Field experiments were conducted in 1974, 1975, and 1976 on a clay loamy soil to study the effects of seven harvest methods on yield, value and some chemical and physical characteristics of air-cured tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L., cv. Burley 21). Harvest method treatments investigated were : priming all the leaves in four operations after topping as they ripen (A); priming all the leaves in three operations after topping as they ripen (B); priming all the leaves in two operations after topping as they ripen (C); priming all the leaves in one operation after topping when ripen (D); two primings and the remainder stalk-cut when ripe (E); one priming and the remainder stalk-cut when ripe (F); stalk-cutting when ripe (G). Methods of (A) and (E) gave identical yield which were better than the other methods. The leaf quality index of (A), (B), (E), (F), and (G) were very similar, but higher than (C) and (D). Method of (E) gave the highest value/ha. The differences in total alkaloid, sugar, and total nitrogen contents, as well as combustibility among the methods, were not significant.