Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1885-10-01

season" IS very wet, the SOIL SnOulu only
be closed to the roots, as too much pressure
THE PROPER SIZE OF PLANTS.
The proper size for planting is when the
plants have five or six leaves, three to five
inches long: They are drawn with the
hand from the seed bed one by one and car
which they are dropped on the hills-one to
each-by small boys and girls, while the
"grown-up" hands follow and set them as
before described. 1t is the custom with a
good many planters to wash the roots be-
fore they are set, claiming that they live
better, but the larger number set as they
are drawn from the beds.
At every succeeding ''season" till the first
day of July the field should be gone over
and the missing hills replanted: 1t is gen.
orally considered satisfactory if good
stand" is obtained by the 10th of June, but
the earlier the better.
THE PLAN OF CULTIVATION.
In eight or ten days after planting, or as
soon as the plants begin to take root, the
hill should be scraped down with wedding
hoes. It is not usual to plough new land
at the first working, but the plough is used
first on old land, by running close alongside
the plants and throwing off furrow, while
the hoes follow to weed down and draw a
little fresh soil to the plants. The second
the whole row is broken up by running
three times with a shovel plough. The
hoes again follow to draw more soil to the
plants, giving them q broad, fiat hill. Then
again, quickly follows the third and final
ploughing, the hoes again following to finish
with large and elevated hill to the plants.
The cultivation should be quick and thor
ough, and not continued beyond the mid
die Of July. The last ploughing may be
done with a cotton sweep, which is fast
growing in favor for that purpose.
"PRIMING" AND "TOPPING."
soon as the plants are large enough, a
few of the bottom leaves are broken off,
usually from three to six inches above the
surface of the hill, and the bud is broken
out, leaving from ten to fourteen leaves on
the stalk. The former process is called
"priming," the latter "topping." Too high
priming as we'll as topping delays the
growth Of the plant, and as early maturity
is all-important to successful curing, the
general practice is to prime low and top at
not exceeding ten leaves, unlesss the plants
promise to be very large, in which case more
leaves are left to prevent too coarse a
growth. If the season is wet and the plants
luxuriant and vigorous, higher topping will
be required, and if dry, lower. 1t is the
practice of some planters to top high, early
in the season, and if afterwards it be found
that too many leaves have been left it is
easy to remove them.
Upon the good judgment of the topper
depends the successful maturity of the crop,
and none but skilled hands should under
take this work. 1t requires experience to
be able to tell from the appearance of the
plant how many leaves should be left, and
nothing save practice can give this.
Generally there is but little topping done
till the cultivation is finished. 1t is then
continued from week to week until all the
plants are topped. AS the season advances
the number of leaves left must be less and
less in order to bring the late plants to ma
turity: The topping. should be finished by,
or before the 10th of August. If any, but
few plants should be allowed to remain un-
topped after this date.
Successful management at this stage OF
the crop depends greatly upon the good
Judgment Of the planter, who must be gov
erned by the appearance of the crop and the
early or late seasons; the great desideratum
being to bring in as much weight of plant
as can be matured in time for curing.
"WoRMING" AND "sUCKERING."
The worms are not usually plentiful or
troublesome till the topping begins. Some
times, however, they make their appear
ance soon after the crop is planted. Worm
ing is slight work and can be done by girls
or boys, who will be apt to keep them of
if prizes are given for the largest number
caught, or some plan adopted to create emu
lation or rivalry among the catchers. The
crop should be gone over at least once if not
twice week. AS long as it remains in the
field the worms will continue to cut and eat
the leaves, and nothing but the most un-
firing watchfulness and labor will keep
them down.
Very soon after the topping is commen-
ced the plants will begin to put out suckers.
These should not be allowed to grow more
than three or four inches before they are
pulled off. Both worming and suckering
can 60 on at the same time, and it is neces-
sary to go over as often for one as the other.
Eternal vigilance" is not in this case the
"price of liberty" but is absolutely neces-
sary to secure good crop with whole leaves.
The suckers make the leaves light and the
worms make them ragged