Growing tobacco is only half the battle. Having raised a crop to a state of perfection, the next object is to cure it for the market. This branch of the business demands fully as much care and skill as the purely agricultural part preceding it, and is perhaps equally influenced by the weather. The best crop ever grown may be completely spoiled by injudicious conduct during the drying, &c., while a growth of moderate quality may be made the most of by extra care and trouble. Harvesting.—The leaf being matured, it should be harvested only after the dew is off the plants, and not on a rainy day. There are two modes of harvesting—gathering the leaves singly, and cutting down the whole plant. Gathering single leaves admits of removing them from the plant as they ripen; the bottom leaves are removed first, and the top ones are left some time longer, until they have attained full maturity. The cultivator is thereby enabled to gather his crop when it possesses the greatest value. This plan necessitates, however, a great amount of labour, and, in a hot climate, the single leaves are apt to dry so rapidly as not to attain a proper colour, unless stacked early in heaps. But stacking in heaps involves great risk of the leaves heating too much, and developing a bad flavour, whereby the tobacco loses more or less in value. For Indian circumstances generally, For cutting down the plants, a long knife or chopper is used. A man takes the plant with his left hand about 9 inches from the ground, and with the knife in his right hand, cuts through the stem of the plant just above the ground. If the plants are sufficiently “wilted,” he may lay them on the ground and proceed to cut down others; if, however, they are so brittle as to cause the leaves to be injured by laying them down, he should give them to another person, to carry them at once under shade. During bright weather, the plants should not be allowed to lie exposed to the sun on the ground, or they will become sun-burnt, and lose in value. A temporary shed should be erected; it might be simply a light roof of palm-leaves or thatched straw, supported by poles; a large tree standing near will also serve the purpose. Under this shade, parallel rows of posts are put up, and on the posts, light poles or strong bamboos are fixed horizontally. The parallel lines should be about 4½ feet apart and the horizontal poles about 4–5 feet from the ground, according to the height of the tobacco plants. Rods are cut in lengths of 5 feet, and laid over the parallel bars, so that they will project about 3 inches at each end. A very light and convenient shelter sometimes used for sun-drying in America, consists of rods laid crosswise, supported on four upright poles, and covered with a sloping roof of boards. The plants that have been cut are immediately brought into the shade, tied in pairs, and hung across the rods. They must not be hung so close as to press each other, and the rods should therefore be As a general rule, Judson Popenoe thinks “tobacco should be cut in about 2 weeks from topping, at which time the leaves assume a spotted appearance and appear to have fulled up thicker; double up the leaf and press it together with thumb and finger, and, if ready to cut, the leaf where pressed will break crisp and short. Do not let your tobacco get over-ripe, or it will cure up yellow and spotted: it is better to cut too soon than too late. Take a hatchet or short corn-knife, grasp the stalk with the left hand, bend it well to the left, so as to expose the lower part of the stalk, strike with the knife just at the surface of the ground, let the stalk drop over on the ground without doubling the leaves under, and leave it to wilt. The usual practice is to worm and sucker while the dew is on in the morning, and as soon as the dew is off to commence cutting. There are some who advocate Any one accustomed to the cultivation of the crop, says Bishop, “knows when it is ripe,—the veins of the leaves are swollen, the leaves begin to look spotted and feel thick and gummy. The ends of the leaves will crack on being doubled up. After it is ripe, the sooner it is cut the better, as it is liable to injury by frost or hail, and will not increase in weight as fast as the worms eat it, and the leaves get broken by catching them. The plants will generally ripen from the 1st to the 15th of September; In the words of Schneider, “when the plant begins to yellow, it is time to put it away. It is cut off close to the ground, by turning up the bottom leaves and striking with a tobacco-knife, formed of an old scythe—such knives as are often used for cutting corn. Let it lie on the ground for a short time to wilt, and then carry it to the tobacco-house, when it may be put away in three different modes, by ‘pegging,’ ‘spearing,’ and ‘splitting.’ Pegging tobacco is the neatest way and best, yet the slowest. It is done by driving pegs about 6 inches long and ½ inch or less square into the stalk, about 4 inches from the big end of the stalk; and these pegs are driven in with a mallet, in a slanting direction, so as to hook on to the sticks in the house. It is then put on to a ‘horse,’ Another planter observes that “when a plant begins to ripen, it will gradually assume a ‘piebald’ or spotted appearance. As the ripening advances, the spots will become more distinct and individualized. When the spots can be distinguished at the distance of 10 steps, and the leaves of the plant turn down, become stiff to the touch, and their ends curl under, the plant is ripe, and should be cut. From the moment it has arrived at maturity, it begins to decay. Remember that all the plants in your crop are to be hung after they are cut—hung Bishop tells us that when “the plant begins to yellow or turn spotted, it is time to put it away. It is cut off close to the ground, turning up the leaves, and cutting off close to the roots, by a single stroke of a hatchet, or tobacco-knife, made of an old scythe, such as are used in cutting up corn. After cutting, let it lie on the ground a short time to wilt, when it may be handled without danger of tearing the leaves; it is then to be taken to the house to be ‘hung.’” The condition of the leaf, according to Pursley, may be judged in the following manner:—“When the tobacco is Some tobacco-growers, remarks Pursley, “prefer splitting the stalk from the top down to within about 6 inches of the butt, then hang it on the sticks. But I cannot agree with them, for it is more difficult to handle, and is apt to slip off the stick, when moving it; besides, the tobacco cured in this manner is not so heavy as if it was The maturity of tobacco is defined by Schneider as when the leaves, which have hitherto been green, on holding them “against the sun, show yellowish, reddish, or brownish spots, feel sticky, and when bent break off short and clean. Before this period sets in, the drying-house should be in good order. This house is built to give room for the free hanging up of the tobacco, so that it is protected from the sun, wind, and rain, and is allowed to dry by the free circulation of the air. Any building, therefore, will answer which has a good roof, boarded sides, and enough windows and air-holes (which can be closed at will) to keep up a mild circulation of air inside, and also to keep out strong and too quick drying winds. If the tobacco is grown on a large scale, the house should have large doorways to drive a waggon in and out. There must be sticks all over the house, either cross or lengthwise, and these sticks must be ready and in their places. Now the work of harvesting the crop is commenced on a Another method of harvesting is recommended by Schneider for those “who cultivate tobacco on a small scale, or who have hands and time enough. As all the leaves on the plant do not ripen at the same time, but the under leaves are always a little earlier than the upper ones, they may gather the crop in the leaf, that is, taking only the matured leaves from the stalk; this must be done daily, and so long as there are leaves on the stalk. In this way the crop will be harvested slower, and it will cost more, but the tobacco will be of more even quality Perry Hull’s instructions commence with a caution that the plant should never be cut while the dew is on the leaves; “but wait until it is off, say 10 o’clock, and what tobacco is cut from that time until 2 o’clock, if the day is hot, will need close attention. In short, the whole operation, from cutting in the field, to the hanging upon the poles in the barn, needs care, as a little carelessness or inattention will damage many dollars’ worth. No hand should be allowed to handle it, who is unwilling to use care, and perform every operation just as directed, or else by breaking of leaves, or sticking fingers through them, &c., he may do more damage than his wages amount to. The plant to be cut should be taken by the left hand, not carelessly by the leaves, but carefully by the stalk, and as carefully leaned over, to give a chance to use the axe, which should have a handle about one foot long. Cut the plant with one blow, laying it carefully down, with the top to the sun; if it is laid otherwise, the leaf will burn before the main stalk of the leaf will wilt sufficiently to admit of handling. Even in that position, it may burn unless attended to, but not as soon. After lying until pretty well wilted, and before burning, turn it over and wilt the other side. When so wilted that the main stem When the plants are carried into the shed, “if quite warm, they should be left only one plant deep upon the floor and scaffolds. If the day be cool, and they are to be hung up soon, they may lie much thicker. They should never be hung upon a pole less than 5 inches in width. If sawed pieces are used, saw them just that; if poles are used, see that they are about that; for if anything of less width is used, the plants will hang so close, that the chances of ‘pole-burn’ are greatly increased. They are fastened to the pole by a half hitch. (Their position is represented by Fig. 9 on p. 95.) It requires two hands to hang them, one to hand them, another to tie them. The poles should be about 18 inches apart, and the number hung upon a 12-foot pole will depend upon the size, from 24 to 30, so regulating them, that when thoroughly wilted, they will scarcely touch each other. If hung thicker than this, a little unfavourable weather will cause more or less pole-burn, sweat and mould. After the tobacco is hung, the building should be so thoroughly ventilated that there will be a circulation of air through every part. The ventilators should be kept open during all fair weather, until well cured down. During storms, shut the doors and exclude as much wet as possible; being cautious to give it a thorough ventilation again, as soon as the rain ceases. When it is cured enough to be husky in dry White estimates that in “the course of 2 or 3 weeks after topping, the plants will begin to ripen, which may be known by the change in colour of the leaf. It will look spotted with spots of lighter green, a yellowish green. When fully ripe the leaf may be folded together, and moderately pressed without breaking or cracking. Now is the time to begin to harvest it. All this is supposed to take place before there is any appearance of frost, as a very light frost often does great damage. All touched by it is ruined, and good for nothing. The crop must be cut and hung, even if not fully ripe, before any frosts occur. If there are strong appearances of a frost, you can secure the crop by cutting it down, and putting it either under your sheds, or by putting it in piles, not over 1 foot deep, in the field, and covering with straw. It is well to let it stand, if not fully ripe, as long as it can safely, for the cool nights have a tendency to thicken up the leaves. The cutting is best performed with a hay-knife, with a sharp, rounding point, in the following way: stand at the right-hand side of the plant or row; with the left hand grasp the stalk down 2 or 3 leaves from the top and lean it back on the row; now, with the point of your cutter held in the right hand 2–3 inches from the stalk, close to Libhart alludes to the existence of several ways of hanging cut tobacco plants, but specifies the two following as the best and shortest: “first, splitting and hanging it upon laths or poles and leaving it to partially cure in the field; secondly, nailing it to rails with lathing-nails, at once in the shed. The former method, for high northern latitudes, is by far the best, as it will cure in a much shorter time (and thus prevent the destruction of the crop by freezing in the shed), by the drying of the pith of the stalk, which is the main reservoir of moisture. It is performed as follows:—Have a chisel about 1 foot long and 3 inches broad, the sharp end not bevelled on one side, but coming to an edge by a gradual taper on both sides (a common tenon-saw will do pretty well); place the edge of the chisel in the centre of the stalk upon the end where it has been topped, and push it down, guiding it in its course so as not to break or cut off any leaves, to within 3–4 inches of the ground; the stalk may then be cut off with a hatchet, or with the chisel if it be made pretty strong. The splitting may be done in the morning when the leaves are too brittle to admit of the stalk being cut Before the tobacco is ready for harvesting, Hudson suggests the preparation of “a supply of sticks for hanging. Sticks 4 feet long and 1 inch square are most convenient; 12 sticks to every 100 plants will be sufficient. For sun-curing, there should be a shed built at one or more convenient points of the patch. This may be done by placing posts in the ground to support the poles, as represented in Fig. 8. The poles a being for the support of the smaller poles c, upon which the tobacco-sticks are placed, and b for the cover, when necessary that it should be shedded.” Fig. 8. Mitjen’s translator gives the following account of the “The cause of this destruction, from which the veguero suffers more or less in the best of crops, may be easily explained. The curing of tobacco is nothing more than a series of fermentations. It ferments on the poles (cujes), ferments in the heaps (pilon), and ferments in the bales. All these fermentations are requisite for obtaining a good colour and smell, but it is better that each quality or consistency of tobacco should ferment apart. Tobacco of good strong quality, which is that produced by the upper leaves, naturally suffers a much stronger fermentation than the weak ones, because the former contain a larger “The first cut should consist only of the pair of crown leaves, and for the poles which they are hung on, a special corner in the curing-house should be set apart. After the first cutting, and 3 or 4 days of sun, the second and third pairs of leaves will be ripe, and may be cut at one and the same time, care being taken to place them on separate poles and rooms; and, lastly, 3 or 4 days after the second cutting, the remainder of the leaves may be gathered, but the last leaf near the ground should not be taken, as it has no consistency, and therefore no value as tobacco, and only serves to increase the work and give discredit to the class of tobacco. “Tobacco should be cut during the hottest part of the day; each pair of leaves should be placed on the ground face downwards, so that the sun may strike on the under Drying.—The drying-shed is prepared beforehand to receive the tobacco. When cultivating tobacco on a small The drying-shed being ready, the plants immediately on arrival at the shed are transferred from the conveyance, on the rods, to the lowest tier. No rule can be given as to the distance the rods should be placed from each other, as it varies according to the species of the plant, the degree of ripeness, and especially the state of the weather. The purpose of hanging the plant here on the lower tier is to cause the leaves to dry gradually, and assume a good yellow colour, and to create a slight fermentation in them, while allowing such a circulation of air between the plants as will facilitate the gradual escape of the moisture from The rods should be placed closer together—(a) when the plants are much wilted on reaching the shed; (b) when the air is very dry, and the temperature is high; (c) when the leaves of the plant are very thin and contain little water. Plants which have the leaves closely arranged on the stems must be hung farther apart. When the air is very dry, and there is a strong breeze, the windows must be closed. If this is not sufficient, water may be poured on some heaps of sand, to create a moist atmosphere in the shed. When the stems of the plant are very thick, and consequently contain much sap, it is beneficial to open the windows, especially at morning and evening, for some hours, that the wind may pass over the butt-ends. As the windows are situated above the lowest tier, the leaves will not be much affected by it. The leaves must be examined carefully every day; one plant may progress very well, whereas another close by may decompose too rapidly, and another too slowly. Although no change of weather occur, it may yet be necessary to alter the position of the rods, in order that each plant and leaf may receive air in such a degree as is most conducive to its proper decomposition. Any change in the weather necessitates different arrangements. The plant should remain on the lower tier until the leaves have turned yellow, which will take place within 6–10 Pursley warns tobacco growers that the plant should not be exposed to the weather after it is cut, but should “be immediately conveyed to the barn and hung up. As soon as it gets about half yellowed, a slow fire should be started “Our barns are generally built of logs, some have frames. The barn should be made tight up to the tobacco, which should hang about 8 feet from the ground; above this leave cracks or air-holes, sufficient for free ventilation. A barn to hold 2½ acres of tobacco, which is as much as one man can attend to, should be 24 feet square. It should have 5 tiers of poles, the lowest about 6 feet from the ground; these should extend across the barn, and be fastened at each end into the walls. The poles should be 4 feet apart, and the tiers directly one above another. The sticks which contain the tobacco should be placed within 8 inches of each other, on all the poles except the bottom ones, which should be left vacant directly over the fire. When tobacco is nearly cured, it very readily catches fire. If there be a wet spell of weather before the stalks are thoroughly dry, build a fire under the tobacco sufficiently hot to keep it dry. It should not get damp and pliant until the stalks are dry, then it may be allowed to get damp.” Libhart recommends that the shed “be constructed of timbers strong enough to resist storms, and boarded ‘up and down.’ About every 3 feet one board should be hinged, to readily open and shut. If it is intended to split and lath the tobacco, the inside of the shed must be The housing of the crop proceeds, says Dennis, “as fast as it is cured up on the scaffold, or as the indications of rain make it necessary, care being taken not to bruise or tear it in hauling. The sticks of tobacco may be piled upon the waggon or cart, and hauled to the barn and hung up, commencing in the highest part of the building, and filling up as you go downwards. If the leaves are pretty well cured, you may hang it so as to touch, without crowding it; if not, there should be a little space between. If a cold, rainy spell comes on, you will need to introduce some means of artificial drying. A trench is sometimes dug, and a log or two of wood placed in it, and a fire made, taking care to remove the tobacco immediately over the fire, and avoiding much blaze. This is dangerous, and a better plan is to make a trench across the floor of the barn, of mason-work, covered with sheet-iron, and leading from a furnace outside the house on one side, to a chimney at a safe distance on the other. The colour and quality of tobacco may be improved by hanging it closely and curing by artificial heat, watching that it does not become ‘funked,’ or moulded, while curing; but the best plan for a beginner is to dry it safely, and make According to Bishop, it usually requires about 12 weeks to cure the plants thoroughly, that is, so that there is no more juice in the leaves or leaf-stems; it matters not if the main stalk is not dry, you need not expect it, and there will be green leaves that will not cure but freeze while green and are worthless. He calculates that to “hang an acre of good tobacco requires a building about 30 by 24 feet with 15-feet posts. Two girths should be framed into the posts on all sides of the building; one 5 feet above the sill, and the other 10 feet above, to rest the poles on, also to nail the covering boards to. This gives a space of 5 feet for each tier of plants. Have a beam run across the centre of the building, with a post in the middle with girths to correspond with those on the side, extending lengthwise Hanging is done in the following manner:—“The ‘hanger’ stands in an erect position, having for a foothold the poles on the tier below the one which he is hanging; he has a ball of tobacco-twine (a twine made of flax, procurable at any seed-store) which for convenience is carried in the bosom of the loose blouse generally worn; he stands with the left side to the pole on which the tobacco is to be hung, left arm over it; the stalk of tobacco is handed to him by a boy whose duty it is to pass it to him; the stalk is then taken in the left hand and placed against the side of the pole, the butt projecting an inch or two, around which projection the twine is wound from left to right (the twine having previously been fastened to the pole); the next stalk is placed on Fig. 9. Fig. 10. Tobacco-house. Bishop describes the common size of tobacco-house as about 100 feet long by 24 feet wide, posts 17 feet long, and built upon a wall 18 inches high; the buildings are framed with girths from bent to bent, for boarding up and down, the bents being 12 feet apart. The external appearance is illustrated in Fig. 10. “The boards for Fig. 11. White suggests that stables, sheds, and barn floors can be arranged “so as to hang up an acre or two by setting “Having provided all required, even to the strong cotton or hemp twine for tying up the tobacco, have a good man to hand it to you. Commence by tying the end of your twine around the butt of a plant, about 2 inches from the end, in a slip or loose knot; place this plant at one side of the pole near the end, your hand carrying the twine over the pole; on the opposite side of the pole, about 6 inches along, place another plant, and with a single turn of the twine around it from before, “Having housed the whole of your crop, give it all the air you can, by opening doors, shutters, &c. Let them remain open during pleasant weather, remembering to close them in wet, damp weather, as well as nights; and also shading the crop so far as may be from the direct The Cuban tobacco planter, according to Davis, “would force the drying in wet weather and retard it in dry weather, as either extreme is injurious; the wet is injurious, as the leaves, when they change from the natural colour to a pale yellow and light brown, easily mildew; when dry, as before-named, it is taken down. Damp weather is best, so as not to break the leaves, which are immediately stripped from the stalks and sorted into as many grades as the market may require, from one to four and even more grades, as ‘bright yellow, dull, seconds, and ground-leaves.’ But I see no necessity for but three grades, as the over-ripe, the unripe, and the just ripe at Burton, translating from Mitjen, goes more fully into “It is not judicious to allow the tobacco to dry too precipitately, by exposing it to a very strong current of air, because strong wind greatly injures its quality; many leaves break, and that silkiness of appearance is destroyed which good leaves should have, and which it is desirable to preserve. During heavy winds the doors of the drying-house “After the tobacco is thoroughly dry, it should be placed on the highest beams, or pegs, of the framework which support the poles, squeezing them compactly together. This must be done in the morning whilst the leaves are soft, and all this should be done with a view of protecting it from the effects of change in the atmosphere. The house should, after this, be kept closed, until it is time to make the heaps. “The object of heaping up the tobacco is to produce a second fermentation, so as to equalize the colour of the leaf and wear out of it that excess of gluten or resinous matter which is natural to the plant; this fermentation makes the leaves more silky and ductile, and gives them a more agreeable flavour. The place for making the heaps should be prepared beforehand, in one or more of the rooms of the tobacco-house, by making a kind of box lined with yaguas (sheets of palm-tree bark) at the bottom and the sides, the base is a boarding on which should be placed a sufficient quantity of dry plantain leaves, which serve as a bed for the heaps. “Tobacco should not be packed thus when it is too damp, because a very strong fermentation would ensue, which, if kept up longer than necessary, would pass to putrefaction. The tobacco only requires to be soft, or flexible, before packing, so as to produce a certain degree of heat, neither is it convenient to pack tobacco when too dry, for then it would not ferment at all, nor would “We have already said that reaping or cutting tobacco should be performed in three distinct sections, preserving always a distinction, consequently the crown leaves should form one heap, or one set of heaps; the second and third pairs another, or others; the fourths and the fifths others; and lastly, the capaduras (second shoots from the same plants) others. This system, besides having the advantages which we have in another place described, greatly facilitates the sorting of the leaves, as the different qualities are from the first kept apart, and scarcely any other work remains to be done than that of taking out the broken leaves. Tobacco should be kept for at least 30 days in heaps, after which, sorting and choosing the leaves may commence, beginning first with the heaps of the inferior qualities.” Stripping.—Stripping may be performed at any time, provided the leaves, after being once properly dried, have again become pliable. For stripping, such a number of plants as will furnish work for several days are taken down on a morning, when the plants have absorbed some moisture, and have become elastic; they are put in a heap, and properly covered, to check evaporation. If, however, the night air should be so very dry that the leaves cannot absorb sufficient moisture to become pliable, a moist atmosphere can be created either by steam, or by pouring water on the floor, or by keeping vessels with Pursley looks upon stripping as being labour suited to damp weather. He says, “the lugs, shipping, and manufacturing, which are worst, medium, and best qualities, should be separated at stripping. The ‘lugs,’ or worst quality, are found at the bottom of the plant; they are chaffy and light leaves, and should be stripped from the stalk and tied in bundles by themselves with all of the ragged, black, and injured leaves. The second quality, or ‘shipping tobacco,’ is a grade above the lugs; it is the red or brown tobacco; this should also be tied in separate bundles. The best, or ‘manufacturing,’ is the finest and brightest leaves, and should be put in bundles by itself. In stripping, the stems of the leaves should be broken off as close as possible to the stalk; this adds to the weight of the tobacco. In forming a bundle, the butts of the leaves should be placed evenly, and closely together, and pressed tightly in the hand; then a leaf should be folded to form a wrapper 2 inches in width; then wrap it tightly and smoothly around the butts of the leaves, winding it from the end down, about 2½ inches, then open the bundle in the middle, and tuck Libhart expresses his opinions on stripping in the following words. “At the setting in of a warm, drizzling, wet, foggy spell of weather, the shed must be opened on all sides to allow the damp atmosphere to pervade the whole interior; after the dry leaves have become damp enough to allow handling in any degree without breaking, the stalks must be taken off the lath or pulled down and laid in heaps about 18 inches or 2 feet high, and any desired length; if it is not intended to strip it immediately, it should be conveyed to a cellar or other apartment, where it will remain damp; it should not, however, be suffered to remain longer than 2 or 3 days in heaps, without examination, as there is sometimes sufficient moisture remaining in the stalks or frozen leaves to create heat and rot the good tobacco. If found to be heating, it should be changed about and aired and be stripped immediately. If found to be drying out, further evaporation may be checked by covering the heaps with damp straw or corn-fodder. Tobacco is usually stripped into two qualities, ‘ground-leaf,’ or ‘fillers,’ and ‘wrappers’; the leaves that lie next the ground, generally from 2 to 4, are always more or less damaged by sand beaten on by the rain and other causes, hence they only command about half the price of the good tobacco or ‘wrappers.’ The ground-leaves are taken off first and Fig. 12. Hand of Tobacco. Dennis describes stripping as being “performed by holding the plant, top down, with the left hand, while with the right hand the leaves are pulled off, taking care to have the stems all even in the hand, so that the ends are together. When 10–15 leaves have thus been grasped by the right hand, change the handful to the left hand, and with the right, select a leaf and wrap it around the stems at the end, so as to bind them altogether and cover up the ends, then split the other leaves apart with the finger, and pull the end of your wrapping-leaf through, and you have a ‘hand’ of tobacco. A small ‘hand’ of leaves, uniform in size and colour, will be found the most desirable shape to tie it in, resembling Fig. 12. The bottom leaves of the plant, and all torn and defective According to Perry Hull, stripping, or, as he terms it, “picking,” should not take place till about December; “at least not until the fat stems (main stems of the leaves, which are not thoroughly cured at the butt-end) have mostly or all disappeared, which they will have done by that time, if the crop reached maturity before harvesting. The operations of picking and assorting are by many, who make only two classes or qualities of the tobacco, carried on at the same time. By far the preferable way is, especially if there is a very Sorting.—Tobacco intended for smoking should be carefully sorted when stripped. There should be four sorts: 1st, large, equally good coloured, untorn leaves; 2nd, leaves of good size and colour, but torn; 3rd, leaves of inferior colour, and bottom leaves; 4th, refuse, shrivelled-up leaves, &c., to which may be added the suckers No. 1 leaves, when thin, elastic, and of good sorts, are mostly valued as wrappers (outside covers) for cigars, No. 2 may also be used as wrappers, but are less valued To sell well, according to Perry Hull, tobacco “should be assorted into three classes or grades, Wrappers, Seconds, and Fillers. The wrappers will include the soundest, best-coloured leaves, the colour (a dark cinnamon) should be as uniform as possible; this quality should include nothing but what is fit for wrappers. The Seconds, which are used as binders for cigars, &c., will include the small top leaves, of which, if the tobacco was topped too high, there will be one or two to each plant—the bad colours, and those leaves somewhat damaged by worms and bad handling, but not so much so as to be ragged. The third class, or Fillers, will include the balance of the crop, bottom leaves, ragged leaves, &c. The tobacco should be done up into hanks of about ? lb. each, or about what can be encompassed by the thumb The Cuban system of sorting is described at considerable length by Mitjen, whose remarks are interpreted by Burton as follows. The operation consists in “separating one from the other the different leaves, according to their strength and quality, and dividing the produce of the crop into various classes. These are, in practice, styled Libra, 1st quality; Quebrado, 2nd quality, broken; Injuriado de primera; Injuriado de segunda, de tercera, de cuarta, de quinta, de sexta, de setima; Libra de pie, and capadura. “Under this classification it is presumed that attention has been bestowed, not only to the special quality of the leaf, but also to its size, and its state, whether whole or broken; but it is very seldom that exactness is found in this classification, because but very few persons possess the requisite skill which such a complicated mode of sorting requires. Moreover, by the abuse of mixing in one heap all kinds of leaves, frequently brought in from the fields all mixed together, the proper sorting of tobacco becomes a very complicated affair. “This kind of classification and nomenclature is, moreover, absurd, and does not positively represent fixed qualities, under the denomination of which, prices might be arranged which would serve as a guide to the merchant as well as the grower. In a word, the names, with which the different qualities of tobacco are to-day distinguished, signify nothing, and it is ridiculous to be guided in business by them. Until this kind of classification and nomenclature is changed, it is impossible to “We have shown that the practice of making a classification of seven Injuriados must not be taken as absolute. There are better modes of sorting in which a separation of 8, and even 9 Injuriados should be made, and others, and by far the greater proportion, in which only 5 Injuriados should be separated; so that the quality which, in one sorting, would appear under that of fifths—being the lowest of the crop—would be equal to eighths, or ninths, if picked more carefully; and the fifths, in a sorting, whose lowest class may be sevenths, is about equal in quality to that of thirds of other pickings, whose lowest class would be fifths, if both crops had produced equal kinds of tobacco. “There is even more to confirm our opinion. Supposing two crops equal in all respects, and that each planter makes a separation of 7 Injuriados. This would not ensure that the intrinsic value of each respective quality would be equal; for each Veguero has his own particular mode of considering the different classes, and some make a much more careful sorting than others. In the supposed case it may happen, as it frequently does, that the Veguero A will take from his crop—which we will suppose to be one hundred packages—2 of the first, 3 of the second, 5 of the third, 8 of the fourth, 12 of the fifth, 30 of the sixth, and 40 of the seventh; whereas the Veguero B will take from his, 4 of the first, 6 of the second, 10 of the third, 16
“Here it may be seen that the second of A is worth as much as the first of B, the third of A as much as the second of B, and so successively in the other classes; and as it is of importance that names should represent fixed objects, and that each quality should represent a relative value, we think that the sortings and the classifications deserve a reform, which would undoubtedly bring with it advantages to the planter, to the merchant, the manufacturer, and the consumer. “The reform in the sortings should take its origin from a reform in the plantation or field, and principally in the manner of cutting. By observing a methodical and well-calculated system, each one of the operations prepares and facilitates the execution of the succeeding one. In its proper place, we have recommended that the “None will, we think, question the fact that the pairs of leaves on one stalk must be equal in quality to those cut from an adjoining stalk, that is to say, all the crown leaves must be of the same quality, all the second also, and so successively. This admitted, we have the separation of qualities made, almost, in the field, and it only remains to separate the sizes, and the sound leaves from the torn ones, an operation which any person can make; and thus it will be unnecessary to employ those workmen who style themselves sorters, who are supposed to have an exact knowledge of the properties of each leaf. The sortings ought, therefore, to be made by classes, or by bales, each containing the separate qualities beginning with the bale of capaduras and mamones, which may be mixed together in the same bale. Of this quality, however, not more than two classes should be made, which may be called suckers and sprouts; and in the class called sprouts, the sound and larger leaves of good consistency should be placed. The result would be a tripa of good quality, and, after throwing away all those that are really “When these are made, the next bales should be made of tobacco chosen from the inferior class of leaves, of which 3 classes ought to be made, and called sano, quebrado, and desecho de tercera. In the first class of these, which we will call third quality, should be placed all the sound leaves which have any consistency; and this would form a weak capa, equal to that which is now called clear fifths, quinta limpia, and this might be called sano de tercera. The second class should contain the torn or broken leaves of good consistency, but not so much broken or injured as to merit only the name of shavings, as the leaves which are very much torn, or small pieces of leaves, are called. This class would be called quebrado de tercera, and might be used for inferior tripa. The last class of this quality, after throwing away all the useless leaves, would be called desecho. “After this, and in the same order as the preceding, three classes should be made from the sortings for the heaps of bad seconds and thirds, and called sano, quebrado, and tripa of the second class. The first of these should contain all the sound leaves, and should be called sano de segunda, second-class sound. The second should be composed of the damaged leaves, but good for making capa, and should be called second-class broken; and the third, which will be the most broken, should be called second-class tripa. “Finally, the picking, or sorting for the pile of pairs of crown leaves should be made; and of this quality there “Sorting carried on in this order is so simplified that we do not doubt it might be done in one-third the time taken under the present system; and the labour of the resorters would be dispensed with, which most of the vegueros have now to employ and pay, as many of them do not consider themselves sufficiently expert in the matter to classify their own tobacco. This classification and nomenclature represent exact qualities to which a relative value can be fixed, and may serve as a base for mercantile transactions. “The manufacturer will not have to contend with bales of mixed tobacco containing all the different classes which the vega may have produced; and he will find this division very convenient to determine the time when each class may be used without having any loss from finding in them leaves that are not seasoned, whilst others of the same bale, and perhaps of the same manojo, may have become deteriorated from having remained too long in fermentation. The manufacturer will, without any great trouble, be able to make the assortment for strong and weak tripa according to the quality of capa which is going to be used, a most essential point in cigar making, and thus he will be able to make cigars with all perfection. All these advantages will result from adopting the reform in the manner of sorting which we propose. And, in spite of its simplicity, it is much more positive and extensive, as it will be composed of four qualities subdivided into
“It is scarcely necessary to add that, according to the preceding system of sorting, only 3 divisions, cases, or rooms, with yaguas, will be required for depositing the respective qualities which the workmen may be assorting, until sufficient quantity has been collected in each to commence the seasoning or painting, betumeo, enmannillado, or engavillado, manojo, and enterciadura. “In all kinds of sortings, the fragments of broken leaves, too small to use for cigars, should be collected, sponged, and with them packages made of picadura. This should be preserved, and the following year it will be useful for making betun. Wash the tobacco, or rather sponge it, with a solution made from these pieces of good leaves, and not with a solution made from stalks and trash of new tobacco, as some do. The wash (betun) has the same effect on “If the wash is made by infusion, at least two jugs should be used to make it in, and it should be only used on the third or fourth day, renewing it as often as it appears to pass into a state of putrid fermentation, in which state it is of no use, and on which account two deposits are necessary, so that one at least may always be in a fit state to use, whilst the other is acquiring the necessary strength and a transparent golden colour, in which state it is fit for use. “Each tobacco leaf should be dyed separately, and not, as some do, after it has been made up into gavillas—small bundles tied at one end of the leaf. It is very important that all the leaves should equally receive the benefit, and this is impossible when several are tied together. The good system of dyeing is used by all practical vegueros; to save labour some do it otherwise, to the great injury of the aroma and quality, and no small risk of the tobacco becoming spotted, and full of holes; for tobacco invariably “In passing the sponge over the leaf, it should be drawn from the head or thick part near the stalk, down the large vein to the point, so that the thick vein down the centre of the leaf may receive the heaviest part of the infusion, from which the dye pushes along the transversal veins, and all parts derive benefit from it. “After dyeing the first layer on the bench, another one is placed above this, keeping always the leaves in the same direction; and this operation is repeated, and each layer is sponged, until the pile from which they are taken is exhausted. As this new pile of dyed leaves gradually increases in height, it should be gently pressed down with the hand, and, when finished, should be covered over with green plantain leaves. This operation should be done in the morning, and by nightfall the tobacco will have acquired the necessary softness, and soaked up the infusion, so that the leaves, although very flexible, will have no signs of excess in moisture. If they have, they should be spread to dry somewhat, because, when the bundles of leaves are being tied up, they should not be excessively wet, as the result would probably be so strong a fermentation “When the tobacco is in a good state of softness, the next operation is the ‘cabeceo.’ This operation consists in uniting the leaves by the heads—putting them perfectly even, and joining together a uniform number of each class. The leaves should be collected in the palm of the left hand, drawing gently the right hand over all the length of each leaf from the head to the point, and tying them at the heads with a piece of yagua or vine, or, as most people do, by binding one of the leaves round the head of the bundle. This operation is generally made in the evening, and the following morning they should be placed in the bales, as it injures the tobacco to allow it to dry in manojos before putting it into bales, for, if too dry, fermentation is retarded, or is incomplete in the bales. “We have described the manner of washing or dyeing, in making the gavillas, and tying them in bundles as the most practical vegueros do. In this part we should not, we think, advise any innovation, except that of using old seasoned tobacco instead of fresh for making the infusion, and substituting a decoction made by boiling, instead of an infusion in cold water. But we strongly advise a reform in the sorting and the classification; and a fixed number of each class of leaves should be put in each gavilla, as a basis from which to start all calculations for mercantile transactions. We believe, therefore, it would be convenient to fix, after the following order,
but making the heads (gavillas) of a regular uniform size; and the manojos and bales of about the same size as those of ‘sound’ and ‘broken’ of the third quality, the latter weighing 100–125 lb. “By following strictly this method, and by establishing these quantities and qualities, as a basis for all contracts, any defects found might easily be obviated; and very exact calculations might be made of the number of cigars each bale would yield, after having examined its special condition; and its real value might be estimated either by bales or bundles, or by weight.” Bulking.—Bulking means placing the tobacco-leaves in heaps for the purpose of heating, in order to develop colour and flavour; this is carried out in various ways, nearly all involving great labour and risk, as in most instances tobacco loses more or less in value during the process called “curing.” The more care is taken in raising the crop, the less attention the tobacco requires in the After being made into hands, the tobacco is put into heaps (bulked) before it again dries. Every evening, the tobacco that has been stripped during the day is bulked; but if the weather be very dry, it must be bulked as soon as a certain number of hands is ready. The heaps should be made 4–8 feet square and 4–8 feet high; all the stalks are outside, and the whole is covered by mats, &c., to check evaporation. The drier the tobacco, the larger must the heaps be made, to encourage a slight fermentation. The extent of the fermentation can be easily controlled. If the colour of the leaves is not uniform, or if it is desired to give them a browner colour, the heaps must be made large, and a somewhat moist atmosphere is required in the storing-room. This will cause fermentation to set in after a short time, and the heat to rise after some days, so much so that rebulking is required, which is done by putting the top leaves of the old heap at the bottom of the new one. Under such circumstances, the heap must be frequently examined during the few first weeks, to prevent overheating. It is advisable to rebulk the tobacco also, even when not much heated, after the first fourteen days, and again a month later, to ascertain the exact state in which it is. Sometimes the tobacco becomes mouldy; this After assorting, Perry Hull advises that the tobacco “be corded up awhile, in a dry place, that the butts may be thoroughly cured before packing in the cases. The pile is made with the butts out, and tips interlapping in the middle, at every other course, at the ends turning the butts toward the end. Get upon the pile upon the knees, take hold of the butt of a hank with one hand, drawing the leaves at the tip together with the other, and placing it upon the pile in that position, immediately putting the knee upon it. After the pile is finished, it should be covered over with boards, to keep it from drying up, and a few days before packing into the cases, should be well weighted down, which will save a great deal of pressing at that time. Such a pile should be made only about 2½–3 feet high, and then closely watched to prevent a premature sweat, which often, if the weather be mild, will take place in such a pile, which will not be sufficient to render the tobacco fit for working, but which, if not intercepted at the commencement, will be sufficient to prevent a proper sweat afterwards. Check, Bowie gives a caution that the tobacco “should not be too moist or ‘high,’ as it is termed, when put in stalk bulk, or it will get warm, the leaves stick to the stalk, get a bad smell, and change colour; besides, if left too long, it will rot. To bulk tobacco requires judgment and neatness. Two logs should be laid parallel to each other, about 30 inches apart, and the space between them filled with sticks for the purpose of keeping the tobacco from the dampness of the ground. The bundles are then taken one at a time, spread out and smoothed down, which is most conveniently done by putting it against the breast and stroking the leaves downward smooth and straight with the right hand. It is then passed, two bundles at a time, to the man bulking. He takes them and lays them down and presses them with his hands; they are laid, two at a time, in a straight line—the broad part of the bundles slightly projecting over the next two—and two rows of bundles are put in a bulk, both rows carried on together, the heads being on the outside, and the tails just lapping one over the other in regular succession. The bulk, when carried up to a convenient height, should have a few sticks laid across to keep it in place. It must often be examined, and if getting warm it ought to be immediately changed and laid down in another bulk of less height, and not pressed as it is laid down; this is called ‘wind-rowing’; being loose and open, it admits the air between the rows of bundles, hence the term. The next process in this troublesome, but Packing.—Tobacco in America is commonly packed in barrels, the layers being at right angles to each other alternately, and the butt-ends being always towards the outside. The usual size is about 4 feet 6 inches deep, 3 feet 6 inches in diameter at one end, and 3 feet 4 inches at the other, to enable the contents to be uncovered for In Bishop’s opinion the best size for boxes is the following:—“3 feet 6 inches long, 2 feet 4 inches wide, 2 feet 6 inches in depth, manufactured from planed pine boards, 1 inch in thickness, with standards 2 inches square, inside at each corner to nail to. Having thus your boxes prepared, and the tobacco in good condition, the first soft, mild day that comes proceed to packing; the bundles or ‘hands’ of tobacco must be taken from the bulk and laid in courses in the box, laying the butts of the ‘hands’ to the outside of the box, allowing the ends to lap over each other, and endeavouring to keep the centre of the box a little higher than the edges—these courses to be packed as solid as possible by the hand. If any of the bundles are ‘soft’ or have an ill smell, they must be exposed to the fire or sun until sweet and dry before being packed. When the box is nearly full, a false cover (just large enough to slip inside the box) must be placed on the tobacco, and pressed as heavily as possible with the lever or screw power; remove the pressure and re-fill, pressure finally being applied to the real cover, which may then be tacked down. A box of the size I have mentioned, when filled, should contain about 400 lb. of tobacco, and thus packed, will keep for years.” Another planter considers that parcels of “less than 1500 lb. may be carried to market almost in any way; but more than that should be ‘prized’ in hogsheads. Several farmers might combine their crops for prizing. According to Pursley, a hogshead “4 feet in length, and 3 feet in diameter, is the medium size; 1000 lb. is considered a full hogshead; but one of the above dimensions can hold 1500 lb. by hard pressing; but this blackens the tobacco, and injures the sale of it. Packing in the hogshead is done by first laying a course or layer of bundles straight across the bottom, keeping the butts even and close together; then fill up on each side of the centre course, placing the butts against the staves; then the butts of the hands that lie against the hogshead should be covered up with 2 or 3 others, pressed closely down. The next centre course should be laid across the first, and done in the same manner as before, and so on, crossing each course in succession, until the hogshead is two-thirds full; when the press should be applied till the tobacco is pressed down to within 1½ foot of the bottom of the hogshead. The press should remain on an hour or Perry Hull would have packing-cases “made of cheap pine lumber, 3 feet 8 inches long by 2 feet 6 inches wide and high, outside measurement; they should be made tight and strong; there should be corner-pieces nailed in 1½ inch square, nailing to them well from both ways. The tobacco is packed in, with the butts towards each end; taking hold of the butt with one hand, the tip with the other, and giving the hank a slight twist, lay it in the case in that position. A lever or screw can be used to do the pressing, whichever is the most convenient. From 360 lb. to 380 is the proper weight for packing; though if the tobacco is very dry, 400 lb. will probably not sweat too hard; and if quite wet (which it never should be), 350 may. “After being packed, the tobacco should never be kept in a damp cellar; a good tight barn or other outbuilding, where the cases can stand on a floor, is the best place. The crop usually passes from the hands of growers, into those of speculators and dealers, before the sweating season. The first symptoms of sweating appear about as soon as settled warm weather comes, usually the fore part of May; it then commences to grow warm, and ‘wet’ to appearance, which increases for about 3 weeks, when it reaches its culminating point and commences to cool off. Judson Popenoe thinks boxes “should be made 30 inches square by 42 inches in length outside; saw the end-boards 28 inches long, nail them to two 1¼-inch square slats so that the head will be 28 inches square; when two heads are made, nail the sides of the box to the heads so as to come even with the outside of the head, the sides being 28 inches wide; then nail the bottom on firmly; the top can be nailed slightly until after the tobacco is packed, when it can be nailed firm. Set your box by the side of the bulk, and let one hand get in the box and Mitjen is of opinion that, “except in cases where the extraordinary size of the leaves will not permit it, all the bales should be made up of 80 ‘manojos’; but in the former case 60 of the first classes of the first quality will be sufficient. The fixed number of 80 manojos is convenient for making calculations. We have already said that the day following that on which the manojos were tied up, they should be packed in bales, so as not to allow “We do not think it is necessary to further explain the manner of placing the yaguas, in order to make the bales, but it is expedient to state that 8 layers of manojos should not be put in one bale, because it makes a bad shape, and the tierces or bales appear much smaller than they really are. The bales should be made of 2 layers, having the heads of the manojos placed towards the outside. When the first layer of one of the heads of the bale is placed, the heads of the other layer should be so arranged that they will be about half-way over the points of the others; and if the tobacco is very small, to each row of manojos may be laid crossways, two manojos with their heads touching the yaguas, so that the tobacco placed in the bale may form a compact even mass, impervious to the air. The same should be done in the other rows, care being taken that the bale is made somewhat thicker in the middle, and never have a hollow there,—a sure sign of loose packing,—and into which the air finds its way, preventing fermentation, proper curing, as well as aroma—the tobacco becoming dry too soon. After the bales are tied up, they should be placed in the sun or wind until the humidity of the yagua is dry. They should then be placed on boards in the storehouse, putting them two and two, one on the other; and after eight days they should be moved, placing Fig. 13. For pressing tobacco into the hogshead, Hudson suggests that “a hole be mortised in a tree, in which the end of the lever can be inserted, passing over the hogshead, and working by a tree or post, in which should be pins at intervals of 8–10 inches, by which a small lever may be used to force the first lever down on the tobacco; 50–100 lb. may be placed in the hogshead and firmly pressed a few hours, and as much added again, and so on. Fig. 13 will serve to represent the manner in which the hands (or ties) may be placed in the hogshead—filling the middle first, then the outer edges—placing the tops toward the centre, and observing to keep the centre and edges full.” Improving.—It is sometimes the custom to subject the Although it may be said that fine tobaccos generally do not require any impregnation with foreign matter for the sake of flavour, yet the manufacturer frequently endeavours to give the leaf a particular aroma. An inferior tobacco, however, which often would not find a market, is sometimes so much improved by artificial means, as to compete successfully with the genuine fine article. It is said that in Germany indigenous tobacco is often so much “improved” that the cigars made from it, after being covered with a fine tobacco leaf, are sold as genuine Havanas. A special preparation of tobacco for snuff is seldom attempted by the cultivator. With reference to the preparation of tobacco for export, the sorting of the leaf is of the utmost importance; only first and second sorts should be exported. It would be well to remove the midribs, whereby the cost of transport and customs duty would be greatly reduced. The value of a cigar depends, not only on the intrinsic value of the leaf, but to a great extent on the mode of manufacture. Thus, the raw material may be of good quality, but if the maker does not classify the leaves properly, or if he rolls his cigars too hard, which must vary according to the qualities of the leaves, the cigar |