The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1873-06-27
Tobacco Growing

We clip the following from an ESSAY
by q. ID. Merriweather of Missouri
PREPARATION FOR SETTING OR PLANTING
The ground should be thorougblv
prepared. If new land, of light. shallow
soil, adapted to the growth of the fine
varieties, it should be broken up NOT
exceeding four inches then narrowed
and replowed then narrowed the second
time, and all roots picked up and
burned. To prevent tearing the leaves
of the plants in the course of cuItiva-
ton, the ground should be marked off
with straight burrows, three feet apart
with a shallow pillow.
The deep, rich soil should he pre-
pared IN like manner, except the break
ing up, which shOuld'be deeper. and
the burrows should be laid off three
inches apart. Rich old land and ma
nured lots should be plowed up deem
late IN the fall, or during the w-nter. or
early IN the spring; then narrowed, and
afterwards replOwed and narrowed
again; then lay it off three feet three
inches one way, and three feet the
other, that it may be worked both ways
with the pillow.
TRANSMITTING OR SETTING
should be done from the 29th of Nav In
the 2Oth OF June. A very small plant
with good roots will live and grow we'll
In new land while it requires q large
and thrifty plant for old land and ma
nured lots. The plant should be set on
the sldo OF turrow to the depth of the
bud, and the earth firmly pressed
around the roots, when there is but lit
Tie moisture IN the soil but when tba
soil IS quite moist or wet, the settino,
should be at less depth, and the EARTH
pressed more lightly around the roots
of the plants. '0
CULTIVATION.
When the soil and situation ia adaD+ed
to the growth of the fine varieties =
should have but one light pIowino and
that should be given when the pIant ie
small, or about the time it commences
to spread; it should then be biIIed mn
and the weeds kept chopped out with
the hoe. The less work given tn tbo
plant after killing up, the finer the
fibre and texture will be, and the easier
and more certain it is to cure a beanti-
Jul color. The coarse and heavy yarie-
ties should be more thorou0bIy cnIti-
waited, Plowed twice, and hiiled mn so
as to brace the stalks against the wind
PRUNING AND TOPPING.
Pruning should be done at the time
of topping. If the crop is forward and
thrifty the first pruning sbould he done
at SIX inches, that is, all the leaves
should be broken from the stalks for
SIX inches above the hill, and the bud
taken ont, leaving ten leaves on the
stalk. The next topping, which usually
occurs a week from the first, prune or
break OF the leaves five inches from the
hill take ont the bud, leaving ten
leaves on the stalk. The next toppino
prune N like manner take out the bud
leaving nine leaves on the stalk. The
next topping prune In like manner: take
out the bud, leaving eight leaves on the
stalk The plant Is frequently topped
10 twelve or fourteen leaves. which
makes the leaves light and chaffy. and
the top leaves narrow and imperfect
Topping should be done as soon as
the plant attains sufficient size
to pinch or break out the bud without
dlshgurlng the tender leaves. and al
ways betorethe plant buttons or blooms.
The top to ten leaves without counting
Is done by putting the eve on the first
leaf on the stalk after pruning. then
break the bud to that leaf, leaving the
top or bud leaf pointing or hanging i'm
mediately over the second leaf at the
bottom of the stalk. To top to nine
leaves break the bud to the second leaf.
leaving the bud or last leaf hanging
immediately over the first leaf on the
stalk. To top to eight leaves break the
bud to the third leaf, leaving the bud
or last leaf hanging over the fourth leaf
from the bottom of the stalk. The
plant should be protected against the
ra q, OF worms the suckers pulled
off when brittle and tender and roI,o,
be permitted to get hard and woody.
which makes them hard to pull off
and the leaves are more liable TO break
after they are pulled off; and bv no
means should they be permitted to
grow to a greater size than will permit
them to be broken off easily.