Connecticut western news., 1883-04-25
TO Tobacco Growers.

The New Milford Gazette of April 20 contains letter from MT wv. Sander son of South Deerfeld, Mass, giving his experience as tobacco grower. We think 1t will be of interest to tobacco growers in this vicinity, therefore we copy it. Read 1t. In speaking of Ha- vana seed, MT Sandersen says:
 My success in growing this variety is due more to improvement in quality of seed and careful cultivation than all other items. I have grown Havana sev- en years and in only one instance land then 1-2 acre) have obtained less than one ton to the acre and as high as ?, ,600 pounds to the acre. l take run out grass land and blow it soon after having, very shallow, and blow again, seven or eight inches deep just before the ground freezes and then apply two or three barrels of dry slaked lime and in the spring harrow thoroughly and in May blow in 10 or 12 cords of good barn yard manure. When the plants are nearly large enough to set out, harrow fine and furrow out rows three feet apart and strew about two or three cords of fine manure in the furrow and five to 800 l pounds of Peruvian guano and cover this with ridger that will leave the | hills g inches apart The fertilizer leaf. Keep clean and cultivate often and have soil loose between the rows.
 Sucker clean and top high. A good or perfect crop cannot be secured unless it is suckered clean, as suckers suck the juice, absolutely necessary to perfect the | leaves.
 Let it stand four weeks or more to ripen after topping and hang with twine or hooks, as Havana is hard to lath and besides cures too quick The slower and darker it can be cured the better. Do each part carefully and well.
 Take down and strip only when in just the right condition and make neat single bundles of 10 to 12 pounds each
 Tie with two strings if Havana and three if seed leaf, keep the butts even and tips straight and you can always sell at g good price in the bundle. I Ialways sell
 in the bundle at from 16 to 20 cents ana others can do as we'll, if not better.
 About 10 years ago l believed i'm
 provement could be made in tobacco by selecting in some way the best seed ant adopted the following method, whicl
 proved my theory with seed leaf and fo
 the past seven years with Havana seed
 Select best plants, remove all sucker
 and when few of the earliest seed pod
 turn brown, remove all the blossoms anC
 seed pods not full size and the strength of the plant is concentrated in making
 the seed plump and strong, instead o large in quantity. When the seed i ripe, shell it and then carefully winnov it several times, removing from IA tt 1-3 of the hghtest seed, causing tn, } plant to give you the most perfect seed , By this method you get better qualit, and more weight.
 have sold large quantities of seet raised in this way and 1t always gay . satisfaction. I read 8 paper this pas ] winter to an audience of Sutfield tobac f co growers, which hope will result ii helping to regain the reputation of tn Connecticut tobacco. At present see 3 leaf will not supply the demand for fin r wrappeIs and Havana will, being ia
 superior in flavor and quality and nearl ,, equal in wrapping capacity to Sumatrs have used first, second, third, fourt : and tenth years growth of Havana seed
 but recommend the tenth years groWtl