The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1892-07-02

Pun on all the suckers around tho
plants a. often 81 they appear.
When sucking time arrives go over the
field every few days and nip out al good
sized suckers, but be careful not to
bruise the leaves in so doing.
Do not let blossom show itself in
your tobacco field unless wanted for seed.
Topping should be done as soon as the
blossom buds can be perceived at the top
of the plants.
Select several of the healthiest looking
plants in the field and save them for seed.
Strip off the leaves and when ripe select
sules, throwing all the side clusters away.
When satisfied that sucker is not re.
tarding the growth of the parent stem
let it be until general suckering time
comes around, which it surely will.
Don't drop suckers taken OFF in among
the leaves; throw them down in the
centre of the row; they will help fertilize
whatever crop goes in the ground next
year.
Often before the tobacco season is over
the grower will have his patience sorely
tried by the employed labor in his field.
Pruned leaves in the curing barn get
their equal share of heat and air, thus in
surfing uniform cure. This is said to
be the secret of the success thus far at
tanned.
If your tobacco stalks are treated prop
erly with the cultivatOr and plow the
leaves will be of a normal growth,
shapely and smooth, with small stems
and fbres.
Years ago we heard an old tobacco
grower say that every wasp among his
growing tobacco was worth ten cents a
day to him. He claimed they were great
wormers. Last year we watched our
Florida yellow-jacket, the mud-dauber
and hornet and believe they are equally
as good. In short, they cannot come to
our growing leaves and stay too long.
Perfect leaves-that means wrappers
Paris green, diluted or undiluted, will
end the days of cut-worm.
Deep between the rows, shallow near
the plants-that's the way to cultivate
tobacco every time.
At the third cultivation hill up the
plant and keep the stalk from tumbling
over and getting full of sand.
This year, if, in your opinion, you have
the pure and unadulterated Vuelta Abajo
seed growing, select a dozen or two de-
cidedly healthy stalks, take of all suckers
and bottom leaves, cultivate moro care
fully than any other portion of the crop.
When in bloom watch for the stout,
healthy and early seed pods, save them
and nip off all others. When ripe shell
them out carefully. You win not
have so many seed, but they will be
plump and better. Lay them away until
you learn whether the crop thrives we'll,
cures best; if SO plant next year and stick
to this seed.
Now is about the time to look down
into the top of the plants and watch for
blossoms. When they are of sufficient
size to handle readily without breaking
the small and tender leaves surrounding
them, nip them off so as to leave from
fifteen to twenty leaves, according to the
growth of the plant. In poor land tn.
stalk will probably be shorter 80 the
primer will have to govern himself &C
cordingly in reference to the number of
leaves.
To save plants for seed use more care
than with the other growing plants. Keep
down all suckers and the leaves at least
half way up the stalk. At the top let
the secondary leaves grow. Select the
seed you intend to use next year from the
central cluster.
Bottom leaves, if not gathered, are all
lost by firing.