In order to obtain the most suitable ageing term of Flue-cured tobacco in natural condition, leaf tobacco packed in hogshead and stored in leaf tobacco warehouse for 4 years, and the changes of major physico-chemical components were examined at three months intervals, As storage time goes by, except the moisture content, general chemical components of leaf tobacco were decreased until about 9-15 months of storage. Among them, decrement of total sugar was the most significant. After 18 months storage, the chlorophyll was decreased by 50% of initial stage. The content of essential oils, solanone, damascenone, megastigmatrienone I, II, III, IV, were approached the maximum between 12 months and 15 months of storage and then lessened by degrees.