The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1879-03-20

IN good time a >utfciency Of plant
Land, III good, warm situations for
early plants. PlatS in the forest.
sloping south or southeast. are
best. In the latitude of Virginia.
seed should be sown from the 1st
of January To the 10th OF March
the ooner the better.
Commercial manures. as they
contain notgrass seeds, are better
for plants than manures produced
on the farm.
Make the plant bed thoroughly
fine by repeated choppings and
rakings !: and then mix the tobac-
co seed. using two tablespoonful
IN from twenty-five TO thirty
pounds of fertilizer to every one
hundred square yards in the bed.
and SOW the mixture on the sur
face, Then whip the surface with
brush on rake over lightly.
Tobacco seed. the smallest Of all
farm seeds. require but light cover
ing if covered too deepthcy never
! terminate. Then cover over the
bed with fine brush or straw. to
protect the young plants from frost
and to keep the bed moist.
In hot bed or cold frame. tobac-
! co plants may be grown large
enough to plant out in from forty
to fifty days. Sometimes it is nee
essary to force the plants in growth,
SO that they may be large enough
to transcript at the proper time. \
| quick, reliable fertilizer is best for
the purpose and as it is important
that the planter make no mistake
in his selection, | recommend the
Anchor Brand Tobacco Fertilizer
as a top dressing, with caution to
planter not to apply it when the
plants are wet with rain or dew.
Gray, tribale soils. fresh from the
forest or long out of cultivation,
with dry, porus subsoil. are best
adapted to the growth and maturity
Of yellow tobacco.
Lands capable Of produc-
ing yellow tobacco need Just such
help as is furnished by the fertilizer
if it be proitably used. Apply in
the drill, except on new ground,
where this mode is inappli{able
and broadcasting is best.
Plant in Mills instead of beds, as
early after the 10th of May as
plants and seasons will admit.
Commence cultivation as so0n rs
the plants spread over the hill,
whether grassy or not, and contIn-
lie to stir the land with ploughs and
hoes till the tobacco begins to come
in top, using the short single trees,
as the plants increase in size, to
prevent breaking and bruising.
When the plants are too large to
admit the plough use only hoes to
keep down the grass and weeds.
Wait till a considerable number
of plants begin to button for seed
before you commence to top, then
these will ripen about the same
time. Topping must be done ac-
cording to the appearance and
promise of each plant, strength of
soil and time the work is done.
First topping for medium tobacco
should be from ten to twelve leaves,
rarely more printing of lower
leaves, neither too high Tor too
low, but just high enough, that
when the plant ripens, the lower
leaves may be well off the ground.
Continue topping as the plants are
large enough, observing az the
season advances to top lower and
lower, so as to bring IN the late
plants before frost. The plough
should not be used later than the
first day Of August, as ploughing
late keeps the tobacco green too
long, and may cause it to ripen of
a green color. The hoe should be
relied on after hat time to clean
the crop.
After the tobacco begins to grain
that is to rlpen-nelthcr pillow
mol hoe should be used, as it has
been found best to sacrifice pounds
to color.
The plant, after being topped,
should be kept clean from worms,
or better still, kill the tobacco fly
with cobalt in the flowers Of the
jamestown weed = and the suck
ers should be pulled off before they
grow too long. Mind do not be IN
a hurry to cut your tobacco before
fully ripe and enough fully and
uniformly ripe to fill a barn. Have