The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1890-01-09
. A HINT TO FARMERS.
How to Grow the Bright Yellow Type o
Tobacco.

Tobacco.
By Major r. L. Rdglond, of Hirginia.l
Choose a gray gneiss soil. e.,
either sandy or slaty-dry and over
laying porous yellowish sub-soil
the very opposite of a close, soggy,
wet soil, for tobacco will not flourish
with wet feet, nor viii The plants
ripen of yellow color on cold, clay,
close, wet soil. Discard all lands un-
adapted to this important and exact
ing crop; a spouty, black, gravelly
soil is especially to be avoided, or one
which trenches the plant or causes
burning Of the bottom leaves before
the plant ri pens, for it will surely not
pay to plant such in tobacco. An ex-
perienced planter will rarely err in
selection, but sometimes tests alone
determine adaptation.
FAILURES AND THEIR CAUSES.
The most prolific, general cause of
failure results from inexperience in
not knowing how or being able to pre-
pare for raising this type of tobacco,
by erecting barns with proper fues,
and in the lack of skill in curing and
packing houses for storing the cured
product. Next to these come i'm
proper selection of land and using va
rieties unsuited to soil and type the
planter aims TO produce The varie-
ty must be adapted to the soil and
type, or full success is impossible
1t is true that during some seasons
pretty fair quality of yellow tobac.
co is produced on soils net adapted to
this type, and by the use of varieties
which rarely succeed, but such are ex-
ceptional cases, for never can extra
fine crops result from such misman-
agement. 1t may be set down as a
truism that it always pays to select
the adaptation of both soil to type,
and the right variety for both. I'M
! proper or defective cultivation, too
much or too little rain during the
growing and developing season. surely
| operate against successful tobacco
planting, but even these are often of
secondary consideration, iniuriously
affecting the product, compared with
mismanagement alluded to above.
| L
MISS AT THE CRITICAL POINT.
Possibly the most discouraging of
all the causes for failure arises from
the want Of skill in curing, which
comes mainly through practice Ii will
pay any unskilled planter to have a
fine growing crop of yellow tobacco
cured by an expert, for it is a pity to
| spoil barn full of nice tobacco by
curing it up red, green or black, when
it might SO easily have been cured the
desired color by one who understands
the effects Of heat in fixing the color
and how to regulate the same to pro-
duce the desired ends.
OTHER IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS
Some varieties are more readily
cured yellow than others, but no fixed
rule can be given for regulating the
degrees OF temperature to fix the col
or during the curing process, in con
sequence of the variable condition Of
the material operated upon, which va
riations are caused by differences in
soils, climate, varieties and seasons
Therefore the curer must at last rely
upon his Judgment mainly in regulat
ing the temperature, SO as to make {
successful cure. During some year,
such as this proved to be, up to tn,
9th Of September, all tobacco planted
on gray, we'll drained soil, and of th.
yellow varieties, cured yellow readil,
when heat was applied. In fact i
was almost impossible for any on,
with even modicum of experience
) and common sence to fail in the earl
part of the season in curing the de
sired color. But that portion of tn,
crop ripening after the 10th of Sep
temher requires far more skill to yel-
low and cure successfully, and th
reason for the change was in th,
changed condition of the tobacco.
; 1t would extend this paper mucl
beyond prescribed limits to give tn
rationale of superabundance,o ,or lacl
of sap in the leaves and the presenc
therein IF more of less gum, and ho,
these affect the color under the infu
ence of dry or moist air. during tn
critical process of curing. But it il
becoming very plain to most planter
with more or less experience, that sue
, cess in curing is oftenest obtained 70
ripe plants of the earliest planting
grown from tt e earliest varieties.
, is notorious that green tobacco vii
not yellow properly during curing
nor will the utmost skill fix aud main
/ tain the desired color in immature to
bacco. Warm weather, too, great
facilitates successful curing. There
fore it is important to plant such kind
f as have fine texture, grow rapidly an
; mature and ripen early. Trial wi
surely decide what is best for eac
locality.
. Inexperienced planters do we'll t
use varieties which are most easil
. cured yellow, such as Hyco and Brat
ley, and more experienced ones, VIII
have failed to- get the right kind
should experiment with view to ge
= ting the best, while the successful
have no further need of experiment
: ing, but should continue to plan
: what has given satisfaction. Thel
e are planters, however, clinging to oil
: and inferior kinds because they al
: igaorant of the superiority of newe
t and better varieties, and believin
j they are using the best varieties an
: practicing the best methods simply b
! oo,,o +bo,, Lro,y oT mona bottor p,