The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1888-06-14
SOUTHERN AGRICULTURAL.
Tobacco Culture.

/ Our advice to the cco-grower is
| that us soon rs the plant is we'll estab-
lshed in its new home the sol should
| be loosencd around the plants with the
hoe If this is not done the soil forms
hard crust on the top that often cuts
the plant off as it grows. Care should
be used not to break the plant loose.
Tobacco should be cultivated every
eight or at 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 at the
right time. the heavier and finer the
the crops that does best if hoed great
deal. and might be almost termed
hoed crop. From my experience in
cultivating tobacco l find there is
certain stage in its growth that il
should be topped to make the best
leaf If you will notice, the first four
or five leaves of the plant are smaller;
| these should be taken off Then, after
| the next ten leaves, they grow smaller
as they near the top. Now, to top the
! plant as soon you can, at ten leaves
after the smaller ones arc taken of.
we have the best part of the plant
S me growers top the plant at four
teen 10 sixteen leaves, but from my
observation in this respect find to-
bacco not so heavy or as large leaf
by this plan, besides having more
| leaves 10 keep worms off of and more
leaves to handle in stripping and
otherwise handling.
Due attention must be given to
wormng. DESTROYING all eggs that can
be found. The fl es most usually lay
their eggs on top of the leaf. l have
not tried it myself, but some hav c
planted jamestown weed in their to-
bacco fields AMI then put fly poison in
the blossoms with good eff .ct 1t is
more tedious to keep the small worms
fl. but if they are left to grow larger
they will injure the looks of the leaf
| greatly.
AS soon rs the suckers are large
enough TO take off handily they should
be taken off that the strength of the
roots may 60 to the leaf Tobacco of
most varieties will usually sucke four
times at the leaf. but will sucker ut
the ground until the roots die. They
must be kept eff until the crop is cut.
l have left them to 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 / think they draw as heav-
| lily as the first suckers that come on
the plant.
Tobacco should never be cut soon
after a heavy rain; it will wash the
gum off, 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 rs it is cut, arranging
the sticks eight inches apart. 1t saves
much re-handling. which must neces-
sarily brulse the leaf some; besides,
it takes more labor to put it first on
scaffolds. Some prefer "ycllowing"
their tobacco on scaffold before put
ting in the barn. but do not To-
bacco should not hang long in
the barn before fire is put under it. As
soon as it shows signs of following
commence firing, and here is where
some skill rs we'll as knowledge is re-
required. Heavy fires should b, put
under and not allowed to 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 we'll yellowed before fire is
put under it.
As soon as tobacco is we'll cured it
should be stripped. l prefer selling
before Christmas, if l take q dollar
less per hundred. rather than sell it
late in the spring. Tobacco loses
greatly in going in and out of order.
prefer 10 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 to the
way it is classed.
In stripping make as many grades
as you have distinct classes. This is
important, as manufacturers can not
handle mixed tobacco without pains in
sorting that the farmer ought to take
and save to himself the better price he
obtains. In culling. put the ground
leaves in one class-often you will do
rs we'll to throw them away-the
worm-eaten and all damaged leaves in
another class. the best leaves then
should be classed as to length and
color. Bulking tobacco in safe-keep-
ing order requires judgment and care,
as all past good care may be lost in
this finishing operation. = Cor. South
ern Cultivator
.