| Sowing | | | | in handfuls, and pass these to the |
| Tobacco seeds are scattered onto the | | | | "stringer", who loops twine around the |
| surface of the soil, as their | | | | handfuls of tobacco and hangs them on a |
| germination is activated by light. In | | | | long wooden square pole. Traditionally, |
| colonial Virginia, seedbeds were | | | | the croppers, down in the dark and wet, |
| fertilized with wood ash or animal | | | | with their faces getting slapped by the |
| manure (frequently powdered horse | | | | huge tobacco leaves, were men, and the |
| manure). Seedbeds were then covered with | | | | stringers seated on the higher elevated |
| branches to protect the young plants | | | | seats were women. The harvester has |
| from frost damage. These plants were | | | | places for 4 teams of workers: 8 people |
| left to grow until around April. | | | | cropping and stringing, plus a packer |
| In the nineteenth century, young plants | | | | who takes the heavy strung poles of wet |
| came under increasing attack from the | | | | green tobacco from the stringers and |
| flea beetle (Epitrix cucumeris or | | | | packs them onto the pallet section of |
| Epitrix pubescens), causing destruction | | | | the harvester, plus a driver, making the |
| of half the United States tobacco crop | | | | total crew of each harvester 10 people. |
| in 1876. In the years afterward, many | | | | Interestingly, the outer seats are |
| experiments were attempted and discussed | | | | suspended from the harvester - slung out |
| to control the flea beetle. By 1880 it | | | | over to fit into the aisles of tobacco. |
| was discovered that replacing the | | | | As these seats are suspended it is |
| branches with a frame covered by thin | | | | important to balance the weight of the 2 |
| fabric would effectively protect plants | | | | outside teams (similar to a playground |
| from the beetle. This practice spread | | | | see-saw). Having too heavy or light a |
| until it became ubiquitous in the 1890s. | | | | person in an unbalanced combination |
| Today, in the United States, unlike | | | | often results in the harvester tipping |
| other countries, tobacco is often | | | | over especially when turning around at |
| fertilized with the mineral apatite in | | | | the end of a lane. Water tanks are a |
| order to partially starve the plant for | | | | common feature on the harvester due to |
| nitrogen, which changes the taste. This | | | | heat, and danger of dehydration for the |
| (together with the use of licorice and | | | | workers. Salt tablets sometimes get used |
| other additives) accounts for the | | | | as well. |
| different flavor of American cigarettes | | | | Pests |
| from those available in other countries. | | | | Pests of tobacco include the moths |
| There is, however, some suggestion that | | | | Endoclita excrescens, Manduca sexta (the |
| this may have adverse health effects | | | | Tobacco hornworm), and Manduca |
| attributable to the polonium content of | | | | quinquemaculata. Other Lepidoptera whose |
| apatite. | | | | larvae use tobacco as a food plant |
| Transplanting | | | | include Angle Shades, Cabbage Moth, |
| After the plants have reached a certain | | | | Mouse Moth, Nutmeg Moth, Setaceous |
| height, they are transplanted into | | | | Hebrew Character and Turnip Moth. The |
| fields. This was originally done by | | | | dry tobacco leaves and cigarettes are |
| making a relatively large hole in the | | | | sometimes used as food for the Cigarette |
| tilled earth with a tobacco peg, then | | | | Beetle (Lasioderma serricorne). |
| placing the small plant in the hole. | | | | Cut plants or pulled leaves are |
| Various mechanical tobacco planters were | | | | immediately transferred to tobacco barns |
| invented throughout the late 19th and | | | | (kiln houses), where they will be cured. |
| early 20th century to automate this | | | | Curing methods varies with the type of |
| process, making a hole, fertilizing it, | | | | tobacco grown, and tobacco barn design |
| and guiding a plant into the hole with | | | | varies accordingly. Air-cured tobacco is |
| one motion. | | | | hung in well-ventilated barns and |
| Topping and suckering | | | | allowed to dry over a period of weeks. |
| Once the tobacco plants are growing | | | | Fire-cured tobacco is hung in large |
| well, they will begin to produce shoots | | | | barns where smoldering fires of |
| from the joint of each leaf with the | | | | hardwoods are kept burning. Flue-cured |
| stalk. These secondary shoots — known | | | | tobacco was originally strung onto |
| as "suckers" — are undesirable as they | | | | tobacco sticks, which were hung from |
| divert energy that could be directed | | | | tier-poles in curing barns (Aus: kilns, |
| into the leaves. They are removed in a | | | | also traditionally called Oasts). These |
| process known as "suckering" (sometimes | | | | barns have flues which run from |
| spelled "succoring" in older writing). | | | | externally-fed fire boxes, heat-curing |
| Generally this is done by hand several | | | | the tobacco without exposing it to |
| times during the season. Recently | | | | smoke. Traditional curing barns in the |
| anti-suckering compounds have come into | | | | U.S. are falling into disuse, as the |
| use. | | | | trend toward more efficient |
| At a certain stage of maturity, the | | | | prefabricated metal "bulk bars", allows |
| plant will produce a flower cluster from | | | | greater efficiency. Curing and |
| its tip, as well as the tips of any | | | | subsequent aging allows for the slow |
| suckers that remain on the plant. In | | | | oxidation and degradation of carotenoids |
| order to divert more energy into the | | | | in tobacco leaf. This produces certain |
| leaves, the plant is "topped" — the | | | | compounds in the tobacco leaves very |
| top is cut off. | | | | similar and give a sweet hay, tea, rose |
| Tobacco is harvested in one of two ways. | | | | oil, or fruity aromatic flavor that |
| In the oldest method, the entire plant | | | | contribute to the "smoothness" of the |
| is harvested at once by cutting off the | | | | smoke. Starch is converted to sugar |
| stalk at the ground with a curved knife. | | | | which glycates protein and is oxidized |
| In the nineteenth century, bright | | | | into advanced glycation endproducts |
| tobacco began to be harvested by pulling | | | | (AGEs), a caramelization process that |
| individual leaves off the stalk as they | | | | also adds flavor. Inhalation of these |
| ripened. The leaves ripen from the | | | | AGEs in tobacco smoke contributes to |
| ground upwards, so a field of tobacco | | | | atherosclerosis and cancer. |
| may go through several "pullings" before | | | | Unaged or low quality tobacco is often |
| the tobacco is entirely harvested, and | | | | flavoured with these naturally occurring |
| the stalks may be turned into the soil. | | | | compounds. Tobacco flavoring is a |
| "Cropping" or "pulling" are terms for | | | | significant part of a multi-million |
| pulling leaves off tobacco. Leaves are | | | | dollar industry. |
| cropped as they ripen, from the bottom | | | | The aging process continues for a period |
| of the stalk up. The first crop at the | | | | of months and often extends into the |
| very bottom of the stalks are called | | | | post-curing process. |
| "sand lugs", as they are often against | | | | Post-cure processing |
| the ground and are coated with dirt | | | | After tobacco is cured, it is moved from |
| splashed up when it rains. Sand lugs | | | | the curing barn into a storage area for |
| weigh the most, and are most difficult | | | | processing. If whole plants were cut, |
| to work with. Originally workers cropped | | | | the leaves are removed from the tobacco |
| the tobacco and placed it on mule-pulled | | | | stalks in a process called stripping. |
| sleds. Eventually tractors with wagons | | | | For both cut and pulled tobacco, the |
| were used to transport leaves to the | | | | leaves are then sorted into different |
| stringer, an apparatus which uses twine | | | | grades. In colonial times, the tobacco |
| to sew leaves onto a stick . | | | | was then "prized" into hogsheads for |
| Some farmers use "tobacco harvesters" - | | | | transportation. In bright tobacco |
| basically a trailer pulled behind a | | | | regions, prizing was replaced by |
| tractor. The harvester is a wheeled sled | | | | stacking wrapped "hands" into loose |
| or trailer that has seats for the | | | | piles to be sold at auction. Today, most |
| croppers to sit on and seats just in | | | | cured tobacco is baled before sales |
| front of these for the "stringers" to | | | | under contract. |
| sit on. The croppers pull the leaves off | | | | |