Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1856-12-25
agricultural.

agrlcultafal*
THE GROWTH AND PREPARATION OF
TOBACCO.
AN ARTICLE WRITTEN BY ROBERT BRowDER, ESQ,
KENTUCKY PLANTER.
T A successful cultivation of the tobacco
plant depends much upon the energy and
care of the planter Perhaps there is no
crop which requires such unremitting care
and attention, as small neglect at certain
-periods of its progress frequently causes Sc
rious loss and damage, and greatly lessons
its value in market. A matter of the first
Importance in its cultivation is to provide a
sufhciency of young plants to set the crop,
and in order to do this the planter must SOW
a bountiful supply Of seed, as the young
plants are subject to many casualties before
a 'sgood stand is had In this latitude,
the time of seeding extends from the 1st Of
January to the 1st of April, and in ordinary
seasons bountiful supply can be obtained
by sowing at any time during the period al
luded to.
1t is generally best, however, to sow as
soon as the winter affords such a spell of
weather as will allow good preparation of
the soil. New or forest land is preferable
for plant beds, and they are prepared by first
burning the surface with brush or wood suf-
fciently to destroy the seed of any vegeta-
ton in the land, as grass or weeds. Beds
prepared in the early part of the season, re-
quire more burning than those at a later pc
riod. There is but little danger of burning
too hard, however, at any time, as the plants
generally succeed best upon the beds most
thoroughly burned. After the beds are thus
burnt and cooled.of, they are dug up with
a common sprouting hoe to depth sufficient
to afford the plant loose soil in which to
extend its roots Care should be taken to
leave the surface-soil as much on top, in the
preparation of the bed. as possible, as the
young plants will take quicker and better
growth. After the bed is well pulverized,
by hoeing and raking, the seed mixed with
dry ashes are to be sown as evenly as posi-
BILE over the surface, at the ratio Of a COM
mon tablespoonful to every 80 square yards
(cubic measure. the bed lightly raked over
or trod evenly with the feet, and well COW
cred with brush. on which there should be
no leaves, and protected from the intrusion
of stock.
So soon as the young plants attain the
size of dollar, the brush may be removed
if the weather is very dry, the brush may
be suffered to remain to advantage, and
when removed taken of in the evening
with seasonable weather, the plants will
soon be large enough for transplanting.
The land designed for the crop should be
fertile-if not naturally SO, should be made
so by manuring. Any common manure
will answer a valuable purpose, tobacco be-
ing plant that delights in rich soil The
land should be deeply and thoroughly plough
ter. In this, there is a two-fold advantage:
1st. 1t destroys many insects that injure Or
destroy the young plant I'd. 1t renders
the land more friable and more easily cult
waited. As the season approaches for plant
ing out the weed, (Which is here from May
to July, the land should be ploughed again
and kept clean. It is then to be laid off
with plough 81 feet one way and 8 feet
the other, and small hill made in or on the
check, as may be preferred, for the recep-
tion of the plant. The hill should be rails
w q AAeciC dOoSC tuC lCNcl vi GuG
surface-the size of the hill being a matter
oi fancy with the planter, and not regarded
as matte of consequence in the general.
So soon as the plants have attained sufi-
cient size for transplanting, they may be
drawn from the bed and placed on the hills
whenever there is moisture enough to pre-
vent their dying. This is generally done
after shower, but should the land be very
wet, tits best to wait until it dries Or settles
some, as the plant will do better set when
the land is not so wet. The plant, if it sur
wives transplanting, will soon commence
growing, and requires no attention until the
weeds or grass begin to make their appear
ance, and must be subdued by the plough
and hoe Should the earth become hard a.
bout the plant, the hill should be lightly
scraped with hoe This will greatly pro-
mote the growth of the plant. When the
plant becomes large enough, the bottom or
plant leaves may be broken off. This is
called pruning, and the land may then be
deeply and thoroughly ploughed, taking
care not to injure the roots of the plant, and
the plant hilled up by following with hoes
and throwing the loose soil around it. In