“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 water in the shed. If this cannot be done, the tobacco must remain hanging until there is damp weather. Under no condition should the tobacco be stripped when not pliant, that is if the leaves are so brittle that they would break when bent or rolled. The best arrangement is to keep the drying-shed and stripping-room separate, since the latter requires to be more moist than the former. A cellar under the drying-shed is best suited for stripping. It should be large enough to admit of the erection of a scaffold to receive the tobacco.