The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1873-01-29
evening SMte gnisraat.
WEDNESDAY EvEN'G, JAN. 20, 1873.
The Tobacco Plantation.

The Tobacco Plantation.
Mrs. M. Handy contributes the follow.
ing interesting Tobacco Plantation Sketch
to Scribner's Monthly Magazine:
Riding through southside Virginia, any
warm, bright winters day after Christmas,
the stranger may be- startled to see dense
column Of smoke rising from the forest
beyond. He anxiously inquiries of the
first person he meets-probably negro
il the woods are on fire. Cuffee shows his
white teeth in grin that is half amuse.
ment, half contempt, as he answers: "No,
sar, dey' js burnin plant-patch."
For this is the first step in tobacco cul-
ture. A sunny, sheltered spot on the
southern slope of hill is selected, one
protected from northern winds by the sur
rounding forest, but open to the
sun in front, and here the hot-bed
for the reception of the seed is
prepared. ALI growth is felled within the
area needed, huge dead logs are dragged
and heaped on the ground as for a holo-
caust, the whole ignited, and the fire kept
up until nothing is left Of the immense
wood-heap but circles of smoulderlng
ashes. These are afterwards plowed in !;
the soil fortified still further, if need be,
is narrowed and prepared as though for a
garden bed, and the small brown seed
sown, from which is to spring the most
widely used of mans useless luxurles.
Later, when the spring fairly opens, and
the young plants in bus primitive hot-bed
are large aud strong enough to bear trans
planting, the Virginian draws them, as the
New Highlander does his cabbages, and
plants them in like manner, in hills from
three to four feet apart each way.
Lucky is he whose pant-bed has escaped
the fly, the first enemy Of the precious
weed. Its attacks are made upon / t in the
first stage of its existence, and are more
fatal, because less easily prevented. than
those of the tobacco worm, that scourge
par excellence of the tobacco crop. Farmers
often lose their entire stock of plants, and
are forced to send miles to beg or buy of a
more fortunate planter.
Freshly cleared land-"new ground"
as the negroes call it--makes the best tobac-
co fields, and on this and the rich lowlands
throughout southside, is raised the staple
known through the world as James river
tobacco.
On this crop the planter lavishes his
choicest fertilizers for the ranker the
growth, the longer and larger the leaf, the
greater is the value thereof, though the
manufacturers complain bitterly of the free
use of guano, which they say destroys the
resnous gum on which the value Of the
leaf depends.
Once set, the young plant must contend
not only with the ordinary risk of trans
planting, but the cut-worm is now most to
be dreaded. Working underground, it
sewers the stem just above the root, and
the first intimation of its presence is the
prone and dropping plant. For this there
is no remedy except to plant and replant,
antl the tobacco itself kills the worm. In
one instance which came under our obser-
walton, single field was repanted sac times
before the planter succeeded in getting q
''good stand" as they call it on the plan.
tations but this was an extreme case.
When the plants are fairly started in
their growth, the planter tops and primes
them, processes performed, the first by
pinching off the top bud which would else
run to seed; and the second by removing
the lower leaves of each plant, leaving
bare space of some inches near the
ground, and retaining from six to dozen
stout, well-formed leaves on each stem,
according to the promise of the soil and
season. and these leaves form the crop.
There is absolutely no rest on large to.
bacco plantation, one step following another
in the cultivation of the troublesome weed
the last years crop is rarely shipped tc
market before the seed must be sown fol
the next-and planting and replanting
topping and printing, suckering and worm
ing crowd on each other through all thu
4hc 1Ta1or fha old M
when on every plantation were a score o.
more of idle negro urchins, the rejected
lower leaves, or primings, formed one o
the mistress perquisites and were care
fully collected by the ''house-gang," as he
force was styled, strung on small sharl
sticks like exaggerated meat-skewers, an
cured, first in the sun, afterwards in thu
barn, often placing pretty penny in he
private purse. Now, when all labor mus
be paid for in money, they are not wort
collecting, and, except when some thrift
freedman has large family which h
wishes to turn to account, are left to withe
where they fall.
Withal the ground must be rigidly KEEP
free from grass and weeds, and after tn
plants have attained any size this must b
done by hoe; horse and pillow would brea
and bruise the brittle leaves.
Suckering is performed by removin
every leaf-bud which the plant throw
out after the printing, thus retaining i
sap and strength for the development
the leaves already formed, and this mu,
be done again and again through the who
season.
Worming is still more tedious and unr
hitting. In the animal kingdom there al
three creatures, and three only, to who
tobacco is not poisonous-man, agoat foul
among the Andes, and the tobacco-worr
This last is long, smooth-skinned worn
its body formed Of successive knots or ring
furnished each with pair of legs, lar
prominent eyes, and is in color as green
the leaf upon which it feeds. 1t is fou
only on the under side of the leaves, eve
one of which must be carefully lifted a
examined for its presence. Women ma
better wormers than men, probably becau
they are more patient and painstakir
When caught the worm is pulled apart
tween the thumb and finger, for crushing
in the soft mould of the carefully cultivat
fields is impossible.
3.t3A @ tha plant matrraS the leaves pr,