The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1885-06-03
Tobacco Culture.

cuiLlVHtlOn hiiu manaScmenb Vi "
bacco from plant.bed to the ware
mouse floor; but as il is too late 70
my first, about plant.beds, / will CON
mence with the second, preparation
and planting. Thorough prepare
| tion Of the land before planting
essential for q good crop. The Ian,
should be thoroughly broken; a
least three times before it is bedde'
and hilled. Any land that is sand.
and has a mulatto sub-soil is adaptet
to the growth Of iine, yellow tobacco
If after plowing your land three d
four times. and it is cloddy, harrow
it well with q heavy two.horse har
row, and then Immediately bed and
hill, as somes land bake after the
first rain after being narrowed. OF
course no one who owns such lands
will harrow before they are ready fol
planting. Lap off your rows three
feet a part and drill in about one
hundred pounds per thousand hills,
some good commercial fertilizer, il
your land is poor; If in good condi'
tion, 800 hundred pounds per acre
will be sufficient. If you have il,
and can possibly do so, put enough
stable manure in the drill, SO that
each plant will have about a single
handful in the hill. Any more than
that is injurious to the tobacco, Of.
ter manuring as above, as it keeps
the plant growing too long, and keeps
it green after il is grown. prefer
tobacco checked for several reasons.
First, It can be plowed each way,
and requires less hoe work. Second.
BY putting your fertilizer in the hill
and then running across your beds,
every three feet, you can drop your
stable manure in the check, save a
good deal Of stable manure, and have
your tobacco hills nearer equidistant
which is very important, il you wish
TO have tobacco Of uniform size. Cow
pen manure is equally as good as
stable manure If kept under shelter.
| prefer composing the stable ma
nure and COW manure together. throw.
ing enough rich dirt and litter to keep
it from firing. Ashes are also good,
though some object to ii, saying, it
keeps the tobacco green too long; as
far as my experience goes they are
one among the best fertilizers for TO.
bacco we have, and il is a great mis-.
take with guano companies that they
have so little potash In their guano.
A great many farmers think 1t re-
quires a good deal Of ammonia TO
make q good tobacco crop as the oli
genuine Peruvian contained 10 per
cent, and as they then made suck
good crops they could do so now If
they could get II pure never thought
that at least one half the ammonia
escaped in the air before their tobac.
co commenced to grow, and that their
good crop was owning to the large
per cent. of potash IL contained. The
best crop Of tobacco I ever raised
the guano contained no ammonia,
but from 4to 6 per cent. Of potash
IL eveiy other ingredient except am.
monia Is present in the soil that is es.
sential to the development Of the
plant, the atmosphere will supply
that. Your plants should be at least
three feet apart each way, and as /
stated before, as near equidistant as
possible. Should you put your manure
in the bill be sure 10 mix il thorough.
ly with the dirt as il has tendency
10 FIRE the tobacco in dry weather IL
not thoroughly mixed. Have your
rows run so that all surplus water
will readily pass of. Ifpossible have
horizontal bitches every twenty or
thirty steps 10 carry 1t of, running
farther than that in tobacco lots Is
injurious both 10 the land and tobac.
co. Have broad fat hills for rolling
lands and high sloping hills for fat
lands. In drawing your plants
care should be taken not 10 bruise
the roots. The largest always TO be
drawn first, going over the entire bed
getting the plants as near the same
size as possible, Us that will enable
you TO have your whole lot come In
nearly at the same time, which will
save you time and trouble both in
topping and cutting time. Water
your beds after each drawing, so the
Dirt may settle back 10 the roots and
keep your plants growing. In plant.
ing have q large peg; insert it deep
enough in the bill as you wish 70 put
your plant, withdraw the peg, insert
tae plant, and then insert The peg 10
the ground as deep as the one your
plant is in, and about one inch from
the plant; then press the peg 10 the
plant, care being taken that the press
ure be harder at the root than at the
top Of the plant; for no plant will
live IL q hole is left at the bottom Of
the plant. should have mentioned
that the roots Of the plants should il
every instance be washed clean Of
dirt.