Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1851-02-26

face of the bed, by the use of charcoal, coal
dust. black sand or otherwise?
If the substance employed 10 give black
surface to the bed, should be charcoal that
substance it is we'll known, possesses the
power of absorbing moisture and of imbib-
ing the different gasses that possess ferliliz-
ing powers, particularly ammonia; both
contributing to the growth of the young
plant. Black sand on earth would attract
colored surface. Sir Humphrey Davy found
that rich black mould, containing one
fourth Of vegetable matter had its tempera-
ture increased from $50 to $50 by exposure
to sunshine, whilst chalk soil was heated
to only 690 under the same treatment. Coal
ashes when spread over beds of garden crops,
invariably cause the crops TO appear several
days before others Of the same sort not COW
cred il being, says Mr.. M'Intosh, ga well
known fact that dark colored bodies absorb
heat m"re readily, and in larger proportion,
than those of a lighter hue; but they part
with it more readily and hence light color
ed soils ere more back ward in spring and
retain their verdure longer in au,umn."-
When, as often happens, the white boy and
his black plsy-feIow 60 bathing together
in hot sunshine, the former comes home
to his mother at night, with his shoulders
and back all covered with blisters, filled
with a coaguable lymph, while the negro
boy, protected by the black re,e mucosum
Of his skin. provided by nature for the ,ro-
pical climate from which his ancestors came.
escapes all Inconvenience from the sun and
laughs at his more delicate companion.--
What is the reason of the difference ? Not
! that the sun is reflected from his black skin!
| quite the contrary. 1t absorbs the radient
heat and converts it into sensible heat. The
effec. of burning the earth, described by
Mr.. Minor, is The expulsion of the moisture
the soil would otherwise contain, snd this
too shows the necessity of these beds being
thoroughly drained.
| Besides the precautions we have suggest
ed, We doubt not there is yet much TO be
done by chemistry for improving the qnali-
ty Of tobacco, as to time and height Of top
ping. the manure 10 be applied and curing
of The plant.
We could wish the Agricultural Professor
at the Virginia University, would turn over
in his mind all these rude suggestions, and
let Us have the honor Of publishing pro bono
pu6lico, the result Of his Investigations aud
experiments.
Planters should think little more than
they do, study lillle more the philoso
| ply Of their business, and make expert
ments for which they have SO wide field,
and so many materials and SO much temp
,alion. Oar pages are always open for in
quiry on any subject and for the communi-
caiirn of results.
What we give now, is sufficient for the
present. In our next, or in ample lime, We
will proceed with Mr.. Minors essay.
NOTES ON THE CULTIVATION AND MANAGE
MENT OF TOBACCO,
From the plan. bed TO the Understanding
to the most approved practice in Albe
marie and the adjacent counties in Vir-
gina.
FIRsT-Of the choice of Land for the
Plant-beds, and Mode Of preparing ia
rich virgin loan with slight mixture of
sand is ascerlained TO be the best soil for
raising tobacco plants. Such spots are in
dicaled by the growth Of alder and hazle
bushes in bottoms and on the margin of
small streams, and if the situation has the
command of waller for irrigation i, is on
that account TO be preferred-,he spot be-
ing selected, the first operation is TO burn
il with strong fire. For this purpose the
growth Of every kind is cut off, mot grub
bed up) and the whole surface raked very
clean. The burning should be done before
Christmas, or as soon after as the weather
| Il It, =,
be well too heavy, even bringing The soil to
hard cake. The wonderful fertility Impair
ted to soil by fire, has of late years been
clearly proved and developed by various
experiments in his and other countries, but
judging from long established practice, we
suppose it is fact that has been long
known TO tobacco planters; that this fertility
is impaired by the fire, and no ways depen-
dent upon the ashes left by the process is
clearly proved from the fact, ,ha. the same
results will ensue if the ashes are swept off
entirely clean. Or take another piece of
ground of equal quality, cover it with as
much or more ashes and prepare it in every
respect similar except burning, and plants
cannot be raised in it. Hence the necessi
ly and proprety of regular and uniform
burning, the want Of which is always mani
tested by diminuive yellow and sickly
growth Of plants in those spots not suffici-
emily acted on by the fire.
| After the ground becomes cool from burn
ing, the whole surface should be swept with
course twig broom to take out the Goals.
In this operation some of the ashes will be
removed, but that is of no consequence;
| it should then be broken up about two
inches deep with grubbing hoes, in which
operation and in repeated choppings after
wards with hilllng hoes, all roots will be
cut and finally got out with fine iron tooth