Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1881-05-12

has also much TO do in influencing the
| crop. just as the dark .colored soils Of
this county are largely 10 be credited
with the rich, chestnut colored leaf Of
which we boast, lightcolored ground
VIII be likely to impart 10 n certain ex.
tent its color TO the tobacco crop grown
on it. In the northeastern portion Of
Lancaster county there are red sand.
| stone districts in which the earth and
rocks are fairy red, but buyers assure
us that when these lands are heavily
| manured the tobacco grown on them is
of excellent and hardly distinguishable
from that grown on more favored soils.
CHANGE or GROUND DESIRABLE.
Most farmers are accustomed TO
| change their tobacco ground from year
TO year, although some plant on the
| same grouud two or more years success
lively. There is no good reason why the
| same ground should not produce good
crops continuously, if well fed and
cared for. Two years ago we saw a crop
taken off an alluvial field on the Cones.
toga, which was the ninth in regular
succession. The grower told US il was
equal TO the frat one, and it was really
hard TO beat. But while these repeated
groupings are possible, we do not think
they should be encouraged. They are
likely TO work harm 10 the rest of the
farm, and IN this way: II tobacco is
grown on the same ground for a series
oil years, an undue share Of the con.
tents Of the barnyard are carried to
one spot instead Of being distributed
in due course over the entire farm.
When the manure is carried upon the
same spot in excessive quantities year
after year, the remaining acres are
bound To suffer and the general condi
ton Of the farm will in all probability
run down. There can be no doubt
that except in special cases a new rite
every year or two for the tobacco field
is advantageous. In this way all the
fields IN turn get their heavy coating of
manure and the average fertility Of the
farm Is kept up. The tobacco grower
should ever bear in mind that time
may come when tobacco growing may
be no longer desirable or profitable, and
when he will have to tall back on his
usual farm crops. II he Discovers that
this special crop has, through the un.
due prominence given II. lowered the
general productive capacity of his acres.
1t would have been well for him Der.
haps, II he had never grown a single TO.
bacco plant.
YAH AND SPRING FLOWING.
1t Is hardly worth while At the pres.
ent time 10 more than simply allude to
the fall plowIug OF tobacco ground
but we cannot allow the opportunity to
pass to advocate it, more general ptac.
tice. Spring plowing only is the almost
exclusive rule among our farmers. but
We believe they would find it 10 their
advantage in many respects 10 give the
ground It's initial plowIng in the fall.
We say initial pIowing, because more
than one plowing i almost indispensa.
blc 10 good crop, and il largely prac.
,lced by tobacco growers in Lancaster
county. As a rule tobacco ia put on
the previous years corn ground. A
few old growers, however, turn down
sod, and do ii IN the fall Their tcsti.
mouy i conclusive upon very impor.
tant point they are agreed that the
cut worms are far less numerous in the
following spring and consequently less
destructive. This is in itself a most
important consideration and deserving
of attention. OF course. the land should
bc turned before the grass has withered
and died. Unless this IL done little or
no advantage is derived from the grass
crop turned under The heavier the
vegetable growth on the ground the
more satisfactory the result the follow.
ing year. Then. too. TO let the turned
up burrows lie IN ridges during the
winter exposed to the various weather
Oh haa
the soil. No good results could come
from turning sod IN the spring for to-
bacco. There would be no time for the
vegetable mass TO decompose and be
come available "a plant food for the TO-
bacco plants. No doubt corn stubbles
would be all the better for like treat.
ment in the fall, although in the latter
case il would be best TO pillow under the
manure, so that in the following spring
1T would be brought 10 the surface again
better prepared by decomposition TO
feed the tobacco plants.
USE or TERTILlzEEs
The general rule. however, as we
have already stated, is TO pillow corn
ground in the spring for the purpose OF
preparing the tobacco field. Two or
asf WINS tttNit libNluE u 10 Ue
done haul out your manure. and, let us
say right here, put on nothing bit stable
manure. The experience OF the past
quarter Of a century in this county has
unmistakably pointed out that no 9th
er fertilizers 40 far used give such excel.
lent results. We do not think we err in
saying that much of the reputation the
tobacco of Lancaster county has so Just.
ly acquired is due 10 the almost exclu.
sive use of barnyard manure. We can.
not impress this fact too earnestly on the
minds of our tobacco growers. We do
not cay artificial fertilizers have not Civ.
en- good results. The tobacco grown by
their use is, however, not in favor with
packers or manufacturers. Ii burns
with a darker and less compact ash,
whereas with good soil and we'll rotted
earnyard manure a tough, light colored
ash is almost certain 10 result. These
are the requisites demanded by cigar
manufacturers, and the prowar sYnnst