Union and American. [volume] (Greeneville, Tenn.) 1875-1877, 1876-02-03
HOW TO RAISE TOBACCO.
The Operation from thu Planting
~ the iced 20 the Prisine OF
the Leaf for the Market.
TProm ths Jefferson CITY Tribuna.l

SEED PLANTING.
To prepare for planting a crop
Of tobacco the seed should first he
planted on a fiat bed well burned
with brush, on a rich, moist plat of
new ground, any time after the LIST
OF January up TO the lst Of March.
After the bed Is burned, dig it up
thoroughly, rake out all the roots,
using a hand rake, p~ulverize well,
then plant a tablespoonful of to-
bacco seed well mixed with u quart
of ashes. on a bed twenty feet
square; then dig a trench all
around the bed, SOFAS To keep the
water from running over it after
heavy rams; tramp or roll the bed
after sowing, and cover it lightly
with small brush, leaving the brush
on until the plants are as large as
half dollars; then take oil the
brush; and cover soon after, the
plants will be large enough to
plant.
HOW TO PREPARE THE LAND FOR THE
PLANTING.
The best land for tobacco is new
ground well cleared. Plow the
land well both ways, in the winter
if possible, and about the lst of
Nav, or LIST Of June, OF as soon as
the plants are large enough to set
ont. harrow the ground or lay off
both ways, three feet apart make
small hills in the o check and
press the top Of the hills with the
hoe. then wait for the rain and plant
one plant IN each check, the same
as planting cabbage; if there are
not plants enough to finish the first
planting. there will be IN a few
DAYS. To every acre laid off az
above there will he four thousand
eight hundred and sixty hills. 60
over the ground after evc"y rain in
June, with fresh plants to reset
missing hils.
now TO CULTIVATE THE CROP AND
MANAGE IT.
Tobacco while growing should
he kept free from bushes, grass
and W eds, and the ground well
worked, the same as for corn; care
must be taken not to tear the
leaves, the worms must be destroy.
ed, and the suckers which come up
after it is topped must he removed
once in each week. Only three
crops of suckers will come. When
the tobacco is about three feet
high, top it by punching out the
bud. Tobacco planted the first OF
June will ripen from the first t.
the middle Of September. ItshouId
not be cut, unless there is danger
of frost, until the grain be plainly
seen, for the ripper tobacco gets, the
more oily, heavy and saleablle it is.
HOW TO CURE TOBACCO.
Tobacco can be easily cured, and
is as saieable, without firing. When
it is ripe, cut in the morning, only
so much as can be hung on sticks
that day, and be careful not t.
bruise the leaves or to let them get
sun burnt; hang on sticks foul
feet long, from eight to ten pants.
and hang the sticks on a scattold
in the grounds to sun cure the leaf
for eight or ten days, after which
move it under any kind Of shelter
that will protect in from rain, nc
difference how open, and give the
sticks at Leaf one foot space from
each other, and be sure that the
leaves all hang straight. In this
way let the tobacco cure.
now TO STRIP, ORDER AND PRISE.
In asserting tobacco experienced
planters make many qualities,
some to length, some as to color,
and some as to quality. But new
beginners had better, when they
strip their tobacco, make only three
qualities. First, take of all the
ragged and trashy leaves--this
sort is called planters Tugs; then
put the good leaf into two sorts,
so that all tue leaves in every
hand will be near the same length.
The lugs may be tied up in larger
bundles, say fifteen or twenty
leaves to the bundle, but the good
leaf should only have eight or ten
hands to the bundle, ana be neatly
tied by wrapping a leaf around
the stem end.
Tobacco is best stripped in the
rainy wet weather, in winter and
spring; it should be Immediately
hung up again o smooth sucks
as fast as stripped, and the sticks
CO orowdad ou IN knnn ont the