h
earthen floor, is the trench for "firing," while around the sides of
the building runs an elevated platform for placing the tobacco leaves
in bulk; and, commencing at a safe distance from the trench, up to the
top of the building, reach beams stretching across for the reception
of the pine laths, from which are suspended the tobacco plants. Many
of the tobacco sheds at the South, are built like those of New
England, but many log structures are still to be seen and many
planters prefer them to those made like other frame buildings. The old
Virginia planters of a hundred years ago, built rough log sheds for
housing the plants, which afforded little protection from wind and
rain, which, in consequence, injured much of the tobacco hanging
around the sides of the building. Tatham gives the following
description of the "Tobacco house and its variety" in his work on
tobacco.

[Illustration: Modern Virginia shed.]

"The barn which is appropriated to the use of receiving and
curing this crop, is not, in the manner of other barns,
connected with the farm yard, so that the whole occupation
may be rendered snug and compact, and occasion little waste
of time by inconsiderate and useless locomotion; but it is
constructed to suit the particular occasion in point of
size, and is generally erected in, or by the side of, each
respective piece of tobacco ground; or sometimes in the
woods, upon some hill or particular site which may be
convenient to more than one field of tobacco. The sizes
which are most generally built where this kind of culture
prevails, are what are called forty-feet, and sixty-feet
tobacco houses; that is, of these lengths respectively, and
of a proportionate width; and the plate of the wall, or part
which supports the eaves of the roof, is generally elevated
from the groundsel about the pitch of twelve feet. About
twelve feet pitch is indeed a good height for the larger
crops; because this will allow four pitch each to three
successive tiers of tobacco, besides those which are hung in
the roof; and this distance admits a free circulation of
air, and is a good space apart for the process of curing the
plant. There are various methods in use in respect to the
construction of tobacco houses, and various materials of
which they are constructed; but such are generally found
upon the premises