The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1859-02-15

man, for without great. care the plants will be
knocked up or be killed by the working. In a
week AFTER the tobacco culticator aocet must be
used. Either implement is valuable at this stage
of the crop. But once in row is often enough
for either cultivator or shovel to pass. The crop
can now be made with their use by working the
tobacco once a week or ten day, for four or five
weeks going each timeaacross the former working.
! Any grass growing near the root OF the plants
should be pulled out by hand As soon tie
tobacco has become too large to work without in
jurying the leeves by the swingle- tree, the hoes
should pass through it, drawing little earth to
the plants when required, and level the furrows
caused by the cultivator and shovel. Let this
:. hoeing be we'll done, and the crop wants more
working. Care should be taken to leave the land
as level as possible for level culture is most gcner-
ally best. When it blossoms, the best plants ought
to be selected for seed; one hundred plants being
enough to save for seed te crop of 1000
pounds. All the rest should be "topt" before
they blossom-indeed, as soon as the blossom is
fairly formed. It should be topt down to the
leaves that are six inches long, if early in the
season, but if late, top still lower. If the season
be favorable, in two weeks after plant has been
"topt it will be fit for "cseting" yet it will not
suffer by standing longer in the field. From this
stage of the crop until it is in the house, it is a
source of solictude and vexaton to the planter.
He is fearful of storms, of frost, and acorms, his
worst enemy-they come in crowds-'their name
is Leoion-and the ''suckers" are to be pulled off
and the '.grounI leapes,p are to be saved The
''saekcrs' ought to be pulled off when they get
three or four inches long, they spring out abun-
dainty from each leaf where it joins the stalk.
i" Ground leaues' are those leaves at the bottom Of
the plant which become dry the stalk, and
ought to be gathered early in the morning when
they will not crunble. ..-. q Fl"
The scorns ought to be pulled off and killed as
fast they appear, they will soon destroy the
CROP Turkeys of great assistance in destroy
ing these insects; they eat them and kill thousands
which they do not eat, for it seems to be cherish
ing amusement of the turkey to kill worms to-
bacco-they grow passionately fond Of it-they
kill for the love of killing. There every year
two 'gttts," as they are called by planters; the
first attacking the plants about the time that they
are one-third or half grown, the other comes On
when the tobacco is ready for cutting The first
can easily be subdued with a good supply Of tur-
keys, and if tten they are effectualy destroyed,
the second gla will be very easy to manage, for
it is the opinion of many intelligent and expert
enced planters that the greater portion OF the first
giot reappear the same year as H0rR-LtoUers and
breed uiyrads When tie second ARMY of WORMS
makes its appearance, the tobacco is generally SO
large that turkeys do but little good The only
method then to destroy them is to begin in time,
start when they are being hatched, and keep up
plant by plant, and breaking the eges-k;lling
such may be seen, and by constant attention
during each morning and evening to this business
alone, with the whole force of the farm, they may
be prevented from doing much harm. When
they disappear the second time, there is no
cause of trouble. When the plant begins to ycl-
low, it is time to put it away. 1t is cut off close
to the ground by turning up the bottom leaves
and striking with tobacco knife, formed of
Ol6 Scyfbn-Such often fOrc
ting corn. Let it lay on the ground for short
time to "fuT' wilt, and then carry it to the to-
bacco house. when it may be put away in three
different modes, by "peggimg," 'I'earing," and
"spHtting." "Pegyiny' tobacco is the neatest and
best mode, yet the slowest. 1t is done by driving
little pegs about six inches long and half an inch
or less square, into the stalk about four inches
from the big end Of the stalk; hook the sticks
in the house. 1t is then put "h0rsc," which,
by rope fixed to one corner, is pulled up in the
house, and there hung upon the sticks, which are
regulated at proper distances. A tobacco horse
is nothing more than three small sticks nailed to-
gother so as to form a triangle, each side being
three or four feet long. Spearing is the plan |
pursue, because it is neat enough and decidedly
the quickest plan. "A rough block with a hole
morticed in it, and little fork few inches from
the hole for the tobacco sticks to rest upon, one
end being in the hole, with spear on the other
end of the stick, is all the apparatus required.
The plant is then with both hands run the
spear, and thus strung upon the stick which when
full taken to the house and hung up at once.
There are "ddrt-spears," )" like the Indian dart in
form, and ''round-speo<s;' either, however, will
answer @. a1- 5z.saaa.a #.-t .- -.iszr -"..-.
81 ",SphHing' tobacco is admired by many who
contend that it cures brighter, certainly quicker,
and less likely t. house-6urn injury from too
thick hanging. This mode is pursued easily by
simply splitting, with knife made for the pur-
posc the plant from the top to within few inches
of the bottom, before it is cut down for, housing
Care should be taken not to break the leaves while
splitting the stalk. The knife for splitting may
be fully described by saying it is miniature spade
1t can be easily made out of old scythe blade,
inserted in cleft white oak handle with its
edges bevelled off to the blade that it acts as
wedge to the descending knife After the tobacco
is split cut down, and carried to the house, it is
stradded across the sticks and hung up. The
sticks are generally supported by forks. driven in
the ground near the heap of tobacco, for greater
convenience to the person putting on the plants
IoLacco sticks small round sticks, or are
split out like laths. and inch square, or one
and half inches square, usually larger at one end
than the other, and they should be eight or ten
inches longer than the oists of the tobacco house
are wide apart. Ifthe tobacco is of good size, six
or seven plants enough on fuor-foot stick
When first hung up, the sticks should be foot or
fifteen inches apart. As the tobacco cures they.
may be pushed up closer. After house Is filled,
coma larpe frpS 1uuder soon as