The Smoky Hill and Republican union. [volume] (Junction City, Kan.) 1861-1864, 1863-05-02
Agricultural Golun1lr.
TOBACCO CULTURE.


saturated with manure (hog manure is
best) but, if you cannot get that, any
fine manure will answer. Select warm
sunny place on the south side of build
ing or blind fence. Sow as soon as the
ground is dry enough to work i, the
spring. Sow about an ounce and a
half Of seed to the square rod, broad
cast. To cover the seed take plank,
and laying it across the bed, move it
gently endwise and then step on it, and
with 4 by 4 scantling, about or feet
long, or something about the same heft,
settle the ground down quite solid or
firm, and so on over the whole bed !;
this prevents the soil from drying up
and the seed vegetables sooner. I think
covering with wet stall bedding or straw
until the seed vegetables is good plan,
and then remove the straw. As soon as
the plants are large enough so that you
can distinguish them from weeds, COM
mence pulling the weeds. The plants
when they first come up have two leaves
very small and little pointed, then
two more make their appearance, one
on each side Of the stalk close to the
ground, and may be known by their be-
ing Of round shape and bright sill.
very green. 1t is Of the greatest i'm
portance that weeds should be pulled as
soon as they can be distinguished from
the plants.
FITTING OF THE GROUND.
A strong loan or gravelly soil I think
is best adapted to Tobacco (highly ma
nured }, have it thoroughly pulverized if
you wish to work both ways set about
three feet both ways if only one way,
mark about three feet, and hill a
little with hoe raising the surface Of
the hill a little higher than the surround
ing surface, the hills about two and
half feet apart; set just before or soon
after a rain, similar to setting cab
bage plant; make hole with the finger
deep and large enough to allow the tap
root to 60 straight down, pressing the
dirt moderately against the side Of the
hole next to you; do not press and
squeeze the roots so much as to break
the small fibres or roots. The plants
should be set when the leaves are the
size of half dollar or a little larger,
before they begin to run up. Keep
them free from weeds by hoeing until
the plants are large enough to shade the
ground; the process of hoeing is SINH
lar to that Of hoeing cabbage. If the
first setting or any part Of it should
fail, you must reset as soon as you
lind they have failed you can determ-
Inc this by looking at the heart of the
plant-if that is alive, the first leaves
are but Of little consequence.
Now, when the crop gets about six
inches high, its growth is very rapid,
and the stalk begins to run up and bud
and soon would blossom the plants
should be allowed to come as near Bios
soming as possible and not blossom,
when the top Of she stalk should be
broken or cut off, leaving from twelve
to sixteen leaves on, or the stock to
grow. In few days Nature will send
out sucker at the point where the top
leaves come from the stalk, these must
be broken off as soon as they are from
two to four inches long; they will make
their appearance at the junction of every
leaf with the stalk. The plant must be |
kept free from these suckers, and when
the suckers come out at the bottom, the
plant is generally considered fit to cut
or harvest.
HARVESTING.
To harvest you want a small ak or
Ratchet. Take hold of the top of the
stalk with your left hand and pull it to.
ward you, at the same time strike the
stalk with the Ratchet close to the
ground, below all of the leaves. Take
two rows at time, laying the butts all
one way, towards you, and then two
more with the butts the other way, or
toward the butts Of the other two rows,
and far enough to allow team to pass
between the two row Of butts. Handle
very carefully, so as not to break the !
leaves, or make any holes in them. Let
them remain in rows until they are
wilted, so that the leaves
will bend down to the stalk without i
breaking. You can now draw to the i
barn and hang up. You must be very !
Vlgilent in willing your Tobacco, and :
see that the leaves do not burn or crisp n
n the hot sun, which it will somtimes s
10 before it is sufficiently wilted. In !,
'uch case you can turn it over carefully. IL
Re vou hnrn or crisn vour In