piled one upon another, but should be kept from the rays of the sun and in a dry room, so that the sweating of the leaf may be sufficient to fit it for use. It is necessary that the season during sweating should be warm, in order to secure a good sweat. It will commence to "warm up" sometime in April or May, and will be ready to sample or uncase about the first of September. After "going through a sweat," the leaf takes on a darker color, and loses the rank flavor which it had before. It is better to let the tobacco dry off before being used or taken from the case. "Baling" is packing tobacco in small bundles or packages containing from one hundred to two hundred pounds,and is the manner of putting up tobacco for export in Cuba, Paraguay, Algiers, Hungary, Mexico, Syria, the Philippines, China, Sumatra, Japan, Java, Turkey, and in some other tobacco-growing countries. In Cuba after being formed into hands or "gavillos" and four of these tied together with strips of palm-leaf so as to constitute a "manoja," fifty or eighty of them are packed together, making what is called a "tercio" or bale, the average weight of which is two hundred pounds. Hazard says of the number of pounds produced on thevegas:

"Acaballeriaof thirty-three acres of ground produces about nine thousand pounds of tobacco, made up in about the following proportions: four hundred and fifty ofdesecho, or best; one thousand eight hundred poundsdesechito, or seconds; two thousand two hundred and fifty pounds oflibra, or thirds; and four thousand five hundred pounds ofinjuriado. From these figures, taking the bale at one hundred pounds, and the average price of the tobacco at twenty dollars per bale, (though this is a low estimate, for the crops of some of the vegas are sold as high, sometimes, as four hundred dollars per bale,) an approximate idea may be formed of the profit of a large plantation in a good year, when the crops are satisfactory."

In Mexico, after being baled, the tobacco is sent to the government factories, where it is not weighed until two months afterwards. The price is high, varying from twelve to twenty-eight dollars per crate; and is paid in ten monthly installments. In Persia, when the tobacco is fit for packing, the leaves are carefully spread on each other, and formed into cakes four or five feet round, and three to four inches thick, care being taken not to break or injure the leaves. Bags of strong cloth, thin and open at the sides, are provided, into which the cakes are pressed strongly down on each other. When the bags are filled they are placed in a separate drying house, and are turned every day. Water is then sprinkled on the cakes, if required, to prevent them from breaking. The leaf is valued for being thick, tough, of a uniform light yellow color, and of an agreeable aromatic smell.

In Turkey, the tobacco after remaining in the dwelling-room of the house a sufficient time, is ready for baling. Thebales average in weight about fortyoques(110 English pounds). The covering of the bales is a sort of netting made by the peasants from goat's hair; it is elastic and of great strength. Vamberry says of packing tobacco in European Turkey:

"The tobacco is packed in small packets (bog tche), and only after it has lain for years in the warehouses of the tobacco merchants, is it honored by the connoisseurs of Stamboul with the title of 'Aala Gobeck.' This sort of finely-cut tobacco resembling the finest silk, is held in equally high estimation in the palaces of the Grand Seignior, in the seraglio, and in the divan of the sublime Porte, where the privy council debate the most important affairs of the empire, under the soothing influence of its aromatic vapors."

In St. Domingo and the United States of Colombia, South America, the bales are calledSerous, and in Holland and Germany, Packages. Tobacco is sent to market in bales of various sizes and made of various materials. In Cuba, the tobacco is bound with palm leaves. In South America it is packed in ox hides. From the East it comes in camel's hair sacks or "netting made from goat's hair," while from Persia, tobacco is exported in sacks of strong cloth. Manilla tobacco is shipped in bales containing four hundred pounds net. It is covered first with bass and then with sacking, made of Indian grass tied around with ratan. Each bale contains a printed statement, of which the following is a copy:

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