The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1878-11-20
Tobacco Culture.

: much in the quality OF tobacco as III
the quantity. A small, poor plant
will be destitute Of many, if not all,
desirable qualities, and will bring on
the market price below the cost OF
production. a large plant, grown
with an abundance of suitable food,
will be rich, heavy and elastic, with
good body, good length, and will
meet the demands Of almost every
market. The cultivation is the same
all things considered, for an inferior
and large plant, as, while the latter
may be little more trouble to worm
and house, it is not so tedious to as
sort and strip. The large plant has
everything to commend it. the small
plant nothing: therefore manuring,
though troublesome, is an important
operation and one Oh which the prot
it's OF the crop will in great degree
depend. OF all the manures en-
ployed the compost most universally
recommended is perhaps that made
of leached ashes one-fonrth and sta
Die manure three.tourths, thoroughly
decomposed. The amount applied
to each hill depends, of course, upon
the quality aud strength of the land.
Care should be taken to mix it with
the earth thoroughly also that the
manure is well rotted, so as not to
burn the plant. In regard to COM
mercial manures it is difficult to give
advice. A manure manufactured to-
day may prove of great advantage,
ta6lfishment next year may not be
worth the cost Of its transportation.
A single handful in a hill of the SUI
perphosphates Of lime, when honest
" made, has been known TO make the
plant come to maturity twelve or
fourteen days earlier than without it.
This fertilizer is successfully applied
both to the hill and poured into the
bud of the plant week or two after
it has been transplanted. Plaster of
Paris applied to the bed-making
several applications up to the time Of
topping-has the effect Of thicken-
ing the leaf and otherwise benefiting
the plant.
No good tobacco can be made
without clean cultivation. 1t may
be said with truth, however, that .
all the crops grown none suffers so
little from neglect in its early culture
than tobacco. The injury done by.
grass is much more after it is topped
than when it is small, but its growth
is greatly retarded by a failure to
cultivate early * difference Of ten
days or Two weeks may be made in
the time of ripening. The cultiva-
ton of tobacco,- like that Of corn,
should begin early, before the grass
makes its appearance. One days
work early, is worth tour or five after
the grass has become matted about
the plant and in the row.
Topping the plant, which is usually
done about seven weeks from the
time OF setting, should be performed
as soon as ten leaves can be left on
the stalk after pruning up six inches
from the ground. The plant ought
never to be permitted to blossom,
and the sooner it can be topped the
greater the saving of its vitality.
Care should be observed in pinching
out the bud not to injure the leaves
imme lately below. Farmers gener-
ally have found that there is great
loss of weight in topping too high !;
the leaves will be thin and uniform.
| As a rule our most successful tobacco
growers do not allow higher num-
Der than ten leaves on a plant, and