, 1868-07-17
How to Cultivate Tobacco.
SOWING THE SEED.

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well, rake of the ashes, and then dig up
three inches deep. 1t should be pulverized
fine, and all trash raked off, When ready
to SOW, mix the seed with dry aAhes-mix
it Well-one heaped tablespoonful of seed to
a mllkPan of ashes. Sow that quantity on a
bed one rod square, and trample the bed
after sowing. That is all that is required to
be done Sow about the first Of January.
If the plants Go not grow fast, and the ground
becomes dry, water should be sprinkled on
the plant bed every evening.
SETTING OUT THE PLANTS.
This should commence about the last week
in April, and be finished about the middle Of
May, if possible, but it will make tobacco, if
set out as late as the middle of June. We
did not finish until the 10th of June, but the
tobacco was very light We find that the
earliest plants make the best article of tobac-
co. The ground should be we'll cultivated
before setting out, as there is more likelihood
of the plants living. 1t should be laid of
very shallow, as deep burrows will Cause the
ground to dry out. We laid of with rail
with pins in it three feet apart, and that
distance is enough. We did not water or
coveLour plants after they were set out,
as we found BY experiment that water was
injurious.
Printing, or taking off the bottom leaves,
is the first thing that has to be done to tobac.
CO. We took off six or eight leaves, being
governed by the kind of tobacco. We had
six Virginia gold leaf, Havana
short leaf Cuba brittle stem, Havana broad
leaf, Maryland straight, and ladies' finger,
all cigar tobacco except the Virginia and
Maryland,
We find for chewing tobacco, that ten
leaves are enough to leave on a plant, and
twelve or fourteen on cigar tobacco, at the
first topping, and two less every time it is
gone over, say once a week. In both top
ping and suckering, the bud should be taken
out as soon as possible, SO as to throw the
sap into the leaves that are left on the stalk.
Great care should be taken not to bruise or
tear the leaves, as it Injuries them very much.
There is a way to top tobacco without count
ing every leaf, which is great saving of
time, and this is of some Importance when
help has to be hired. The way is, first ascer.
tain where the bottom leaf is, and the ninth
leafwill be found exactly perpendicular above
it, and the next of course is the tenth. The
suckers should be kept off close, as, if allowed
to grow to great length, they will injure
the plant.
WORMS.
The cut worm bothered US after the plant
got started in the field. They will destroy
one or more plants if not killed. The next
is what is called the bud worm, which makes
its appearance in the top of the plant When
first seen, it is very small. The tobacco
worm made its appearance when the crop
was about half grown, but did much damage
The grasshOpper is very fond of tobacco,
and when numerous they would damage it,
as they are very hard to kill.
HARVESTING AND CURING.
When the tobacco is thoroughly ripe, pro-
cure round. pointed shook-knives, split the
stalk from the top to within four inches of
the bottom leaf, where it should be cut off,
Let it lie in the field until wilted, SO that the
leaves will not break off the stalk; then haul
it to the barn on a sled, as it will bruise on a
wagon. When at the barn, it should be
hung as soon as possible on small poles or
sticks, these hung on tier poles near together,
say six inches apart.
We run ours up 10 where it now hangs in
the barn after it was hung on sticks. and let
it yellow there. We find that the dry north
wind will cures tobacco up green, before it
can yellow, if exposed to it. That is one
thing that will prevent yellowiDg in the field.
The barn should be very tight, SO as to pre-
vent the wind blowing in at the cracks, and
curing the tobacco up green before it has
time to yellow. 1t will not yellow as quick
here as in the Atlantic States. Some have
supposed that tobacco could be thoroughly
cured in this climate without firing, but we
find that firing has to be done to prevent its
spelling when there is fog. Our tobacco
has not come in case since it was fred so
that it can be handled therefore, we cannot
tell how much an acre will produce. 1t will
require one man to about four acres of ground,
and that we find is as much as he can attend
to and do it justice.