The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1886-07-07

HOUSE..
By Capt. T. B. Davis, of Catawba County.
TOPPING.
In topping tobacco the end aimed
at is to secure the greatest weight
consistent with the desired texture,
color and body of the leaf, which last
means its toughness, oiliness and
sweet flavor. With the experienced
planter the rule is to top according
to the constitution of the plant, but
such a rule is too general to be Of
much use to the beginner, instead OF
which let him accept the following
directions:
So soon and fast as the buttons or
seed-heads of the plants show them-
selves, beginning usually about
the 10th of July, they should be top
ped. 1t is better to wait until the
seed-head appears, because the space
between the leaves on the stalk will
then have widened enough to admit
the sunlight between them; it should,
however, never be suffered to bloom.
At the first topping done in a
field such plants as are ready should
be first primed, that is to say, have
their lower leaves broken off as high
as four or six inches from the ground,
and then topped at ten and only ten
leaves, unless the form of the plant
is very gross, in which case twelve
leaves are not Objectionable. At the
second topping such other plants as
r ready should be topped at nine,
and SO on down t % eight and seven
leaves at each succeeding topping,
which is usually at an interval of
one week. The reason for lessening
the number of leaves at each sue
cessive topping, is to cause all the
plants which were planted at the
same time to ripen togther, this
being a great convenience in cut
ting. To facilitate the counting of
the leaves, the ninth leaf is the guide,
the formation of the plant being
such that after it is primed, the
ninth leaf points always over the
bottom one. It is important to take
notice of this.
And it is important to bear in
mind that to secure the desired quail
tiles of the leaf, nothing is more
necessary, and TO the beginner
generally misunderstood, than the
proper topping of the plant. To
ignorance in this matter is attribut-
able the greater part of the sleazy,
wecdy stuff which yearly gluts the
market, and which is almost worth
less for any purpose. For ifthe a
son is a generous one, the luxuriant
growth of the plant tempts many to
multiply the number of leaves. To
all such let me say, that while every
thing is lost in body, nothing is
gained in weight by high topping,
it being a maxim among growers of
shipping tobacco, with whom weight
is the prime object, that eight is the
maximum number of leaves for that
purpose-that is to say, hat the
same plant, if topped at eight leaves,
will weigh as much as if topped at
any greater number. Nor is any
CulHS W NC Sdlleu ny ulSH
in texture OF color, which, if the top
ping be such as I have directed, will,
in this piedmont section, be all hat
is desired.
SUCCORING.
AS Don as the plant is topped, it
begins to put forth succors at every
leaf, but more rapidly at the top,
each plant bearing two and only two
crops of them. They should be
taken out clearly as fast as they are
long enough to be broken by the
hand, for if suffered to grow and
tougher a pocket knight will be
necessary to remove them, at double
the cost in time and labor. After a
field has been generally topped, the
%succoring should accompany the
worming, and ought to be repeated
once a week. The ground succors
to be taken away as carefully as those
above, for they equally impoverish
the plant.