ALKON NEWS BULK CURING EDITION Alkon: Pioneering manufacturer of tobacco bulk curing equipment; Continued leadership through proven engineering improvements. _ January, February, March, 1961 No. 1 Vol.I ALKON INDUSTRIES MANUFACTURES HASSLER SYSTEMS Alkon Industries, Inc., is en gaged in the manufarture and sale of all types of steel build ings, ineluding the "Ilassler" cur ing systems for the hulk curingof Flue-eured tobacco. With more experimental tests, the curing systems may Tie adapted to cure other crops such as: peanuts, sweet potatoes, peppers, and perhaps grain. However, the Ilassler system is manufactured for the primary purpose of cur ing Flue-eured tobacco. For the time being, any other uses of the system w ill be at the risk of the user. Alkon Industries, Inc., is proud of its pioneering develop ment work carried on with North Carolina State College over tin past several years, in develop ing a fire-resistant building for the “Ilassler” system. Air-Handling Unit By American Air Filter Company, Inc. Tlu' dependability of the Hassler curing system for suc cessfully curing tobacco is the air-handling unit designed and built according to Alkon’s speci fications by the Herman Nelson Division of American Air Filter Company, one of the world’s largest manufacturers of air moving and beating equipment. Several engineers have devoted full time to perfecting the sys tem. Every part of the Hassler system has been made for a reason and engineered to do a specific job. That is why Alkon industries can state that the Hassler curing system will cure Flue-cured tobacco with un iformity and good quality when properly operated. YOUNG FARMERS LIKE MECHANICAL FARMING BETTER Look about you and see the age of the person who operates the curing process on your farm. How many young farmers un der the age of 30 years can you name? Aren’t most of the men over 50 years of age? The I lass ler curing system is another step toward mechanizing the farming operation. Young farm ers are interested in mechanics, and an easier way of doing things. The day of ample, lab orous hand labor is passing from the American farm. This system will help keep smart farm bovs on the farm. Official Specifications Name:. Hassler curing system Purpose: Prosifies a system (patent pending) for hulk curing Flue-cured tobacco. Method: Hot air from oil fired air handling unit is supplied to curing chambers within the system through floor ducts; is distributed evenly and forced up through tightly racked leases. Temperatures, humidity, and air movement, are rn hanically or au tomatically controlled. Size: Curing chamber approximately 18' \ 12’ \ 8V; overall outside size approximately 19’ x 24’ x Hty.. Amount: Handles corresponding amount of conventional 20' x 20’ barn. Cures: Tests show average of 3 cures every 15 days. Life: Concrete and steel—many years. Upkeep: Only known upkeep would be for periodic cleaning and possible adjustment of burner in oil firetl air handling unit. Racks: 84 to each system. ) THE SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME ...WITH PROVEN PERFORMANCE (Hear view ot s\ slcm) The Hassler Curing System has been proven successful by farm tests. Flue-cured Tobacco Valuable, Perishable Tin* Hassler curing system lias been developed to properlv handle and cure Fine-cured to baeco. It is too valuable a cash crop to damage or lose. Thous ands upon thousands of dollars lunc gone into the development of this system. It works. The Company extends a word of caution about farmers trying to improvise, or make any changes. The system w ill be installed by trained erecting crews and ready to receive the tobacco. Every thing about the system has been carefully engineered for a rea son . . . the size of the air duct with the location of its openings, the amount of air moved through the tobacco, the size of the mo tor. the location of the partitions in the system, the size of the re turn air duct, the controls on the air-handling unit . . . all have a definite purpose and function. Until such time as any change from this system has been prov en, it is suggested that no “home-made” improvements be made. If the system is tam pered with in any way, it is done at the user’s risk. If competition comes on the scene, two things should be borne in mind. ( 1 ) The manu facturer of Hassler system has a patent pending. (2) The dis tinguished John Huskin made this statement: “There’s hardly anything in the world that someone can not make a little worse and sell a little cheaper— and the people who consider price alone are this man’s law ful prey.” LADIES WILL APPRECIATE ADVANTAGES Customs, at harvest time, vary in different areas. In those areas where the farm wife pre pares the noon-dav meal for all workers, it sometimes means feeding 25 to 30 people a day. This not only is a lot of work hut also just about eleans out the home freezer. (When full the freezer has around $400 worth of food in it.) Compare this with the number of workers re quired when the Hassler euring system is used . . . two workers at the system, or at most four, or il the tobacco is placed in the racks in the field, then no work ers are required at the system. Another important feature of the Hassler euring system is the important period between yel lowing and color-setting. With this system, the man responsible for what happens in the system can relax and let the tobacco ful ly yellow (an extra half-day or full day) before setting the col or. Yes, sir, the man will not have any reason to be so nervous and anxious. He should be a lot easier to get along with. Systems Available For 1961 Crop; Charter Certificate There will lx* approximately 250 to 300 systems avail able ior the 1961 crop. It is hoped that one or two farmers in each eonntv throughout the Flue-cured Belt will buy one or more systems. This w ill give the Company an opportunity to com pletely service each system and make sure that everything works satisfactorily, arid will prove conclusively that the Hassler curing system is the building of tomorrow . . . today. Every farmer who buys a Hassler cur ing system this year will be rec ognized as a Charter Member in the movement to modernize the handling of Flue-cured tobacco at curing time. He will re-, ceive a Certificate showing his leadership in the pioneering stages, and can display it to his friends, neighbors, children and grand children. Major Break-through In Mechanically Curing Flue-cured Tobacco Ten years ago, Dr. Francis J. Hassler, head of the agricultural engineering department, North Carolina State College, Raleigh, N. C., became interested in the farmer’s problems of curing tobacco. In the near future hundreds of Flue-cured tobacco farmers will be curing tobacco an entirely new way in a new-type system that will bear his name. Dr. Hassler has helped bring about what is possibly the most important technological advance in Flue-cured tobacco production in 100 years. HASSLER SYSTEM PRICED AT $4,485 F.O.B. RALEIGH, N.C. Across tlu> Flue-cured belt from Virginia to Florida, the one and only objection to the new Hassler curing system that has made itself known is the price of the system. So . . . lets talk about price. This system is made of concrete and steel, fire-resistant and will last many years. Some farmers sav they can build one cheaper. They are thinking of building it with wood. Alkon experimented with wood, and found that un der the extreme conditions of moisture, temperature and air How, which must operate under a static head, the building would not stand up for a satis faetorv length of time. The building, racks, parti tions, and air-handling equip ment weigh around 9.(X)0 pounds. It is the “insides” that make up the major costs. The price of $4,485 includes complete erection on the farm ready for receiving tobacco plus freight from Raleigh, N. C., and applicable state sales and use tax. (Dealers have details on tax and freight rates.) All the farmer has to provide is level ground and have electric service serv ice panel extended to the lo cation of the system. The price of the system is no more than a large tractor, and about half the cost of self-pro pelled cotton picker. The basic problem is that prices for what the farmer sells are too low. The Hassler system lends itself to lowering production costs, and enabling the farmer to keep a few more dollars for himself. I hr hist hulk curing test oc curred at Oxford, N. C., in 1955. This was expanded into a pilot operation in 195S and 1959, and the first farm test was conducted in I960. It was farm tested by the Stone Brothers of Robeson County, N. C. Farmer interest in the' new development was ex tremely high . . . the' farm hav ing been visited by upward of 5,000 persons. Chief feature of the new sys tem is that it eliminates the need for stringing tobacco on sticks, three or four leaves at a time. The tobacco is handled initiallv by the armful and later in racks h o 1 cl i n g approximately 130 pounds of uncured leaves. Two men can stand on the ground and load and unload the two tiers of racks. The1 llassler curing system is equipped with an air-handling unit burning fuel oil, fan, air ducts, and thermostat. The size of the curing chamber is approximately 18 feet by IS)a feet and HU feet high. The ov er all outside dimension is approxi mately 19 by 24 feet. Hot air brought in through floor ducts is forced up through the tightlv packed leaves. Controlled tem perature', humidity, and air movement produces a uniform cure. It is a highly controlled operation, almost automatic, with human judgment mini mized. (An operators manual provided with each system gives complete details.) Alkon Establishes Raleigh Office Sales headquarters for the Hassler curing system is 410 Oberlin Road, Raleigh, N. C., !’• O. Box 10712. Phone number 828-7111. Visitors welcome at all times. COMPARATIVE COSTS Bulk Curing versus Conventional Curing 1800 lbs. cured CONVENTIONAL $16.20 Stringing or Hacking 108.6 hrs. IS hrs. hrs. BULK @ $ .90 none 3.1 hrs. (a) .90 2.79 4.1 hrs. @ .90 3.69 none 25.2 hrs. (Labor) $22318 No. 2 fuel oil, 150 gals. @ 1 3<; 19.50 Loading Watching Unloading Unstringing Totals Fuel 1S00 lbs. @ 63c $1,134.00 Tobacco Price 19.5 hrs. 1S.2 hrs. S.6 hrs. 9.4 hrs. 164.3 hrs! Kerosene, 2.30 gals. 1800 lbs. (iw @ fin e in relative proportion. Substitute your own figures and see bow it will work out for you. On your farm, you may have seven or possiblv eight curings.