The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1879-03-19

to give any extended instructions to
any grower in regard to the cover
they require and their treatment gen.
orally.
PLANTING.
Plant about the end of May or the
beginning of June, as circumstances
and the season will permit. Set the
plants about twenty-four inches
apart in the rows, and, as have be-
fore stated, learn to plant by expert
ence. You will soon learn that in
dry weather you will have to adapt
yourself to deeper planting, and to
use water if too dry, and that ju-
diciously; and in wet weather that
you cannot be too careful so you
will not cause a clod or bake
around the plant after the coming Of
a dry spell. Like in any other occu-
patton, you will succeed best after
you have gained experience.
CUT-WoRMS.
Soon after the plant is set the
cut-worm" makes its appearance,
which requires watching. Then,
after several weeks, another and
greater enemy appears in the horn
worm," large green worm with
a conspicuous horn on the back near
the hind end), which, if left to itself,
would destroy the whole crop. Many
ways have been recommended to de-
stroy these worms, or the parents Of
them, by keeping bright fires burn
ing around the field as a trap; by
striking them down in the evening
with paddle, or by introducing
poison into the flowers of the i'm
son weed" on the honey of which
they feed; but the most effective
way to keep them from running the
tobacco plants is to go over the field
often enough to pick off all the
worms and destroy them.
CULTIVATION.
The only advice on this point is,
as soon as the plants have started to
grow, go in with the cultivator and
hoe. Repeat it often enough so as
to keep the soil loose and all the
grass and weeds down until 1t be-
comes too large to work with cult
vator and hoe.
TOPPING AND SUCKERING.
Topping should be done as soon as
the seeds appear, letting from eight
to twelve leaves remain, according to
the fertility of the soil or lateness of
the season, and break off all the suck
ers as you go along the rows.
CUTTING.
This operation must also be learned
by experience. When your leaves
become dotted with yellow spots
become glossy and crack by doub-
ling them together-you had better
begin to harvest Immediately, as you
will always run risk of hailstorms
o. frost. Let it wilt on the ground
before you handle it. After this
there are always as many different
ways OF handling it as there are
farmers who cultivate it. Most of
the tobacco housed is strung on four
feet laths, and conveyed on wagons
constructed Tor the special purpose of
hauling it to the tobacco house but
some store it on scaffolds from one to
four days before they put it on poles
or in the house or shed. The eXpe-
rience OF one year, especially the first
year, will Indicate the course to pur-
sue the next year.
STRIPPING AND SORTING.
This is the last operation, and puts
the finishing touch to the manipula-
lions of the crop las Scripture says,
"The crown is not in the beginning
nor the middle, but in the end")
which ought to be done with the
greatest care, in order to secure
ready sale. Sort it in four classes,
marked AA, A and B, and "fillers,"
after which the price it will com.
mand, separate from the market, will
be according to its quality.
CONCLUSION.
Let quality be the aim Of your am
bition, rather than quantity. High
quality always commands "a ready
sale and fair prices, is easier handled
and involves less labor than large
quantity Of inferior garbage. A large
quantity of inferior tobacco, like
other inferior things, may not pro-
duce as much marketable bulk as a
smaller quantity of superior stock,
and, moreover, it is the poorest kind
OF material out of which to build a
solid reputation as a reliable tobacco
farmer.