Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1852-01-28
A G. r ULT UR AL i.
From the Southern Planter.
TOBACCO

From the Southern Planter
TOBACCO.
Mr.. Editor,-By an order of the Hole
and Corner Club of AIbemarle, the under
signed were appointed to write an article for
your paper upon ssTobacco-i,s Culture and
Management from the Plant Bed to the Ware
house, with all Exposition of the Com
para'ive Profits Of this Crop and other
Staples"
The object Of the Club being to get
full account of the management of this crop
in the hands Of the senior member Of this
Committee, it is impossible so to condense
wha. is to be said as to bring it within the
limits of single newspaper article. At
your suggestion, therefore, we divide it into
several numbers, and begin with the varie-
ties Of tobacco, plant beds, and the prepara-
tion Of the soil for the crop.
The varieties of tobacco are very numer-
Gus, selection from which must depend
upon the market proposed and the character
of the soil upon which i. is grown. On the
rich lands within the range Of The Club we
cultivate no tobacco for manufacturing pur-
poses, but only the heavier kinds which are
intended for foreign markets. The objects
aimed at are early maturity, weigh. Of plant,
ease Of culture and non-iabllily to accident
The varieties most in favor amongst us are
Ru67e, White Stem, johnson, !Shockoe, and
the Priors, yellow and blue.) Of these we
give most decided preference TO the Ruflle
and White S.em-the former, perhaps, being
the favorite of the two.
The Rutfle is rich, heavy tobacco, and
owing to its peculiar growth (,he leaves tuck
ing up at the end, can be primed one leaf low
er than the White Stem, and is consequently,
aoeek earlier in ripenining; while, on the
other hand, the rutlle upon the stem (from
which the variety takes its name,) affording
a place of concealment for the horn-w orm
renders it more troublesome to worm than
the other kinds. The While Sem is more
liable to fire than the Ruffle, and the two
being about equal in weight and quality Of
staple, it is difficult TO choose between them.
They are both easily injured by wind
and in handling, as is the case, more or
less, with all heavy tobacco, from bri.lleness
of stem.
Of the Johnson we know personally but
little. 1t is highly esteemed by many Of
our planters, particularly our friend and
neighbor, Mr.. VIM. w. Gilmer, whose opin-
ions upon all subjects connected with this
crop are worthy of high confidence. He
claims for it weight, nonlability to serious
injury from storm and handling, and great
length of leaf which makes it yield large
the necessity Of high priming to keep it out
of the dirt. 1t bears so close resemblance
to the White Stem that it is supposed by
many TO be the same.
The Shockoe we believe TO be nothing but
the Yellow Prior, with reputation acquir
ed by falling into he hands Of a good man
ager. We class it with the two Priors,
which find no favor in our eyes. They are
light and trashy, and have only their tough
ness TO recommend them. They may sui,
other soils, but we consider it waste Of
labor TO cultivate them where the other va
rie,ies mentioned will grow.
Saving Seea.-We turn out few Of the
earliest plants on rich land for seed, priming
them al the usual time, and as the plant pro-
crosses trimming off the upper leaves and
shoots, leaving three or four. of the top
branches for seed. From these we take off
all late bloom and imperfec. bowls, which,
if left on, not only interfere with regular
seeding, bu, cause the plants 10 ''walloonn
in the beds. Seed plants are cultivated and
suckered as the rest Of the crop, end after
frost, must be Gu. and hung in dry place,
out OF the reach Of rats, until perfectly cured,
when they are rubbed out, cleaned and bot
tied up for use.
Plant Beds-PIants require close, rich
soil. In selecting land therefor care should
be taken to guard against excessive wet or
very dry seasons, by burning some dry and
some moist beds. There is danger in de-
pending upon swamp beds, as plants re-
qure but little moisture, while an excess Of
we. is fatal to them. If such locations are
selected the land should be thoroughly
drained The summer before the bed is burnt.
The suresl chance for plants is rich noun
tain hollow with southern or eastern eX
posure The indications in this neighbour
hood of good plan, land are alder and maple
on low grounds, dogwood and hickory on
high land Where land is no. sufficiently
rich i. is good policy to pen sheep upon i.
the summer before you propose 10 burn ;
and this may be done without injury 10 the
flock by selecting the heat of the day in
summer. a, which time sheep do not Craze.
The bes, manures for plants are hen-house
and chaff manure. This latter we make by
lu,ering our horse stalls with chaff and feed
ing on provender perfectly free from grass
seed. When it becomes saturated with the
liquids from the stable we apply it as top
dressing in the latter par. of February, COW
ing the beds, say one-four,h of an inch thick
Hen-house manure should be chopped in a,
the time of burning. Our experiments with
guano on plants have not been very exten.
sive or accurate; they, however, lead US to