The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-08-18
CULTURH ar iUBACCO.
The "High FORMING system as Urged by
ih. Country Gent1cnnn.

Mr.. George b. Morton writing to the
Times from Memphis, Tennessee says:
i hand you herewith an article clipped
from the Country Gentleman. Several
years ago ! trird growing tobacco I'm
Prince Edward county, Virginia by the
methods here described and found IL the
most profitable way 10 grow il. Ii Viz
glna farmers would adopt the thigh
farming system In raising tobacco, |
am sure they would ind 1t the best pay
Tobacco ground is usually plowed in
the fall ana rye is frequently sOwu 10
DE turned under I'm the spring. 1t is
practice peculiar to Connecticut to pant
the same ground with tobacco year after
year. To the general rule OF rotation
with all other crops Tobacco IS made an
exception. The majority OF growers have
used the same ground several seasons
IN succession, and some have planted
tobacco fields continuously for iiteen ana
twenty years. They admit that theory
is against this course, but claim mat
"The approved plan is TO plow tobacco
ground quite early In the spring, ana
later on 10 re-piow II, Apply ne lertll-
zers, there is no settled rule Of univer-
sal or even Of general observance. fOr
years some tObaCCO-buycrs and many
growers have claimed That nothing VIII
produce tobacco of as good quality, an
things considered, as stable manure. But
others insist with equal carnrstnesS thdt
the best results follow the use Of CONNER
cial fertilizers. or the tobacco grown
by the Connecticut Tobacco Experiment
Company at PoquOnock. that which was
pronounced the best crop by the Judges
after il had passed through the sweat,
was fortified with Lo0y lbs or cotton
seed meal, 5S0lls. Of carbonate OF potash
and 800 lbs. of Co0per's bone per acre
These materials contained ITO lbs. Of MT
rogen, ll5 Ms. Of phosphorlc acid ana
34l lbs. of potash. The cost was $tt.''.
The crop grown from this formula was
not the largest by weight, bat the best
In quality. The above Is not 10 be under
stood as a formula In general use by Con-
necticut farmers. They have Il habit oI
studying the question through their own
glasses, and using their own Judgement.
The question Of how best to fertlllze To-
baccO is not an easy one, ana II 10y mo-
as the best by all. Many purchase spec
tally prepared mixtures and are pleased
with results. Others purchase chemicals
and mix them at home, IN such proper
lions as their experience leads them 10
approve. Many are partial 10 tobacco
stems, and say they know what they are
getting when they buy them which Is .1 hot
always the case when they buy nag
stuff" The objections 10 stable manure
are that IL contains many weed seeds,
and IS expensive 10 handle on account
OF its bulk. But when It comes down to
practice most tobacco farmers use all
the stable manure they can get, and sup
pement IL with such artinclal substitutes
rs they deem will be most profitable.
W ldIeNeI the tOilDlidtlbl llit nAt ''t'..l 'ii
tobacco farmers of Connecticut fertillze
their fields at an annual cost of from $50
10 $50 an acre.
ANY one who has transplanted only
few cabbages In the garden Will know
how hard work IT IS TO set ont tobacco
plants by hand over fields OF several
acres. means hard work ana plenty Of it.
Two or three years ago tobacco setting
machines were intreduced. and this season
we're in general dse. a pair OF horses
walk slowly across the field drawing the
machine. and the plants are sei behind
81 and water deposited at their roofs az
machines. and farmers who DO not can
hire their tobacco set with them by those
who make IT a business, a. moderate
nrice per acre This enables farmers
a. mt out their tobacco when the plants
are just right and weather conditions
favorable"