Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1885-04-02
The Tobacco Crop.

Tobacco culture has become so sue
cessful branch of farming in some
sections OF Wisconsin, that many who
have never before given it any attention
are now almost tempted to give tobacco
growing trial. To such the following
brief points ON the culture may be of
value:
Select for your tobacco field the rich
est piece of land you have on your
farm; the character of the soil is not of
so much Importance except that it be
rich. Tobacco land, more than almost
any other, should be MANFRED with a
liberal hand Stable or BARNARD ma
nure is every way the best. Avoid arti-
tlcial fertilizers or salt as you would
the Devil, if you have any regard for
the quality of leaf produced OF the
very highest Importance is the selection
OF seed. The popular variety is the
Spanish or Havana seed The pedigree
of tobacco seed must be as clear and
pure as that of choice stock for breed
ing purposes. Scrub stock may be fed
| and groomed forever and it will still be
scrub stock; and so it is with seed. If
1t IS not pure and true to name, no mat
ter what the condition of the soil, or
how faithful the cultivation, the crop at
best can be but mongrel. The first
principle of success is good seed.
Plant beds may be started as early as
the ground can be worked in the spring.
Select rich spot of ground, if a little
sandy or sheltered all the better, pillow
or spade strip six or eight feet wide
and as many rods long as you intend to
plant acres. Rake until thoroughly
pulyerized and free from Jumps. Then
for the purpose of moisture. eitility
and warmth apply top dressing of
| good stable or barnyard manure, the
fresher the better if free from seeds,
which should be raked into the soil be-
fore seeding. TO SOW the seed evenly.
mix the seed with ashes, sawdust or
meal. An ounce of seed will sow bed
forty feet long by six feet wide, and with
proper care ought TO give plants for two
acres. Many planters buy one ounce
| for each acre. The surface of the bed
should then be covered with straw, hay.
stalks. or what is better canvas, to pre-.
vent the winds from drying the surface
and also to draw heat A successful
grower gives the following directions
for applying canvas: ssIn making my
beds | fit the boards closely to ground,
| packing the soil we'll at the lower edge
| OF the boards to exclude wind and cold
air. use 12-inch board on the north
and one 6 inches wide on the south, with
the end-boards sloped to match Make
beds feet wide, use two widths ordi-
nary unbleached factory cloth, hemming
wool-twine in the edges and lacking to
the boards with large size tacks." tits
also policy to sow later beds, say Nav
10th, with sprou,ed seed TO guard
against the failure of the first sowing.
Great care should be exercised during
the first two weeks not to allow the sur
face OF the bed to become dry, ether
wise the tender sprouts will be destroy
/ ed. Ordinarily plants viii begin TO
show themselves about May goth, and
as soon as mp should be pushed as rap
idly as possible. Liquid manure can be
applied with good results, one gallon to
every 100 square yards, and the beds
kept free from weeds and grass. Plants
| should be large enough to set, (when
/ six leaves are the size of silver dollars0
by June 10Th. they are set much ike
cabbage, feet X 20 inches, so as ia
work with horse only one way, or "a
feet each way So as to work both WAYS.