The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1891-08-19
FARMER AND PLANTER.
TOBACCO CULTURE.
Pruning and ToppIn. the Plant From .
Virginia Standpoint.

Pruning and Topping the Plant From
Virginia Standpoint.
Under this head there is wide differ
ence of opinion. Breaking off the small
inferior leaves of the plant near the
ground is called 'priming" or pruning
proper, which operation is done along
with the topping" if done at all
There are advantages for and against
printing, but all resort to sapping-
plucking out the seed bud and adjacent
small leaves with the thumb and finger.
Some contend that pulling off the
lower leaves saps the plants and re-
tards the growth if the weather is dry.
That permitting the lower leaves to
remain on the stalk protects the up
per ones from sand and grit, makes
them cleaner and therefore more
salable. Sand and grit are the terror
of the tobacco buyer. On the other
hand it is conterded by some that by
pulling off the lower leaves, which are
generally useless, the remaining leaves
receive more nutriment, and contain
more wax. oil and gum, and that the
lower leaves harbor worms and make
the worming process more tedious.
1t is best to wait until considerable
number of plants begin to button for
seed before commencing to top. Top
ping should be the work of experienced
and trusty hands-men who can top,
leaving any required number of leaves
on plant without counting. The secret
of this-no longer a secret to the init
ated-is, that the topper soon learns to
know that counting the bottom leaf and
the leaf that hangs over it in the third
tier going upward make nine leaves,
including both top and bottom leaves.
Fixing this in his mind, the topper has
only to add to Or deduct from this in
lex leaf marking nine. to leave any de-
sired number of leaves on each plant
with certainty without counting. Young
man, if you don't know how, get some
old negro to show you. Topping, you
will find, is a slow business if you
have to count the leaves on all the
plants topped. If the plants are not
"primed," then the "bottom" leaf
must be fixed by the eve, looking up
ward for the leaf in the third tier,
which hangs over it, to catch the cue
as before. If printing is done don't err
in pulling off too many leaves. No
regular rule can be given, SO the plant
err must judge for himself. The rea-
son given for waiting until many
plants are ready to be topped is mainly
that more plants may ripen together,
and be ready for the knife at the same
time This is an advantage that APP
plies with strong force to all tobacco
intended for fue curing.
The number of leaves to be left on
each plant varies according to the time
the work is done, early or late, the APP
pearance and prospective development
of the plant, the season, whether pro-
pitious or unfavorable, strength of the
soil and amount of fertilizing material
applied. On medium soils, in ordinary
seasons, the first top plug should be
from ten to thirteen leaves-rare1y
more-for Brights. For sweet filters
from nine to ten, and for dark, rich
shipping from eight to nine leaves are
enough. AS the season advances reduce
the number of leaves accordingly, re-
Numbering that quality more than
quantity regulates returns.-R. L. Rag
land, in Farmers Home Journal.