Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1849-12-28

THE Publisher Of the AMERICAN FARMER having offered
piece silver plate of the value of $780, for the best Essay
N t3e XIV rn[SN. GEO W. HUenEs JONI D.
BowLNe, and w c. CALVERT, of Maryland, awarded the
prize for the following Essayl
A rich loan is the soil for tobacco plants; The
spot selected for bed should be the south slae OF
gentle elevation well protected as possible by
woods of shrubbery-a warm spot-meliow ground,
perfectly pulyerzed. After thorough burning OF
brush and tobacco stalks mixcd dig deep, and con-
tinue to dig, rake and chop until every elod' root
lv with the rake Mix gill of seed for every ten
square Yards with quart half gallon OF plaster
or sed ashes to every half pint OF Seed and sow 1t
regularly, in the same manner that gardeners SOW
small seeds only with heavier hand. Roll with
hand roller, tramp it with the feet 1.-THE bed be
sown early il ought to be covered with brush free
from leaves but it is not necessary to cover them at
ter the middle of March. Tobacco beds may be soWn
at any time during winter if the ground be not too
wet or frozen The best time for sowing is from the
10th to the 10Th of March, although it is safest to
sow at intervals whenever the land is In tine order
for working. Never unless the land be in good
order, for the work will be thrown away if the land
be too moist be not perfectly prepared. The beds
must be kept free from grass or weeds until they are
no longer needed and the grass must be picked out
sprig at time by she fingers. 1t is tedious and
troublesome operation therefore planters should be
very careful not to any manures on their beds
which have grass seeds weeds in them. After the
plants up they should receive slight topdress-
ing of manure once week sown broadcast by the
hand this manure should be composed of half a
bushel of unleashed ashes, Cor bushel of burnt
turf, one bushel Of fresh virgin woods earth, one
gallon of plaster half gallon of soo quart of
salt dissolved in two gallons liquid from barn-ya
and four pounds ofpulveriEed sulphur the whole we'll
intermixed Let large quantity be got together
early in the winter and put away in barrels for use
when wanted. This and other such mixtures have
been found ecacious in arrestng the ravages OF the
hy,-both from the frequent busting OF the plants
oh 0arfc To hnHa
thereby enabling the plant the sooner to get out of
that tender state in which the fly is most destructive
to it. The fly is small black insect, somewhat like
the fea and delights in cold dry harsh weather. but
disappearing with the mild showers and hot Of
opening summer. If possible the plants should stand
in the bed from half inch to inch apart and if
they are too thick they must be raked when they
have generally become as large five or ten cent
piece The rake proper for the purpose should be
small common rake, with iron teeth, three inches
long, curved at the points teeth fat threeeighths
of an inch wide and set half an inch apart.
after Culture, 5c.-The soil best adapted to the
growth of tobacco is light friabe SOIL what is
commonly called sandy loan, not too fiat, but roll
ing undulating land-not liable to drown in excess
sive rains. New land is far better than old Ashes
are decidedly superior to any other fertilizer for to-
bacco. Theory and practice unite in sustaining this
assertion. The land intended for tobacco should be
well ploughed in April, taking to turn the turf
completely under and subsoing any portions that
may be very stiff and likely to hold water near the
surface, and let the land be well narrowed directly
after the breaking tup tshoud then be kept clean,
light and well pulverzed by occasional working with
cnltiyators and large harrows, not to disturb
the turf beneath the surface When the plants are
OF good size for transpantng and the ground in good
order for their reception the land, much
be planted IN season. should be ' scraped" which
is done by running parallel burrows with small seed
ingpfough, tho Davis Woods plough for instance
two and half feet apart and then crossing these
gain at right angles preserving the distance,
Which leaves the ground in checks N
OF Two ~nd half OF three feet each The hoes are
then put 70 Work and the hill is formed by drawing
middle smo an Gn tb Of G 81 Che op and PaFed BY
one blow of the hoe The burrows should be run
shallow, for the hlk should be low and well leVeled
off on the top, aad if possible, slight depression
near the centre to collect the water near the
plant TIE first fine rain thereafter, the plants
should be removed from the seed beds, and care
futly planted in each hill. A brisk man can plant
ten thousand plants per day. The smaller or weak
hands, with baskets filed with plants precede the
planters and drop the plants on the hills. In draw
ing the plants from the bed and in carrying them to
the ground great should be taken not to bruse
mash them. They ought to be put in baskets or
in barrels if removed in carts that not many will
be in a heap together. The plants should never be
planted deeper than when they stood in the bed
Planting is done by Selling the plants dropt the
HILL with the left hand while with finger of the
right hand hole is made in the centre of the hill
and the root of the plant put in with the left while
the dirt we'll closed about the roots by pressing the
fore-fnger and thumb of the right hand each side
of the plant taking to close the earth well about
the bottom of the root. If sticks used to plant
with they should be short and the planter should be
particular not to make the holes too deep The plants
should be very carefully planted for if the roots
put in crooked and bent up, the plant may live, but
will never flourish and perhaps when too late to
plant, it will die and then all the labor will be of no
avail In three four days it may be wed out that
is the hoes passed the plants and the hard
crust formed the hills pulled away and the edges
of the hill pulled down in the burrows; this is easily
done if performed after planting but if delay
ed and the ground gets grassy it will then be found
q very troublesome operation After aUeeding' out
put tablespoonful gill; if it be preferred, Of
equal parts of plaster and ashes well Mixed upon
each plant. In few days. say a week or less time
run a small plough through it, going twice in row
This is delicate operation, and requires steady
horse and skillful ploughman, for without great
the plants will be knocked up or be killed by
the working In week after, the tobacco citiUdto,
or shovel must be used. These implement are well
made by R. Sinclair, Jr., & Co., of Baltimore Eth
er implement is valuable at this stage of the CROP
But once in is often enough for either cultiva
tor or shovel to pass. The crop now he made
with their use by working the tobacco once week
or ten days. for four or FIVE weeks going each time
across the former working. Any grass growing near
the root of the plants should be pulled out by hand
As the tobacco has become too large to work
without inuring the leaves by the swngle-tree the
hoes should pass through it. drawing little earth to
the plants when required and level the burrows caus
I'd by the cutivator and shovel Let this hoeing be
well done, and the crop wants no more working
Care should be taken to leave the land as level
nossible for level culture is most generally BEST
Whert blossoms the best plants ought to be selec-
ted for seed; one hundred plants being enough to
save for seed to SOW crop of forty thousan pounds
All the rest should be topt before they blossom
indeed as soon as the blossom is fairly formed II
should be to the leaves that are six inches
IN no hutif lafn sri