The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1875-03-16
From the Barnesville (O.) Enterprise,
The Culture Of Tobacco.

LDiAORo lNTERfRlSS as ln6TP is
great excitement at present with regard
to the culture of tobacco, it will per
haps come in place to give few hints
Hon the cultivation and curing of tile
weed
1 The first and most important matter
is good tobacco soil to grow it on
New land or land that has never been
under cultivation is perhaps best adapt-
led to it, but any fertile land that has
mot grown tobacco for several years
will do, by appl, ing manure. The mex,
thing is to get good supply of plants
as early in the season as prsctcable,and
in order to do that, would recommends
for seed bed moist eastern aspect or
bottom land, and burn thoroughly to
destroy wild seeds. Then dig up ashes
and all for three or four inchrs deep
and rake it thoroughly; then sow the
seed-a tablespoonful to the rod so uare
is thick enough. 1t is great mistake
to have plants too much crowded in the
bed. After the seed is soWn, rake
slightly and tramp or roll the bed. and
il the ground is steep ditch around it
TO prevent heavy rains from washing
off the soil and seed When freezing
weather is done in the spring, tramp the
beds again, as It will cause the seed to
germinate quicker and stand the drouth
better than If The soil is loose and spon-
gy. When the plants are large enough
to re set, prepare the ground for plant
ing, AND my plan is to harrow thorough
ly: then. with a siugle-shoyel plow, list
the ground, So that every other ridge
will be about three feet apart to plant
on ;'then witlfa hoe or rake level off the
list you wish to plant. Put the plants
eighteen inches ortwo feet apart in the
row. lf'the land is very rich two feet
is close, enough in the row, and when
the plants need cultivatifg' run once
through the rows With a siFgle shovel
splitting the list between the rows Of to
bacco aud dress out with the hoe and
YOU have done for the first working
For after culture use double shovel oEce
to the row or twice if the ground is
FOUL When the tobacco lis forward
enough, say when it is beginning to
bloom, if it has large growth TO about
three feet and half high or TOT about
fifteen or eighteen leaves to the plant
for fine. qualilies,l and twelve or -four
teen for heavy grades, top according to
the growth of the plant. Next comes
the most important part of the work,
and one that is yearly always neglected,
and thatis taking off the suckers, which
should be done once at least from top
to bottom before any stripping is done
except the ground leaves, as iii lis, not
much difference how soon they are
stripped, they are not of much account
at best. In saving the crop, if the cal
culation is to make yellow and spangled
tobacco, for the first or ground leaves
take from two to four leaves so as not
to rob the second stripping which is the
best for yellow, for the second and
third stripping take from three to five
leaves according to color of the plant
if more than that are taken there is Ger.
tain to be more or less green in your
crop and that is one of the greatest eye
sores to the buyer, they would rather
have black than green. With regard to
the curing process l would recommend
scaffolding for a day or two until it be.
comes .wilted, as it is bad policy to put
tobacco in a close house before, it is
thoroughly wilted, it is apt j to house
burn and will not make as bright eolors,
and it is more apt to- sweat in firing
For firing 4 prefer clay. hues but fues
made of fiat stone are in more general
use. For making yellow or spangle
keep the house to about 900 or blood
heat until the green Is well faded out
then raise the heat very gradual until
the web of the leaf is dry, then increase
the heat but not so hot as to scorch or
coddle the stem of the leaf. Hard firing
is one great detriment to the value of
tobacco, and I will caution all tobacco
growers to guard against hard firing
1t is my opinion great portion of the
Ohio crop is Injured fifty per cent, by
heating it to hot in firing. For the
more common grades there is not much
difficulty in curing if you use slow fires
long enoughto get the green out and
not heat it to hot otyafterwards.