▁four - s ided ▁pole ▁with ▁tw ine . ▁These ▁pol es ▁are ▁hung ▁until ▁the ▁har v ester ▁is ▁full . ▁The ▁pol es ▁are ▁then ▁placed ▁in ▁a ▁much ▁larger ▁w agon ▁to ▁be ▁pulled ▁by ▁modern ▁farm ▁tra ctors ▁to ▁their ▁destination . ▁For ▁rare ▁to b ac cos ▁they ▁are ▁often ▁c ured ▁on ▁the ▁farm . ▁Trad itionally , ▁the ▁slaves ▁who ▁cro pped ▁and ▁pulled ▁had ▁a ▁particularly ▁t ough ▁time ▁with ▁the ▁first ▁pull ▁of ▁the ▁large , ▁dirty , ▁base ▁leaves . ▁The ▁leaves ▁sla pped ▁their ▁faces ▁and ▁dark ▁to b acco ▁sap , ▁which ▁d ries ▁into ▁a ▁dark ▁g um , ▁covered ▁their ▁bodies , ▁and ▁then ▁soil ▁stuck ▁to ▁the ▁g um . ▁ ▁The ▁cro ppers ▁were ▁men , ▁and ▁the ▁string ers , ▁who ▁were ▁se ated ▁on ▁the ▁higher ▁elev ated ▁seats , ▁were ▁women ▁and ▁children . ▁The ▁har vest ers ▁had ▁places ▁for ▁one ▁team ▁of ▁ten ▁workers : ▁eight ▁people ▁cro pping ▁and ▁string ing , ▁plus ▁a ▁pack er ▁who ▁moved ▁the ▁heavy ▁str ung ▁pol es ▁of ▁wet ▁green ▁to b acco ▁from ▁the ▁string ers ▁and ▁pack ed ▁them ▁onto ▁the ▁pal let ▁section ▁of ▁the ▁har v ester , ▁plus ▁a ▁hors eman . ▁The ▁outer ▁seats ▁were ▁susp ended ▁from ▁the ▁har v ester ▁- ▁sl ung ▁out ▁over ▁to ▁fit ▁into ▁the ▁rows ▁of ▁to b acco . ▁As ▁these ▁seats ▁were ▁susp ended ▁it ▁was ▁important ▁to ▁balance