The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1891-12-16
THE Culture OF TOBACCO.
'HE 81 IL BEST ADAPTED TO THE RiiS-
ING or yHE PLhRT.

ING or THE PLART.
'ARATIoN or LAND-PLANTING- AN
INTERESTING ARTICLE ON THE c1yf-
TURE OF THE WEED
\ number of Terrell county farmers
VIII plant tobacco next year, and for
their benefit THE News publishes the
following article concerning the soil best
5 adapted 10 the raising of the plant the
preparation of the land, and the time for
planting
The article, which is an interesting
one, was prepared by Mr.. c. II. Dupont,
OF Florida and published in the Southern
Cultivator:
) The first thing that claims attention is
the selection of a suitable soil for the
plant bed. This is to be found in the
freshly cleared hammock of the best
quality. The soil should have a tendep-
cy to be moist, but not sprincy or wet
After grubbing up the underground and
telling the trees, the land should be well
burned with brush, and dry wood. This
is done to destroy the natural sourness
which exists, in greater or less degree,
in all freshly cleared lands, and also to
prevent the sprnging up of weeds and
| gr.ss.
When the land has been sufficiently
| burned, the large chunks and Goals must
| be raked off, leaving the ashes ia be incor-
| porated witlrthe EARTH and then it sbouId
be deeply dug up with long maltock hoe
ana all the roots taken out, so as to leave
The Soll IN state Of perfect puverization.
Rake and smoothe the surface prepara-
tory tor the sowing of the seed. and as
certain by measurement many square
acres are contained in the bed. Then to
every ten square yards appropriate one
heaped teaspoOnful of seed-the seed
must be mixed with dry ashes to facili-
LaCe the equal distribution of sowing.
Inc covering of the seed must be done
oy passing roller over the surfase. or
laying down broad plank and walking
over 1t so as to press the seed into the
eartn-raklng or brushing in must be
avoided, as it almost invariably covers
The seed too deeply, and prevents coed |
stand. Sowing may commence about the |
middle of January and be continued al
intervals of two or three weeks to the |
first of March. so as to insure an abun- |
dant supply of plants for the earlier and |
later paintings. After the seed has veg
etated and the plants have begun to |
grow, care must be taken to keen the bed
clear of weeds and grass, by handbook
ing.
TO facilitate the Manipulating. and to
avoid treading ION the young plant. it is
best to leave alleys of a hoes width al
intervals of three feet across the bed.
As the cut worms sometimes attack
the beds and destroy the plants. tbs usual
TO nave the beds in different localities at
each successive sowing. The next point
mat claims attention is the selection of
THE SOIL BEST ADAPTED To THE RAISING
OF TOBACCO.
Under this head much is to be said
AT the Inauguration of tobacco PLANTING
IN Gadsden county, the prevailing taste
with the purchasers was for light ,iI<ey
leaf, suitable only for wrappers, and tn
greater number of white specks on the
leaf the niger it was priced.
To produce that quality of tobacco. il
was found that the light grey or sandy
hammock, largely intersperced with the
growth OF beech, was the best adapted.
subsequently, when the German Dur
chasers entered the market, the taste
changed to a heavier article, and to ac-
colhihodata these, resort was had to the
better quality of hammock and oak and
hickory ridges, based upon, a good sub
soil of strong red clay. That character,
OF son produced the quality demanded.
ana hold the preference to the present
day At inst it was the prevailing opin-
ION OF planters that the production of ono
crop OF tobacco rendered the. land unfit
Tor the production of a second crOn. and
hence all the tobacco produced was
grown of freshly cleared land. However
| #
found to be erroneous for frequently fine
second years crop was found to be eonal
to and sometimes better than the nro-
duction of the first year. both in oualitv
and yield. My own opinion is that if
care be taken to keep the land from he
coming foul with weeds and grass and
the fertilityis,kept up by artificial mcans.
to the original standard, there will be no
deterioration either IN quality or quantity
OF production foT any successive crops.
What is here said in regard to character
OF lands best adapted to the cultivation
OF tobacco must be taken to apply chiefly
to ante bellum times
1t has been demonstrated within fine
last tw" years that any good, high pine
land, base upon a sEbSoil of clay CAS- is
generally the case in this country will,
by moderate application of fertilizers
in the hill, give rs good return both in
quality and quantity, as the best ham
mock on oak and hickory land.
PREPARATION OF LAND.
Lands designed for tobacco sboull be
perfectly cleared of all standing timber.
Limbs, pieces of bark, and even pine
straw falling on the plants, is attended
with serious injury to the crop. After
the land has been cleared and prepared
for the plough, it should be thoroughly
broken both ways with a jumping scoot-
er. Let it then be laid off with scooter
plough in rows three and half feet
apart, and crossed at right angles by fur
rows three feet apart so as toform checks
and crosses three and half by three
feet. The distance is designed Tor first
qua ity land; where the plants will grow
larger on an inferior quality of land the
checks may be drawn closer together in
DrOpOrtiOD to the fertility of tbo coil |