56 FLUE-CURED TOBACCO IN FLORIDA












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Fig. 32: A frame barn showing good ventilation. Note the top and
bottom ventilators and the manner in which ventilation can be controlled

leaves grouped into a small bunch. The hands of tobacco are
looped on alternate sides of the stick. Thirty to forty hands
of tobacco are generally strung on a stick after which the
string is tied to the stick and the tobacco is then ready to be
placed in the barn.

 In harvesting tobacco with a harvester the cropper places
the tobacco leaves into the fingers on the conveyor chain and
the stringer removes the tobacco from the conveyor, thus
eliminating the hander. The tobacco is strung in the same
manner. Tobacco harvesters are now being used more, both
on the farm and in custom operations.

 After the tobacco has been primed and strung, it is then
ready for the curing barn.

 Most tobacco barns are square 16' x 16' x 16' or 20' x 20' x
20'. However there are rectangular units such as 16' x 20'.
The inside of the barn will have from 4 to 5 rooms or pens
and each room will have from 6 to 9 tier poles and they are
generally spaced from 22 to 24 inches. Adequate spacing is
essential for good ventilation. (See figure 32).