60 FLUE-CURED TOBACCO IN FLORIDA

 The desired environment within the curing barn should be
maintained by regulating the temperatures and ventilation. In
order to insure adequate ventilation it is suggested that three
square feet of top and bottom ventilation openings be pro-
vided for every 100 sticks of tobacco.
 Better cures are generally obtained by going slowly at the
correct temperature rather than going too fast. Good ventila-
tion is essential for removal of leaf moisture and without
adequate removal, dark and sponged tobacco will result.
 Good curing will not substitute for poorly produced tobacco;
however good tobacco can be poorly cured.
 Figure 33 shows cured leaf hanging in the barn.

 STORAGE OF TOBACCO
 A cool dry storage is very desirable for bulking down the
cured leaf. The percentage of moisture in the leaf is called
"in case", or "in order." These terms describe the moisture
condition of the cured leaf before and after it is removed from
the barn. If the case is too high the doors and vents of the
barn should be closed and the tobacco should be left hanging
in the barn until a suitable case for storage is obtained. This
particularly applies to good quality tobacco. It is often said
"only good quality tobacco gets in to high order". Many times
growers are forced to implement atmospheric conditions to
speed up getting the tobacco "in order". This is generally
accomplished by watering the ground of the barn. When this
practice is used the bottom two or three tier poles will often
get in too high case. When this kind of tobacco is stacked
particularly in a hot dry storage the tobacco may begin fer-
menting. Unless such tobacco is restacked, severe loss in quality
and dollar value will be experienced from the damaged tobacco.
It is best that all tobacco be left on the sticks until it is
prepared for market.
 To say that restacking tobacco helps it would probably
provoke an argument; however, a periodic examination of
the cured tobacco is certainly recommended regardless of the
storage facilities. This examination generally requires the re-
stacking of the tobacco, because it is very difficult to find
wet stem damage in a large bulk of tobacco and some tobacco's
such as priming and lugs are more hydroscopic in nature and