Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1885-08-27
Harvesting TOBACCO.

Harvesting Tobacco.
A very good way is to cut the plants
just at night, and take them to the she'd
early in the morning alter the dew is
OF The plants are then cool and less
liable to pole rot or sweat by adopting
this method OF harvesting, in hanging
the plants avoid erowding, as space is
as much the object with tobacco grow
ers as with newspaper men. and if the
plants are oyererowded the leaves are
apt To sweat and rot. In about two
weeks, however, the danger is passed
and the leaves will have commenced to
"cure down, changing at first from
green to yellow and from yellow to
brown, the natural color of the leaf.
Too rapid curing is not desirable, since
the leaf is not to be dry and husky,
rather than soft and silSy. Keep the
sheds as dark as possible if dark colored
leaf is sought for, and open the doors If
a lighter shade is wished for. Close the
doors next the sun at all times, and
open on the other side, but open all
during the lighs unless the weather is
very muggy-a most dangerous time
for the curing process and the time
when pole rot and sweat will enSue.
! AtNGl NhC ttlIAlS VI 1tdbES are iii -'EiiTttl
down. close the sheds tight so that the
color may even up, but should a damp
spell come on, open the door, but not if
rain beats in on the leaves. Before cut
ting the plants see that they are thor
oughly suekered, as the offshoots are
liable to grow when hung up, and the
curing leaves coming in contact with
them are apt to rot and be otherwise
! injured. Tobacco plants may be hung
either with Irvine or strings, or laths, as
may be thought best Both modes of
! hanging in the sheds have their advo-
Gates. many claiming that when hung
on laths the leaves cure better and are
/ less liable to sweat or rot Well ripenad
/ tobacco will cure faster than when only
| partially ripe; hence there is less dan
ger from rotting when the plant is thor
oughly matured. Havana seed tobacco
must not be cut unless well ripened, as
the leaves viii be bitter ii cut when
/ green. The plants of this variety
should stand in the field so long as
there is no danger from frosts say from
/ eighteen to twenty-four days after being
4 topped, and in some cases even longer.
/ On low grounds, where the early frost
| nips the vegetation, the plants should
be carefully watched and cut, even if
| not ripe; since n severe frost, or any
/ frost, even a white one, units the
| leaves for use, and since unripe tobacco
/ is better than that touched by this mer-
CHESS foe of the weed Scientific
/ Farmer.
The time of cutting tobacco has much
to do with its value
/ A very common fault is to allow
plants designed for wrappers to become
| too ripe.
In some fields plants are very irregu-
/ lar-due to lack of care in sizing, trans
planting and fertilizing. Side by side
may be seen plants just budding and
others in full bloom. Owners of such
fields are preparing to top uniformly,
instead of irregularly, as they should.
/ The attempt to remedy mistakes or
carelessness in sizing, replanting and
preparation of the soil by radical
measures in topping. has always failed
and invariably resulted in irregular
colors and quality.
As to the exact time of cutting-for
there is an exact time-those who have
carefully considered the suggestions
heretofore offered in these columns will
be better able to judge than those who
have not. because the growth of their
plants will be more uniform
Ii topping has been well timed, the
upper leaves will be well developed,
and the appearance of yellowish spots,
which first appear in the ground leaves,
in the wrappers, and generally through
out the plant is the first call to cut; in
second cali is the extension of spots in
the top leaves and prouneed yellow
ness of the lower leaves; the third call
will be tall suckers. yellow leaves
throughout and general air of "gone
to the devil written all over the field.
On cloudy days tobacco may be cut
at any time. but this work generally
falls in hot sunny weather and in this
case the methods of Mr.. Samuel Long.
which are generally approved by the
best planters. are recommended.
Begin at or o'clock in the afternoon.
Plants are too brittle in the morning
and there is more danger of burning in
the first half Of the day. No more should
be cut at a time than can be conve-
niently handled with the force at hand
in time to prevent burning. Ii the sky
is clear and the day very hot cut less
and watch constantly. turning the
plants to prevent burning. If plants
can be conyiently laid with the butts to
the west it is better to do so to shield
the points of the leaves, which burn
/ first.
As soon as the plants are wilted they
should be hauled to the shed and imme-
diately hung up. II obliged to lay over
night the plants should not be piled
more than foot high, as they viii heat
and turn yellow.
In hanging, six to eight stalks 10 a
stick and sixteen to eighteen sticks TO a
rail are all that should be risked. The
first figures mentioned win be found
safest. The rule is TO hang on the stick
so that the outside leaves of the plants
| barely touch at first.
The danger to be scrupulously avoided
in cutting and hanging is burning--in
! the field and in the shed. = Bulletin