Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1881-08-18

/ later in the day. The tobacco is left
/ lying in the rows until it has wilted
sufficiently TO admit Of easy handling;
the leaves lose their brittleness aud can
be manipulated more easily.
PUTTING IT os THE Lathe.
Formerly there were many methods
IN vogue 10 hang up the tobacco but
the almost universal practice now is to
suinR the plants on latbs one and
hhli inches vide, from fve-eights tn
three quarters Of an inch thick and
four feet long. This is done by means
oi an iron spear head, beyeled on both
sides, moderately sharp at the cutting
edge ard with "A socket into which the
lath fits closely. One end Of the lath is
placed firmly on the ground while the
iron spear is affixed 10 the other and
held with the left hand with the right
hand pick up a plant at the butt end
and aiiiK 1t against the spear, then with
both hands grasp the plant and press
II against it until the stalk has been
pierced and the plant pushed 10 its
place on the lAth. Another practice
rapidly coming into vogue by the most
advanced growers is to have a socket
affixed TO the tobacco wagon itself,
which leaves the lath in "A horizontal
position, and by which the leaves Of
the plants can be kept from becoming
entangled, az each stalk is pushed TO its
proper place on the lath at once. and
requires no further re arrangement.
The leaves are also kept from the
ground during this operation. which is
an important matter. The size of the
plants must govern the number that is
J fttI n tath Il 1
five or Elk will bc enough. for crowdiug
must be avoided but where they are
small seven or eight can be strung on a
single lath. When left in the field to
wilt first, Of course they can be put
closer together. Years ago, before the
spear was known, the plants were
strung up with strings sometimes, or
fastened 70 the rails in the barn with
Eails. Both these processes were more
tedious and did not give such good re.
suits. Lattetly a few growers have
adopted plan which we believe posses
ses advantages over the method Of
spearing the plants. This j. to use
laths little heavier than those now
employed. drive nails into them on al.
ternate sides At a sufficient angle IN
prevent the plants from slipping of
while handling them, and on these
hang the plants by making small
Inclsion at the butt Il is generally
conceded that the splitting OF the stalk
10y the spear allows that portion 10 dry
out too rapidly, quicker than the uu-
split portion, and thus the leaves cure
uncycnly. lti- also held that the more
slowly the stem dries, the finer the
leaves will he. both these advantages
are obtained by hanging the plants on
the laths by hooks or nails firmly at.
tached TO or driven into the laths. The
one objection to this plan is that the
laths prepared on this pflaciple are
uguch more costly. and 81 most Of the
/ growers have the old kind. they are un.
willing TO incur the expense Of getting
the other ones. These laths also allow
! tue filling up OF given space more
. evenly as the leaves are hung on both
sides alternately instead OF right in the
centre as by the old method Those
who use them unite in speaking very
! highly OF their many advantage
I When used in the field, lsth is hung
I on the rear end Of the tobacco wagon
/ in place specially designed for that
/ purpose, where IL ls held firmly in its
/ place and when filed second man on
\ the wagon can hang il over the rails
and substitute an empty one to be filed
/ IN turn.
TuE TOBACCO WAGON.
1 There is no more useful implement
I at the tobacco growers command than
( the tobacco wagon. Ii j. the great tool
I Of his trade and the wonder is II was
not invented long before it really was.
/ BY means Of it the tobacco is safely
/ carried 10 the field scaffold and from
thence to the tobacco barn. No pro.
I gressive tobacco planter should be with.
I out one. it y so we'll known that We
/ deem II unnecessary 10 described il
here. Suffice il to say that instead of
I being piled on each other to a height
of from three to SIX feet and liable 10
/ great damage thereby. and thus hauled
TO the scsiiold or barn, the plants after
being speared are easily hung on the
four feet wide upright frame and trans.
ported without sustaining any damage
whatever.
THE TOBACCO ScArFoLD.
The common practice in Lancaster
county Is now to scaffold tobacco prior
10 putting il in the barn. The Adyan.
tages are less danger from overcrowding
ana heaunG, greater security to the
leaf and economy OF space. as wilted
plants will occupy far less room in the
tobacco shed than green plants iust
out OF the field. The practice has every.
thing 10 recommend IL. The scafoid
Is erected in some suitable place in the
tobacco field. generally under the shade
of some trees. Here posts, forked
poles or some other conirivance is set
up and on these at intervals of four
feet rails OF some sort are affixed hori.
zonialiy, and sufficiently high not 20 al.
low the tobacco TO touch the ground
on these the tobacco laihs with the
/ plants speared on them are hung. and
left 10 dry for period, varying with
the fancy OF the planter. from three TO
ten days, when the leaves will hang
loosely apart. and they are once more
1 removed ur0n tho uurfsLt Franz sg skn