The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1863-04-25
From the Genesee Farmer.
Cultivation of Tobacco.

and whether 1t is likely to continue
profitable crop; best varieties to raise
exhaustion of the soil n,anuring, &c
At present prices tobacco is highl,
profitable. Even those who have had bu
little experience in the business, and rails
ed crop of the most inferior quality hav,
done we'll the past season. A tobacco
grower, a few days since, told US that {
neighbor of his raised crop o. tobacco
two years ago that was of such miserable
| quality that the Dealers would not take i,
1T any price, and finally he sold it to him
| for one cent per pound. This spring he
sold it for l34 cents per pound-realizing
| over $500 by the investment. We men,
| ton this to show that while there is such
a scarcity Of tobacco even the most inferior
descriptions will fipd purchasers at paying
prices. In the ordinary condition of the
market this tobacco would not have sold
| at all, and the grower would have lost all
the labor and expense of growing and
O~ri-s -. Nay enrsnns have gone into
tobacco culture, and from want OF expert
ence have lost considerable by the opera
tion.
The kind Of tobacco most profitable to
raise at the North is the Connecticut Seed
leaf The object is to produce a large and
perfect leaf, suitable for cigar rappers.
The more good wrappers there are in "a
crop the more valuable 1t is The inferior
leaves make poor kind Of smoking to-
bacco; and it not dnfrequsntly happens
that from want of care and experience the
whole crop has to be sold for this purpose.
It's difficult if not impossible, to raise good
chewing tobacco at the North.
As TO the exhaustion of the land there
can be no doubt but that tobacco removes
81. L..
any other crop grown. The large quanti-
ty of ash in the plant proves this. But
the land can be kept up with manure
We know q gentleman In this vicinity who
has raised tobacco on the same land for
sixteen years. He gives his field heavy
dressing Of distiiery manure every year,
and the soil is richer now than when he
commenced But of course this is owing
to the manure. 4 very few crops wIthou.
manure would soon impoverish the soil
The land can hardly be made too rich,
but it is better to have the soil naturally
rich than TO depend on manure applied
at the time Of planting IL is desirable
that the manure should be completely IN
corpOrated with the soil and thoroughly
decomposed, and the richer it is the bet
ter We believe superphosphate Of lime
will bs found valuable auxiliary AS 4
manure for tobacco. We would scatter a
Tablespoonful in the holes At the time Of
transplanting. 1t will, We think, give the
plants an early start We have not tried
it, but intend TO do 30 the present season.
a farmer in Genesee county, who raises
ten acres of tobacco, gives Us the following
facts in regard 10 his method Of culture
As soon As the ground can be worked ia
the spring he SONS the seed Oh 4 carefully
!
and half is sutiicien, for ten acres. lie
sovs it broadcast at the rate OF 4 t2 b.e-
spoonful to a square rod The seed Is very
10 insure an equitable distribution Corn
meal Is better than sanG. as from its color
you..can sec where ii strikes and whether
it was evenly distributed on the bed. He
does no. use a hot-bed or cold frame; bat
it is very essential to have the bed pro-
tected from the wind last year he found
that on those parts of the bed exposed 10
the wind all The plants died, and this year
he intends TO build tight board fence on
all sidea Of II, except facin. the south.
little frost will not hurt the young plants.
The seed is very slow in terminating
early IN the spring. 1t Is from three 10
SIX weeks IN coming up. by way OF eX-
pertinent he once sowed some seed Ia y uIy,
and It came up IN week, indicating u
our mind iho advantages of starting the
plants in hot-bed. AS soon as the plants
can he distinguished, the bed must be
carefully wesIesl. The young plants have
two round leavs which lie fat GA the
ground. If too thick. as they usually are,
the plants must be thianed out If the
bed is dry. it should be watered occasion
ally
The land for the crop shonld be got into
"a mellow = condition rs possible, and IN
this section the plants can be set out the
last Of may or first Of June. The distance
apart depends on the strength of the land
the richer the land the closer the plants
should be set They are set in rows three
feet four inches one way, and from eighteen
inches to three feet it the rows. according
TO the quality of the land-the general
rule being two feet man goes along
the rows and makes the holes, boy
drops the plants near the holes, and anoth-
er man follows and sets out the plants
carefully and presses the soil around them.
1t is very desirable to have mois. weather
for this operation. Some scatter a little
green clover over the plants to protect
them from the sun. Ono thing should
always be done Let the bed from which
the plants are taken b. erhoroughiy satura-
ted with water TO the depth of the roots
before the plants are taken up Do not
ruil up the plants, but looses the soil with
a fork and take up the plants in snch
way that considerable moist earth will
adhere to them. A little care in this way
will be much better than all attempts n,
watering the plants after they are set out.
If IA plant dies set out another IN its place.
In about two weeks after transplantins
the plants begin to start, and the weeds
will not be far behind. a cultvator should
then he run through the rows and hand
hoed lightly on the surface being careful
not to disturb the roots The hoe should
be kept sharp with file. In about two
weeks hoe the second TIME, being very
careful to destroy every weed There
should not be weed in the field. The
tobacco worm nay appear about this time
and M should big killed at a,c1cs. once a.. ,,o,.s
must be topped leaving about fifteen leaves,
aud cutting off about seven.
After the tops are cut of, the plants
will begin to throw out suckers. These
must be stripped off as fast as they appear.
They grow with great rapidity, aud If not
removed I'M ure the crop As soon as the
last suckers appears at the lower leaf the
plants are ready to harvest. The stalks
are cut Ct the roots, an6 the plants allowed
to wilt. If there is no danger of rain, it is
better to cut it in the afternoon. allowing
the plants to remain on tine ground all
night. A hot sun is liable to burn the
leaves. After whiting the plants are taken
to shed. where they are hung up to dry.
They must NOT touch each other. Here
they remain about six weeks, or until the
crop is cured This is known by the stem
being dry. The tobacco IS Chen taken
down in damp weather, when the
leaves will not be SO liable to break, and
laid in piles with the tips togethe: and
covered up with boards to keep it srom
drying The next thing is to strip the
4 10 - har