Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1892-03-31
faoM SEED PATCH 10 SMOKE.

Cuitisaiing aud Curing Tobacco stcaus
season Of Constant work.
fuw perions know Tho trouble in rails.
ing tobacco aud that worl. newer ccasas
fsom the timo it seed IL sovu until the
smoker or chcwcr disposcs OF tho lorf.
Tho seed Is about The si2o Of thnt Of mus.
tarl and % raised Ia what Is known as q
plant patch. To prepare this small
piece of wet land IN piece Of woods /.
selected aud cleared upand hugo piles %
wood and brush are placed thereon ana
burned IN tho early spring. This Is o.
kill the grass roots and loosen up tho
soil. The ground Is then carciullyrakcl
and prepared for the seed. which when
suwel ~ covered with brush 20 protect
the loosc. dry soil anil light seed from
blowing awuy aud from birds, etc. a
seed patch ~ half au aero will plant
any ordinary planters crop for the year.
The ground b. nest prepared iu the
field for tmEaplaniiug tho plant, and
when the season arrives hills about three
fcct apart arc uiado, aud the planter
thcn awaits % rain 10 set out his plants.
As snon as hc i.ui.hcs tine Inst OF HE
field the littl1 plant Inns begun 10 suffer
firin TIM pest Of tobacco growers, the
worm. Then he begins 10 hoo and plow
and "woun' nll M the same time. and
ns fast as ho gets through his mold at
one end no goes back where H. started
aud has 20 60 ROW by row aud turn up
each leaf and pick OFF the worm, which
will In a nights timo eat tho leaves
sometimes OF the entire plant
Some Of tho Old planters IN Virginia
used topiso largcnocks OF turkeys, which
would BIZ taken into The fold a. soon us
half 10 two.fhirls grown aud driven
through 1t 10 eat the worms After u
fCw days they would az Don ms put iutc
field of tobacco seem 10 know just
what was wanted, and scatter ont, taxi,
ing row for row, and quietly wall, under
largo plant look up, and "a carefully
take the worms oil rs trained hand
could. This worm usually hangs on the
under side Of leaf
The turkeys after onting the small
worms, XIII the largo once, dropping
thcm into tho rows, and will do so fof
m h0Er or 40 at u time, both morning
and evening. Thoy ara taken out of the
field when found tagging or tired aud
kept pcnued in the shade until tho cool
Of tho afternoon, when they are again
allowed 10 walk bncl; through differ.
ont portion OF tho field, thus greatly ~.
sisting IN one of the most tirasome aud
tedious paris of raising this valuable
crop.
When The tobacco plant Is ripe that
fact is settled by pressing the leaves 20.
goihor.. Z they snap aud the leaves split
IL IS rojG5y tofcut A field seldom all
ripons at ono timo and It has 10 DO cut
in sections. As fast MS a plant ripens
tho field has 10 b. gone over and tho
ripo plants cut, From the very moment
n plant becomes ripe 1t begins to lose its
weight.
When cut It is carried 10 % barn and
fired u couple OF days TO cure 1t, Then
1t has 20 bo taken down, packed In bulk
and stripped Of It's large stalks, then
bundled aud handled. Tho oftenor
handlcd--with littlo grease used, ON
tho hands ~ leaves nrc passed through
thom-tho better the color. From this
point it IL packed in hogahoad1 and ship.
ped to tue commission merchant, who
sells TO manufacturers, and swoated,
handled and mOistoncd until made into
cigars, rcpackod into boxes and sold
through retailers. Work has never
ceased until tho leaf Is consumed by the
smoker or ohower New York Times,