Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1889-02-21
Tobacco Culture.

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! Whether this crop can be made profta
BILE or not depends largely upon the yield
| and the quality. Taking the average
yield aud the average quality q very small
margin OF profit will be secured. Bot
when a good quality is raised so that a
price considerably above the average can
be obtMEed, or when a heavy yield can
( be made, very fine profit can be real
lied.
The kind and quality of the soil have
/ much to DO with the quality of the crop.
| AS an instance of this white hurley TO.
6acco, If grown on strong, rich, rather
| black loamy soil, produces tobacco that
/ is considered too strong, while if the
same variety Is planted in lighter soil,
such as we have in many parts of Mis-
| souri,, this quality is much better. Il is
! therefore Important 20 understand FIRST
the variety of tobacco that is best adapt
&c to your soil and locality. The soil
should be dry and warm, contain consid
cradle lime and lye, if possible, reasoua-
bly, well protected from high winds.
! AS with most special crops, some ex-
! perience is necessary TO handle pro perly,
and for this reason the bstter plan il to
| begin on small scale a1d then gradually
increase the acreage as experience is &C
| CURED. This will lessen tn chances of
| failure.
! Plenty Of fertilizers should be used.
Like cabbage, rhubGrh, asparagus and
onions, tobacco is a grass feeder, and if
the best growth is obtained plenty of
/ fertilizers must be used. Stable or farm
yard manure and everything else that
will add 20 the supply of available plant
! food should be applied. Nitrate of soda
or any material containing good per
centage of phosphates can always be ap-
! piled. Whatever fertilizer is used should
be thoroughly incorporated with the soil.
When it can be done the ground should
be well ploughed in the fall, the manure
applied during the winter and then thor
oughly worked in with the soil by Guilt
waiting ana narrowing. 1t is essential
that good care be taken in this res pect;
for the planT food must be placed in an
available form if any considerable amount
of benefit is to be derived.
In the spring the first important work
to be oone is the preparation of the seed
bed and the sowing of the seed to secure
the plants. The bed should be as free
of seeds and grass seeds as possible. The
plants will not make a satisfactory growth
among weeds or grass, aud it is import
ant 10 have strong, vigorous plants. One
of the best plans of making seed-bed Is
to take piece of new land, plough or
spade up thoroughly and then pile up a
lot of brush all over the bed aud set 1t
afro. The object is TO destroy the weed
seeds, and for this purpose the heat
should De kept up for some time, usually
about an hour. This can be done either
before or after spazing up. The more
thoroughly the weed-seeds are destroyed
the easier will be the task of getting
good plants When the condition of the
soil will permit, the seed bed should be
made reasonably early in March, if pos
sible; if not, early in April. Take pains
to do thorough work, getting the soil in
| the very best filth. The seed is very fine
and if a good termination is to be Sc
cured it will be necessary to have the
soil thoroughly prepared.
! One ounce of seed will, under average
conditions, make plants enough to set
out three acres of lsNd. 1t is difficult to
SOW the seed evenly, because they are SO
small, and many prefer 10 mix them with
about twice their bulk of finely pulveriz-
| ed soil, taking plants to SOW as evenly as
| possible. The seeds are slow TO germi.
nate and will require from II to 20 days,
! depending upon the warmth OF the soil
and the season. If the bed should get
d-y it will pay to water it. To prevent
the plants taking too spindling growth
care should be taken to thin out, leaving
plants about an inch apart. This work
can be done with sharp toothed rake
and will always pay with the better psnts
that will result. After the plants are up
well, sprinkle over them a mixture of
ashes and plaster. This will be found
necessary to protect from the tobacco
fly that often causes considerable damage
to the young plants.