The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1871-04-06
PRIZE ESSAY ON THE
Culture, Curing. aud Subsequent Mana
agemenl of Fine Yellow Wrap.
per Tobacco.
NJ Mn. 1ErTvlou, rlT1sYLvANA CO.. "a.

ute somewhat to the interest Of agriculture.
in this our time Of need, it shall be our
purpose to present only such ideas and
general directions as are wholly practical
and such as have been found indispensable
to success. accompanying them With such
reasoning as may be necessary, to satisfy
the mind Of inquiry. In order to raise
fine yellow tobacco there must be adapia'
tiou ofsOil, culture and season. Tho "a
rieties most manageable are the large oro-
noco and Yellow Pryor. The former is
now most favored, from its superior leaf
n With aud thickness, thereby being
most suitable for wrapping purposes To
obtain good and early growth of plants
(n plant-bed) it is important to be eau
tious in the selection Of tho seed we SOW;
being careful to reject those capsules which
are most recent growth. and those grown
upon stcms which divcrge most from the
mother stalk. The nearer tho central
stalk the more oil does the pulp Of the seed
contain; hence such will soonest vegetate,
and subsequently grows more rapidly, for
reasons which the botauist will explain.
The same Is true Of corn; the large tooth
like grains nearest the stock contain most
nitrogenous matter. and hence, for some
reasons, is best adapted for seed corn.
The plants left for seed should be selected
with care, not us is common, only such as
show early signs of vigor, and superiority
in size. Such are often very grossly fed
and make very heavy, coarse plants. And
it is fair TO presume that seed sown from
such might entail somewhat Of their rough
ness to tho succeeding crop The lands
chiefly relied on for the production of fine
tobacco are new ground and old field lands,
the latter having been rejuvenated by q
rest of many years, aided by shelter Of
pine tree growth, both rich in vegetable
mesld, aaa. possessing that lieht. silieieus;
character, which affords the degree of po-'
rosity peculiar to sandy soils.
The preparation ofuew land for tobacco
is either poorly understood. or by most
planters very injudiciously practiced. The
process Of fbrenking BY the coulter We must
persist in, tedious though it be, and we
would urge tue great Importance Of partic-
ular puinsin the first eoultering. If the
coulter is allowed to traverse piece of
land, making rapid strides. in the hurry to
finish, we may expect to encounter ditficul-
ty throughout the season, in every subse-
qucnt working On the other hand if
the furrow are made close, the turf finely
cut, the reverse will obtain, much to the
improvement of tho crop, and as much to
tho relief of the latorcr. Then it should
be remembered that no expedient is more
important than proper preparation OF the
soil. Without it poor plants will not at
tain good size, nor acquire an early matur-
ity, two conditions wholly indispensable to
success in the end. After the FIRST coul-
tering, we proceed for the second. to cross
the furrow previously made, and Os deeply,
but no deeper, as we wish no admixture Of
clay; then plow once or twice closely, with
a shovel, and drag with heavy iron
toothed harrow, until your land is thor
Ougbly pulverized. If possible. complete
ly disintegrate every clOd. This dOne'
your land is ready to receive such fertiliz-
er as may be requisite.
The tobacco plants one which if grown
fno must rapidly, and therefore requires q
fertility adequate to its every want during
the period of its growth. Unfortunately
such land is scarce in our region, hence
the profits of our labor cannot be SO great
as if it were otherwise. Concerning the
use and adaptation of Guano to fno tobac-
co, We must declare in its favor. Such is
the foudness of tobacco for this fertilizer
(or ;ts adaptation to tobacco) that we al
most conclude it is Indispensable to a prop
er growth and early maturity ofth0 plant
If the land be sufficiently rich it may be
dispensed with, but such land is exceeding
" rare. The fertilizers richest in aka
line phosphatcs are best adapted Peruv-
an euano we believe, perfectly suited on
land exactly adapted, and may bo used
either in drill or broadcast with apparently