Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1873-03-01
E, FARMERS COLUMN,


! Cor. CoIafAN: 1 noticed In your
HaLu&f[e paper some time since a
commdnicatfon from subscriber
stating that il you would publish
some items on the culture and man
agement of tobacco, it might be the
means of your getting quite num-
Der of subscribers in his section of
country.
Having been a tobacco raiser for
quite number of years, and having
taken premiums at some of the iarg-
est tobacco fairs held In this country
I took q premium on the best i've
hogsheads Of shipping leaf at the
great tobacco fair held at GAINESVILLE,
Tenn, last June-I propose giving
you few items on tobacco culture
and its general management, this be-
ing the season for preparing and SOW
ing the seed. ~
This section is well adapted 10 the
growth sof heavy shipping leaf,
known SIS the Clarksville tobacco,
and therefore my remarks will have
reference to that description of leaf.
First, select a rich spot in the
woods where the leaves are thick on
the ground and there is less OF grass
seed, and the soil soft and mellow;
rake off all the leaves anti debris.
Old fence rails or dry wood issthe
best material used for burning. Put
down some poles or rails, from six to
eight feet apart; then pile the wood
or rails across them, about three rails
deep; set fire to them, as soon as
the ashes become cool, chop up the
ground with hoe, some two or three
inches deep; rake, and pick all the
roots out, thoroughly pulveriZing the
soil put one dessert spoonful OF seed
to every hundred square yards con-
tanned in the bed; mix the seed in a
pan of ashes, sow it, then trample in
or run roller over the bed; cover
with brush lightly, so as to keep the
bed moist, letting it remain till the
plants grow to thesiZe of half dol
lar. - '
TO prepare the ground for planting,
break the land deep in the fall, which
is much better than to rebreak in
March. Commence preparing it for
setting as soon as yourplants become
the size of dollar, putting the soil
in good condition by blowing and
narrowing; lay it off three and u
half feet apart makea small fiat hill
in the cross with a hoe Cultivate
altogether with the pillow, unless it is
permitted to become grassy, then the
hoe has to be used. Continue to pillow
as long as you can without breaking
the leaves of the plants. As soon as
the plants are large enough, COM
rnence topping some farmers lose a
great deal in topping too high they
wiilgenera1ly leave from twelve to
fifteen leaves, resulting in the to-
bacco being very light and trashy.
From eight to ten leaves is as high
as plant should he topped to make
heavy tobacco. Never let the suck
, ers get longer than three or four in
s, cbes; If permitted tc grow longer,
the plant Is not good, being light
and chaffy. Any one can tell
when a plant is ripe, if they ever saw
ripe pear when the plant is ripe,
the yellow spots show very thick in
the leaf.
Housing and curing is the most i'm
portant of all. First, have good,
tight house, with tiers four feet apart,
and sticks; put from eight TO ten
plants on stick, eight to ten inches
apart on the tiers, let them remain
until they get yellow-it generally
takes from three to four days in warm
weather, longer when cold then
start small fires, keeping them so for
about twenty-four hours, and then
increase them-the quicker it is cured
the better. Continue fires till the
leaves and stems are cured. If, af-
forwards, there is long damp spell
of weather and your tobacco gets
very high, you must restart the light
fires to dry it out, being very careful
with your fires to avoid burning, as
it dries very quickly. Let it remain
hanging until it is entirely cured,
stalk and all, and when your tobacco
gets soft, in November, take it down
and bulk it-not getting on it with
your knees, as there is danger of its
sticking together so that it will be
difficult to classify it. In taking il
down at that season of theyear, itre
tains its color and weight. -.r
Make up these classes, in stripping
the best in one class, the second or
short in another, and the Tugs in an
other. Bulk down, as you strip, each
class by itself, strengthening it well by
udTu pressure oelOTe OuIhluS. lhlS
is very important, as it is the last
handling; if Strengthened nicely
when bulked, it will come out as
straight as a candle and you will
have no trouble in pressing. To be in
good pressing order, the stem should
break at least one third from the lar
ger end. Press from sixteen to eigh-
teen hundred pounds in a hogshead.
Ihope these desultory remarks may
be of service to other tobacco grow
ers.
w. " B.
Christian county, Ky.