Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1885-05-16
Preparation Of Tobacco Lands.
Nashville American

The proper preparation of soils for
tobacco is of the utmost importance to
secure good crop. The profits will
be far greater upon one acre of land
we'll prepared and MANFRED than upon
five or six that have not received the
proper attention. Whatever soils are
intended for tobacco should always be
broken we'll in the fall so that the
ameliorating effects of the winter
freezes may be had. One of the most
beneficial effects of freezing is the fine
pulverulent condition in which it
leaves the soil. Another is the dis
Judgement of new mineral matter in
the soil, and third is the porosity
which is given tc the soil by which the
air may permesite il and destroy any
noxious compounds that may exist.
Another good effect may be had in the
destruction ofinsects which prey upon
the plants.
Ifpossihle a second breaking should
be given in February, and a third, but
shallow one, early in May. Before the
latter is done all the manure that can
be collected from the stable, the barn
yard, the ashhoppers or the tobacco
barns, should be hauled to the field
and scattered broadcast over the poorer
spots. We say poorer spots because if
the field is at all rolling there will be
some places from which the soil has
been washed and deposited in lower
| levels The thinner spots will there
fore need assistance while the richer
low lands may produce good crop
without it. The object next in view
! should he so to distribute the manure
SO rs to make the crop as near as may
| be of uniform size when it natures.
Uniformity in product is a great factor
in securing good prices.
After the field has been narrowed
and brushed until the soil is well and
/ deeply pulverized it should be marked
off each way 81 feet apart (some FARM
ere prefer 3 by 4 feet), and at the points
where the marks or burrows intersect,
tablespoonful of some good super.
phosphate of lime should be dropped
and well worked up with the soil and
low fiat hill made. These fiat hills
are much better than decapitated
ridges, Tor the reason that they are
more moist and the transplanted tobac-
COTS more apt to live; besides the fer
tilizer is much more easily applied.
The chief object in applying fer
tilizer to the hill is to induce quick
growth. The quicker the plants be-
gin to grow the sooner they will be be-
yonl the destruction of cut-wOrms and
grasshoppers and the sooner they may
be worked. They come into top and
, ripen earlier and in nine years out of
ten the early harvested tobacco proves
to be the best.
In parts OF Kentucky and especially
in the White Burley district the plant
ers make no hills. but set the plants
on one side OF furrnw. Ii CONNER
cial fertilizers are used they are
pnt around the plants after
they have been set. Neither in the
White Buriey district nor in the seed
leaf district OF Pennsylvania and New
En- lind are plants made to align in
but one way The tebacco.is set like
cabbage in drills, and all the cultiva-
ton is done one way. While the rows
are placed usually three and half feet
apart, the plants are set in the TOMS
from twenty-five to twenty six inches
apart. The amount grown per acre
in the seed-leaf and White Hurley dis
trIcts will average at least twenty-five
per cent. more than in the heavy ship
ping districts. There is no reason
why this should be SO, and it is suS-
ceptible OF but one explanation that
more manure is applied and there is
better preparation OF the soil and pos
sibly better cultivation.