The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-11-07
TOBACCO GROWING IN GEORGIA.

What Practical Growers Have to Say
in Regard TO the Matter.
received yours of Oct. 13 concerning the
culture of tobacco. Ihave had eight years.
i experience in growing the weed. six years
\ In Gadsden county. Florida, and two years
4 in Thomas county, Georgia, raising from
4 TWO to fifty acres each successive year, and
will continue its culture My method of
culture Is as follows: My first consideration
is the kind of land. A gray soil with good
clay subsoil that, if old, has been fortified
i ii fresh, with growth upon it Of oak, hick-
uy, beech, dog wood and all varieties of
i underground.
Secondly, Preparation Of che land The
land should be thoroughly broken early in
the winter, so as to be in good condition for
catching all the spring rains. Early in
4 February lay off in rows of feet Put
Il in fertilizers and bed as for cotton, using
compost of cotton seed and stable manure
BOwn either broadcast or put in the drill
small amount of commercial fertilizer is
also desirable. such as the Wilcox &
Gibbs Cigar Leaf Tobacco Fertilizers" of
Savannah, Ga.
Thirdly, AS to seed beds: Hummock
land which is very fertile and moist. Burn
thoroughly with hard wood so as to kill all
vegetable matter that should, by chance, be
there. 1t would also warm the soil and
! thereby cause the seed to terminate more
readily. While still warm, grub the earth
thoroughly about two inches in depth and
extract all the roots and, in a word, leave it
''as clean as yard" Lay off in rows or
lands OF three feet in width so as to drain
the water after a rain and prevent it from
standing. Cut ditch all round the bed to
make sure of preventing an overflow. Now
pack the soil lightly, sow one teaspoonful of
seed on one square rod. Mix seed with ashes
or guano. Sow broadcast over the entire
bed, but be sure not to SOW too thick if your
seed is good. Continue sowing from the
middle Of January to March l so as to be
sure of success in raising plenty of plants
Fourthly, As to transnlanting: This
should begin as soon as the plants are large
enough to live we'll which will be about
April l. Rebed land with scooter" or,
better still, with straight shovel. Harrow
Off and set as cabbage plants, putting one
plant to every Is or 20 inches on the drill.
II the weather is dry, set out in the after
noon and water well, and repeat watering
the succeeding evening.
Filthy, AS to cultivation: Keep the
ground thoroughly mello W, and loose as you
would do cabbage, turnips, or any truck, so
as to keep up rapid growth. Tobacco
should be kept in lourishing condition
after 1t is set out until il is gathered When
Vlnching off about an inch Of the bud. This
will take place about the middle of May
l. e., if it grows as it should. After this is
done there will appear a sucker at each leaf,
which must be plucked out as soon as it is
an inch long And after that one another
Will grow, which should also be nipped off.
This Is repeated as often as one appears.
Sixthly, AS to harvesting. After the
4 suckers are plucked, and the top leaves are
IN from yEGlU % RI iorbf
even twenty inches loug). the tobacco will
become gummy and sticky. Then it will
4 be ripe or matured. Now it is cut and
n strung on laths of4 feet 4 inches long,
\ which is doEe by putting spear over one
! end of the lath and sticking 1t through the
4 tobacco stalk). Ii is then hung on a scat
\ toId and summed for one or two hours, and
carried to curing shed, which ought to be
built 81 X 60 feet, having l6 foot cave,
Il and i've sets of tiers feet apart, 10y having
one or even two tiers above the caves.
hen the leaves are thoroughly dry, which
VI process generally takes about month, it is
Ihan stripped off the stalk, tied into bundles
and packed tightly in boxes, where it will
70 through heat, or what is called a
This is my node of treating tobacco, but
l would not advise any man to undertake
4 10 raise tobacco without some experience,
a uAess he employs some man who thor
oughly understands its culture, for tobacco
Is plant that needs great deal of atten-
ZION and unless person has had a years
experience he is very sure to be unsuccess-
Iui. will furthermore advise every one TO
ger good seed Any parties desiring seed,
address me at Tnoma willie. Ca, or Messrs
bonduranU d Peacock | have a fine lot Of
seed alsei OF my farm, also a special seed
Tor wrappers.
Thomas Countn L. H. SHELTER.