Saint Paul weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1858-1859, 1859-03-12

up the squares of the field with hoes, and Sc.
the plants in them. In dry land, however,
only slight .scraping up Of the earth ION the
edges of the squares is advisable; for the OBJ.
Ject is rather to retain good deal of moisture
for the plants than to run it all off. As q
general rule, the low-bed system, as retaining
the most moisture around the plant, is the
best plan in our dry climate Of Minnesota.
In the after cultivation of the Plants in the
field, the kind of tillage that gives the best
crop of corn, insures also the best crop Of
Tobacco Neither will bear to be sighted in
the free use Of plough, cultivator and hand
hoe, to keep down the weeds and loosen the
earth around them. In the early growth Of
Tobacco it is best to plough and work deeply
around the plants, so that when ripening. the
ground being already deeply stirred and loose
and fine, each plant can find its appropriate
food and moisture without its. roots, which
spread out literally a considerable distance,
being endangered or disturbed in their Offices
by this kind of searching cultivation at late
period.
But stirring the earth early and often is not
the only attention Tobacco requires. Some
inveterate tobacco consumers are given to
button-holing people to listen to their narcotic
stories but their favorite weed had before
them its peculiar season called battoning.
This is the appearance of the Blossom Bud
which forms on the top of the plant after it's
growth Ehas been pretty well developed:
andIwhen the plant has thus buttoned, the
farmer must 60 systematically through the
field and break of this blossom and the main
stem for about six inches below it, which will
include also such upper leaves as are too small
to be of any value.
The effect of this topping or Pruning " as
it is called, is to arrest the plant in running
to seed, and to develope the lower leaves into
greater size and improve generally their quail
ity. ... -... .......
.Suckering is another process which raisers
of Tobacco must understand, as we'll as do
some Tobacco consumers. This process is to
break off carefully from the main leaves with
out also breaking or injuring the latter, the
suckers that shoot out from every leaf; and
which, if not taken away, would prevent the
chief leaves from spreading out into a good
SIZE
Wogming is still another task of the Tobac-
co planter-at least it is in other States--'ln
less he has lot of turkeys to turn into his
field to save himself the labor of picking off
from the plants those great many-legged,
green worms which rival human two-legged
worms in their excessive love of the weed. I
use the words lat least in other States" with
a meaning; for it is by no means certain that
in the dry atmosphere of Minnesota, oar to-
bacco plants will be at all "troubled with
worms" In one instance of tobacco raising
near St. Paul last season, have been assured
no worms whatever were seen on the plants
whatsoever. If, however, the worms do make
their appearance, the rule is to "worm" as
we'll as "sucker" the crop, at least once
week.
have now gone through the various pro-
cesses of Preparing the Plant Bed, Sowing
the Seed in it, Making Ready the Tobacco
Field, transplanting the Plants into it, and
Cultivating and Managing the Growing Crops.
l would only observe further, that in about
three months after the setting out of the
Plants, they will assume .pott.d or yesSouo-
ish appearance, indicating that they have at
tanned maturity, and are ready to be cut and
cured. Here is more hard work and plenty
of it. AS writer on this subject has well
remarked, to save heavy crop of Tobacco
requires everything in readiness beforehand
and both energy and activity in the workmen
after commencing. But this is branch of
the subject not Immediately important, and l
will defer further mention of it for the pres
ent.
Some may wonder, that, as am no lover
of it myself, should have devoted so much
space and pains as have done to describing
the culture of Tobacco and urging it's produc-
ton in Minnesota. have done so on the
grounds of sound political economy. Dis
tant as we are from markets, and essentially
more of an agricultural State than anything
else, it is wise policy to diversy our crops,
and to raise in preference, first those articles
demanded for our own consumption, and next,
especially those which in small bulk embody
condensed values, and will therefore bear the
cost of carriage to distant markets. LIDO so,
moreover, because consider it plainly mani
fest that the days for Speculation in Minneso-
ia have gone by; and that the days for hon.
est, hard, real Work have come. People have
asked me what substitute proposed to raise
the State out Of the Slough of Despond she
is now in, if rejected the -mile-system
of Railroads to be built by companies without
character and destitute of other capital than
the $5,OOO,OOO furnished by the State-to
complete which roads 10000, 900 would be
necessary? To. such people, have invaria-
bly, replied, that l had Substitute, Plan,
which l thought would do the business in a
much shorter time and more effectually. Ny
Substitute" was one for which I did not
claim originality. Indeed it was very cd
Plan. There was nothing original about it.
1t was first practised by Adam Immediately
on his egress from the Garden of Eden; and
the first knowledge mankind had of its inven-
ton was from the lips of Deity himself! in
the saoeat Of thy 6row shalt thou eat breatl.'
This, have answered, contained the pith Of
my Substitute for Speculation and Railroad
swindling to regenerate and revive the pros.
perity of Minnesota. 1t was simply Work.
Work-downright. and unfinching, Work !