The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-04-18


| obtained In from thirty to forty days.
HOW TO sPRoUT THE SEED.
Upon several layers OF wooden cloth
spread the seed about one-duarter OF an
| inch thick. Cover well with wooden cloth q,
| thoroughly soak the whole mass with warm
WAFER, and set II warm place near the
stove. Keep moist with warm water. In
three or four days small white spots will in
| dictate termination. Thoroughly mix the
seed with dry ashes aud sow.
HOW TO COVER WITH CANVAS.
The bed should be five feet six inches
| wide. with a southern exposure. Place
! boards six inches wide around the bed, and
to keep these on edge fasten by driving
| small stakes on each side, or drive stakes
and nail the boards to them. Across this
frame, at intervals at three feet, fasten mar
row strips to support the cloth. Bank up
with earth. Two widths of light cotton
| cloth sewed together will form the cover.
| Upon the sides ana ends of this cover sew
small loops Of cloth or heavy Irvine.
| Stretch the cover over the frame and fasten
| the loops to nails driven at proper dis
! tauces in the outside of the frame. The
| cotton cloth used for covering tHe bees
should be a medium between the common
! grade and what is known as cheese cloth.
| The cover should be removed few days be-
fore the plants are set out.
Set up a leach of well-rotted manure
Manure from the chicken house is the best
To one part OF the liquid from the leach add
| three parts Of water aud sprinkle upon the
| plants. Strong liquid manure will injure
or kill the plants, but if used at proper
strength 1t is the best fertilizer that can be
| applied.
Beginners are apt to make a mistake at
the very outset in not raising plants
enough.
| PREPARATION OF THE SOIL FOR TR ANS
PLANTING.
Old land should be plowed to a depth of
eight inches early in the fall. In February
apply stable manure or commercial fertili-
| ger. or both, and plow under to a depth of
three or four inches. The last of April or
the first of May, or earlier as the season
permits in the southern states, plow the land
again to the same depth that 1t was plowed
in February and with drag or harrow and
roller pulverlze it thoroughly. Sod land
plo we'd late in the fall, or in the winter or
spring. should not be replowed with the
turn pillow, but should be put in good condi+
ton with the double-shovel pillow, cultivator
and drag.
With a marker made for the purpose,
lay Off the land in rows three feet three
inches apart each way, and with a hoe make
small hills at the intersection Of the rows.
Inste ld of hills, lists" or ridges may be made
by throwing two four or burrows together
with light-turn pillow drawn by one horse.
The list or ridge thus made should be
trimmed and patted with the hoe at the
proper place for hills.
In preparing land for a crop of tobacco
the soil should be put in such perfect condi-
ton that no future cultivation should be re-
quired, except to kill the weeds and keep the
surface mellow.
| TRANSMITTING TOBACCO.
About May 1, or as soon as warm grow
ing weather, according to climate and sea.
son is assured, the plants should be set out
Showery or damp, cloudy weather affords
the best time for doing this When the
largest leaves are pa inches wide the plant
is large enough to set.
Saturate the plant beds by pouring water
carefully upon them. This will losen the
soil so that the plants may be Drawn with
the least possible injury to the roots. Pull
the plants carefully, one at time, laying
them straight and in a position to protect
the leaves from mud aud dirt In setting
out tobacco hole is made in the hill witt
the fingers or short sharpened stick Into
this opening the roots of the plant are in
serted and the earth is pressed firmly about
them, In transplanting tobacco it is i'm
portant to obtain an even stand. When
the plants grow evenly they may be cult
, waited easily and effectively, and they may
| Oil DB LOpp6u dUu harvester dG bD0 SdIls
time. To obtain this even stand or growth
the soil must be put in good condition, the
hills must be made Of mellow earth and
we'll irmed or patted with the hoe, the
deadly cutworm must be hunted and killed
and good plants must be set in place Of those
destroyed at the first opportunity.
CULTIVATION.
The best time to kill the weeds is just be-
fore they appear upon the surface. Stir the
soil often and keep it loose and mellow. II
the soil is heavy or bas been beaten down
with rain, the first cultivation should be
deep. The roots of the tobacco plant grow
rapidly, soon filling the earth COM
petely between the rows. The tobacco
field should. therefore. be well cultivated
early in the season, and late cultivation, if
eecssary, should be shallow.
The hornworn generally puts in an early
appearance, and it must be hunted diligently
throughout the season and destroyed, or ii
| will greatly injure or ruin the crop. The
first week of its existence is occupied in
eating several small holes in the leaf near
the spot where the egg was deposited by
the parent moth, generally upon a lower
leaf. These small holes indicate its hiding
| place during the first week of its life and
will aid in its discovery.
| PRUNING AND TOPPING.
Pruning consists in stripping of the
| lower leaves, leaving Inc 6Cak Dare Six OF
eight inches above the surface of the hill
In topping, that is. removing the upper OF
flower stalk, from eight to twelve leave:
are left upon the plant, according t.
strength Of soil, type Of tobacco, etc. Coco
soil will mature greater number Of leave.
than poor SOIL aud the bright varieties are
topped higher than the dark or export va
| rletles.
The leaves of the tobacco plant stand In
eight perpendicular ranks The ninth leai
stands over the first. This fact will assis
the beginner in determining the number Of
leaves upon plant without counting them
, With practice the point at which a plant
should be topped can be fixed at glance.
Suckers should not be allowed to sap th'
plant. They should be broken off every
week, care being taken not to injnre thu
, leaves.
CUTTING AND CURING.
About six weeks after the plant has beer
topped it will have fully attained It'll
growth. The leaves will become thick anC
brittle, breaking easily, and they change il
color from green to pale yello wish green
These conditions indicate that the plant il
, ripe and ready for the harvest. With a thir
, butcher knife the stalk is split from the Tor
to within few inches OF the bottom leaves
, the stalk is then cut Just below the lowest
leaves. The plant is placed astride upon
sticks. these sticks are hung cut Of doors
upon scaffold, which consists of two poles
standing on an incline as far apart as the
sticks are long, 30 that the plants hanging
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