The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1885-10-21

tobtio thO SuitI W. NCi SuSN , thp-
idly done, and well suited to negro
trouble with the horn worm, but about
that time they appeared in vast and
quantities, and before l
could get my raw negro hands ''cdu-
up to the point Of catching all
of them, big and little as they went,
the ones left behind, and growing rap
idly to enormous size, had done me,
great injury. AS soon as the worms
appcard | also took measures to reduce
their numbers by poisoning the moth,
whose egg laid on the under side of
the tobacco leaf, produces the worm.
To this end, in. the cultivation of the
crop, had instructed my hoo hands
to spare all plants ot the Jimpson
(,JameSt0Wn) weed found growing in
the tobacco hills, the seed going to the
field with the compost, | suppose, and
the consequence was that in each lot
| had a few very flourishing stalks of
Jimpson just coming into bloom.
Within these blooms, which arc the
favOritc food of the ''hawk MOTH" and
which arc open at night and closed in
daylight, or, at least, sunlight, J. each
evening injected a few drops of sweet
cncd water, pretty well celorcd with
cobalt, using a small machine oil can
with spring bottom as an injector. |
Don began to find the dead moths,
and in less than u weeks time had the
satisfaction to note, first n decrease in
the eggs and young worms, and in
two weeks time q total disappearance
of all except tn! old worms neglected
in previous worming; nor have | been
bothered with them since, except once,
when my Jimpson weeds being nearly
killed by the continued doses of cobalt
| discontinued the use ct it n few days,
when | found the worms again ap-
pcaring and Young moths growing nu>
mcrous in the fields. A few, two or
three, docs n week has kept them under
ever since: and right here | will say
that | believe if had commenced the
use of the cobalt rs soon as the first
Jimpson bloom appeared [ should
have escaped tho worms almost alto
gethcr.
My tobacco showing sccd-buds first
about 18th July-thc first planting-I
TOPPED enough for one barn about
July 20. This tobacco was cut and
put in barn August 20; cured out
August %, and the specimens | send
you are from it.
After the rain, Goth August, it all
grew rapidly, and for the first time
gave me some trouble with the suck
crs, which have been or should be re-
moved each week until ready for the
knife. | find the additional difficulty,
resulting from the rain Of that date,
that all my bottom leaves on the older
tobacco arc ripe and all the tips or top
leaves are green ana growing. AS,
however, | must get through by frost,
curing two barns a week, and having
barely time to do that, l an compelled
to cut, and the result is that while |
have q fair show of bright tobacco,
suitable for wrappers, | have II very
unreasonable amount OF green tips
which 10 skill and care will make any
thing Csc OF. For this the season is
responsible. If we had had rains,
even an average amount of it in the
spring and summer, all the tobacco
would have been ripe to the top and
ready for the knife by this time.
built me two curing barns Of most
approved style: fitted them with dou-
bic return flucs, costing barns com
plctc, about $95 each, and find them
to act perfectly. l have already cut
and cured eight barns of from 400 to
500 pounds weight of cured leaf, and
expect to cure six or, perhaps, seven
more. | have also built a most sub
stantial packing house, 40 by 20, two
floors, giving me capacity for storing
about 35 boxes, besides room for strip
ping and handling. 1 will prepare my
tobacco for market during the warm
wet spells in the winter months; will
pack it in hogshcads and ship to some
market in North Carolina or Virginia,
and when | get returns will tell you
moro about it as a money O Thus
far | have demonstrated to my own
s~atisfaction:
1st. That our soil aud climate are
best adapted to the production of fine
yellow tobacco.
I'd. That the kind and abundance of
labor W. have is with good manage
mcnt, Il good stock of patience, due al
lowancc for ignorance and consequent
incfficicncy, until taught,) peculiarly
favorable to its production as All auxil-
larry crop.
3D.. That l shall enlarge my facilities
for curing and storing, and next year
shall extend the production on my own
place by inducements held out TO my
tenants to plant two to four acres to
the family, to be worked by them, lin
which operation women and children
can be most profitably employed dur
ing the idle season of August and to
18th Soptcmbcr,) and afterwards, when
ready 10 cure, to he sold on hill or
cured on shai cs, as agreed upon.
4th. That you have not heard the
last of tobacco growing rs an industry
in this section.
| send you q few hands of Upright"
running from first grade leaf to bright
''lug," which you can place with other
South Carolina products in Agricnl-
tural Hall, remembering that bright
yellow tobacco Will stand neither
handling nor light, (excessive) and
that it should not be subjected to the
extremes of wet and dry. Those spec
linens have never yet been bulkcd, and
are not at their best, but may at least
rank as cariosilics, coming, rs they do
from the first barn Of .gue curcd
tobacco eUer cured IN the state,
august 20, 1882 81 far as | know,
md rartniniy tho tfrcf o,,nI &, u,L,I