Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1888-07-17
Tobacco Culture.

Tobacco Culture.
Cor. Southern Cultivat)r.
| Our advice to the tobacco grower
is that as soon the plant is well estab
lIshed in its new home the soil should
be loosened around the plants will
the hoe. II this is not done the sol
forms hard crust on the top that of
ten cuts the plant off as it grows
Care should be used not to break the
plant loose. Tobacco should be cul'
tivated every eight or most every ten
days until too large to get through
between the rows without breaking
the leaves too much. Think the more
this crop is worked, if done properly
and a the right time, the heavier
aud finer the tobacco seems to be. Ii IL
one ofthe crops that does best if hoed
great deal aud might be termed a
hoed crop. From my experience in
cultivating tobacco l find there ia
certain stage in its growth that it
should be topped 10 make the best
leaf. II you will notice, the first four
or five leaves of the plant are smaller I;
these should be taken of. Then after
the next ten leaves, they grow smaller
as they near the top. Now to top the
plant as soon as you can, at ten leaves
after the smaller ones taken off, we
have. the best part of the plant.
Some growers top the plant at four
teen to sixteen leaves, but from my
observation in this respect 1 find to-
bacco not so heavy or as large leaf
by this plan, besides having more
leaves TO keep worms Off of and more
leaves to handle in stripping and 9TH
erwise handling.
Due attention must be given to
worming, destroying all eggs that
can be found. The flies most usually
lay their eggs on top of the leaf. l
have not tried it myself, but some
have planted Jamestown weed in
their tobacco fields and then put fly
poison in the blossoms with good eff
feet. Ii is more tedious TO keep
small worms of, but if they are left
to grow larger they will injure the
the looks of the leaf greatly.
AS soon as the suckers are large
enough TO take of handily they should
be taken off so that the strength of
the roots may go to the leaf. Tobac-
CO of most varieties will usually suck
er four times at the leaf, but will suck
er at the ground until the roots die.
They must be kept Off until the crop
is cut. l have left them 10 grow
sometimes when my crop was late.
They cause the crop to ripen earlier,
which it should be to make it cure up
well neither do l think they draw as
heavily as the first suckers that come
on the plant.
In cutting tobacco great care should
be used in handling, for the quantity
will be somewhat according. After
the dew is dried or cut as much as
can be handled with care. / ind to-
bacco does best if well wilted before
putting on the stick it will be more
oily when cured. Hang eight to
twelve plants on four-foot stick &C.
cording to the size of tobacco.
Tobacco should never be cut soon
after heavy rain it will wash the
gum OIL, and the leaf will be thin
and weigh light. Three or four
nights heavy dews will make it all
right. When convenient, it is best
to put the crop in the barn as it is
cut arranging the sticks eight inches
apart. 1t saves much re-handling,
which must necessarily bruise the
leaf some besides, il takes more la
Dor to put it first on scatlIolds. Some
prefer 'yellowing" their tobacco on a
scailOld before putting in the barn,
but do not. Tobacco should n 1t
hang long in the barn before fire is
under it. AS soon as ii shows signs
of following commence firing, and
here is whore some skill as well as
knowledge is required. Heavy fires
should be put under and not allowed
10 lower much for six or eight DAYS.
or until well cured. After the fire
once dies down and the tobacco comes
in case it is dangerous to fire any
more. If bright tobacco is desired,
then the tobacco should get well vel.
lowed before fire is put under il.
AS soon as tobacco is well cured IL
should be stripped. l prefer selling
before Christmas, i'll take dollar
less per hundred, rather than sell it
late in the spring Tobacco loses
greatly in and out Of order. prefer
to sell round rather than sell the trash
at one price, Tugs at another and leaf
at another. Selling round will give
the best satisfaction as 10 the way it
~ classed.
In stripping make as many grades
as you have distinct classes. This is
important, as manufacturers can not
handle miXel tobacco without pains
in sorting that the farmer ought to
take and save TO himself the better
price he obtains. In culling, ut the
ground leaves in one class-often you
will do as well TO throw them away
tho worm-eaten and all damaged
leaves in another class, the best leaves
should then he classed as to length
aud color. Bulking tobacco. in safe
keeping order requires Judgment and
Carn no oil naof TnnI coro ,,o,, l..