February 11, 2010

MORE  ON TOBACCO PRODUCTION

By mid to late October the tobacco had cured enough for the marketing preparation to proceed.  The timing for going forward depended on how much moisture there was in the atmosphere. The sticks of tobacco were taken down, and the stalks of tobacco were removed and carefully placed in a pile.This is called 'bulking' Care had to be taken not to handle the tobacco when the leaves were dry. It had to be damp, but not wet!

Now we were ready to strip and 'grade' the tobacco leaves from the stalk. Beginning at the bottom of the stalk were leaves that had been somewhat torn or crushed.  This was called 'trash' ; then there were the fine light colored silky leaves called 'lugs'.  Then grades called  'bright',  'red', and 'tips' were put in piles.   Each grade was placed in a separate place. It was still very important to have enough moisture in the air to keep the leaves soft and pliable.  A worker was assigned to a grade to be 'tied into hands'.  We picked up the leaves one by one, placing them in the left hand between the thumb and forefinger, keeping the stems even and holding tightly.  Then a single leaf was folded length ways and wrapped very tightly around the stems with the end tucked under. This hand was ready to be placed back on the tobacco stick.  When it was full, it would be put in the bulk and covered to keep it from drying out. If it got too dry, the tobacco could shatter and be difficult to handle.  This could cause it to lose weight.  Since Tobacco was sold by weight,  that was one reason to preserve the moisture.

We understood that Lugs was used to make the finest lightest cigarettes.  Red which was very strong and heavy was used for chewing tobacco. Smoking became very popular during the WWII years. I remember names of cigarettes like Lucky Strike, Camel, and Chesterfield etc. Cigarettes were even a regular part of a GI's supplies even on the battlefield.  Gene always gave his away or traded them. Some of the army locations were even named for cigarettes

If the weather cooperated and all else went well, the farmer hoped to have his tobacco crop taken to the market by early December and by all means before Christmas. Hopefully the tobacco would bring top price at the auction and there would be enough profit to pay off the crop loan, the grocery store, buy the fertilizer and seed etc. for next year's crop, and have enough for the family's living expenses.

By now it would almost  be January of the next year and  time to get the tobacco seed beds ready for  the next Tobacco crop.

I remember when I was very small, Daddy was holding me on his lap and telling me "When the tobacco sells and if it brings a good price, I will buy you a little pony with a red saddle and bridle.  How exciting to dream of that pony.  Well, one year he did get a really good price for the crop and he brought a beautiful little black and white pony home!  But I had grown into a big girl by then and my legs were too long to ride the pony.  His name was Rollo, a handsome little stallion. When Frances got on him, she was scared.  Joyce was more successful. I think they were about seven and nine years old when Rollo came to the Mt. Victory farm.  Joyce became a pony girl riding Rollo bareback with no bridle, across the pasture fields with her brown hair flying behind. A little pressure of her knee on his side or a hand on his neck told him where to go.  Their  graceful movement seemed one as Rollo anticipated their direction