Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1886-07-17
TOBACCO CULTURE.
Printing, Topping, Worming and sucker
erInp the Tender Plants.

Printing, Topping, worming and sucker
ering the Tender Plants.
Under this head there is a wld eli
ference of opinion. Breaking oil the
small and inferior leaves of the plant
near the ground is called printing
which operation is done along with the
topping" if done at all. There are
| advantages for and against primlng'
but all resort to topping -pluckmg out
the seed bud and adjacent small leaves
with the thumb and finger. Some con-
tend that pulling off the lower leaves
saps the plants and retardS the growth
if the weather is dry; that permitting
the lower leaves to remain on the
stalks protects the upper ones from
sand and grit, makes them cleaner ana
| therefore more salable. Sand and grit
are the terror of the tobacco buyer.
On the other hand, it is contended by
| some that by pulling oil the lower
leaves, which are generally useless
the remaining leaves receive more nu-
triment and contain more wax. oil and
| cum. and that the lower leaves harhor
worms and make the worming process
| more tedious.
1t is best to wait until a considerable
number of plants begin to button for
| seed before commencing to top. Top
ping should be the work of experienced
| and trusty hands-men who can top,
| leaving any required number of leaves
| on a plant without counting. The Sc
| cret of this-no longer a secret to the
| initiated is, that the topper soon
| learns to know that. counting the bot
| tom leaf and the leaf that hangs over
| it in the third tier going upward, make
nine leaves, including both top and
| bottom leaves. Fixing this in his
mind. the topper has only to add to or
deduct from this index leaf marking
nine, to leave any desired number of
leaves on each plant with certainty
and without counting. Young man,
if YOU don't know how, get some
old fellow to show you. Topping,
you will find, is a slow bust
ness if v1l have to count the
leaves on all the plants topped. II the
plants are not ''primed.' then the bot
tom leaf must be fixed by the eve, look
inc upward for the leaf in the third
tier. which hangs over it, to catch the
one as before. If printing is done.
don't err in pulling off too many leaves
No regular rule can be given. so the
planter must Judge for himself. The
reason given for waiting until many
plants are ready to be topped is mainly
that more plants NAV ripen together.
and be ready for the knife at the same
time. This is an advantage that ap-
plies with strong force to all tobacco
intended for fine curing. The number
of leaves to be left on each plant varies
according to the time the work is done,
early or late. the appearance and pros
pcctive development of the plant, the
season. whether propitious or unfavor-
able. strength of the soil and amount
of %fortiIizing material applied. On
medium soils, in ordinary seasons, the
first topping should be from ten to
thirteen leaves rarely re for
brights: for sweet filters from nine to
ten, and for dark, rich shipping, from
eight to nine leaves are enough. As
the season advances reduce the num-
Der of leaves accordingly. remember
ing that quality more than quantity
REGULATES returns.
Many devices have been resortcd to
in order to lessen the number and miti-
gate the ravarcs of the horn worm, but
the lack of Hgeneral and continued
efforts from year to year has brought
only partial relief. Some wears thcv
come in great numbers, and. despite
the best efforts of the planter, seriously
damage his crop. PERHAPS the next
wear they are few. and give him no
trouble. 1t is the nature of this insect
TO raise at least two broods during the
wear. The hawk moth or tobacco fly
usually makes his appearance in the
month of Nav, The eggs deposited
by the first moths hatch ont in from
five to seven days Larvae or worms.
The worm sheds its outer skin twice
before it gets its growth. The grow
ing stage of the worm lasts from
TWENTY-FIVE to thirty days, and after it
has attained its growth it gorgcs itself
for a few DAYS longer and then crawls
or burrows into the ground. where it
soon passes into the pnpa state; and.
after some twenty-thrcc or TWENTY-FIVE
DAYS from the time of its crawling into