Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1874-02-07
ToBAccO.

E e.
EDIToBs CHEoNIcLE: The Interest
which the CHBoNIcLE has always man
ifested for the success and comfort of
farmers, induces me to offer a few
thoughts about Tobacco. The preva-
lent idea and theory have taught US
that its culture was destruction to the
land and country, that it drew many
times as much fertility from the soil as
any of the grain crops. As proof that
such is not the fact. any and all crops
grow better after tobacco than any
thing else. The late and thorough
cultivation which prevents any grass
from growing, makes the land more H.
able to wash. Any good farmer will
improve rather than wear his farm
growing it. Requiring small breadth
of land, it gives better facilities for
manuring. The slovenly and ruinous
habit of leaving corn land without
sowing down to grain and grass, has
done more to impoyerish the soil than
tobacco ever did. y
I am fully convinced, after careful
observation, that bugs rarely or never
destroy plant beds. The cool, dry
winds do the mischief. Select shell
tered, moist spot, otherwise cover with
small brush, intermingled with tobac-
co stalks, which protects and manures.
Keep the surface moist and you will al
ways have plenty. Was there ever
known scarcity of plants when the
spring was warm and moist? The very
young plant is delicate and SO small
that it can not grow in loose dry sur
lace; let there be green cast or mould
on the bed, and you may then be sure
all will be right
The labor and risk required to cure
a crop of tobacco by fire, has driven
nine-tenths of the growers in this sec
ton to build more room or else scaffold.
The sun cured is the natural and gene
rally conceded to be the best, but to
scaffold the usual way is heavy work
and liable to tumble down by forks
splitting or sinking into the ground.
To make scaffold that will not fall, ii
| is only necessary to build pens, one or
more when wanted, seven rails high,
place two rails across the pen, fill with
tobacco which will steady it, then with
rails build outside rooms, resting one
end of rails on pen, and supporting the
opposite end with prop about three
and half feet long, or height of pen
(the ends of props should be sawed of
to prevent sinking), and brace each
outside prop with two boards and an
eight penny nail. If you wish to build
a large scaffold, building the pens
apart nearly the length of rails will
economic rails, extending rails to tor
ofeach pen will give the length of three
pens with but two pens built up. Ii
the tobacco was ripe when cut, after
two weeks sun, it will present a uni
form and rich color. 1t can then be
put in barn with one-half the labor re-
quired when green, without risk OF
house burnt tobacco.
The past season, just after securing
a stand, we had applied to each plant
a pinch of plaster. 1t very soon pre-
scented a healthy color and steadily
grew, Notwithstanding long drouth.
Before topping we applied as much
more, in all large spoonful, and it
continued to grow and ripen uniformly,
making heavy, rich, brown tobacco.
The land was absolutely too poor to
have made anything like such a crop
without help. We also applied it to a
number of plants that "frenched. -
New leaves came out above those
frenched and made quite respectable
tobacco. Hence, 1 infer that it will
benefit cold and fiat as well as high,
thin land, but the effect on rich land is
detrimental, making it too tender and
sappy. Apply on land of moderate
fertility.
We by no means advocate buying
manure, but the cost of plaster is SO
small, less than one dollar per acre. so
easily and rapidly applied that we can
conscienciously recommend growers to
give it trial, believing that it will
hasten its maturity and add very mate
rally to the quality and weight of to-
baccO. Respectfully,
4. W.
HENDERSON. Co, KY, Jan. 1874.