The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1895-02-06
The Best Method
OF CultIvating and Curing
Fine Yellow Tobacco.
PLANT-DEDS.

pLANT-DEDS.
The first work in preparing for q
crop of tobacco is TO burn and SOW in
good time plenty Of plat, land, in
warm, moist situation Select land
that will rot become soadeu by too
much rain, and, and if possible, let the
spots be on creeks on branches Gar
enough off to guard against overflow
ing), with southwest exposure.
Burn the land we'll My plau is to put
down on my beds, about four feet apart.
what we terr 'skids"-poles the size
Of a mans arm. These are to keep
the wood off the ground When these
skids are burut up, oue may, as rule,
know that the land is burned hard
enough, and that it is time to move his
fire On further. This is the best guide
can give to the iuexperien ,ed as to the
length of time the land should be
burned. The best time for burning, in
the latitude of North Carolina and
Virginia, is from first of January to
first Of March Good, fire stable
manure, free from seeds of grass. oats
or clover, with some good commercial
fertilizer, is what [ think best to use on
pant-beds
After burning. rake off the ashes,
cover the ground we'll with stable
manure, hoe up the bed thoroughly,
and make it 6ne by repeated hoeiug
and raking; thea mix the tobacco
seed, using oue-and-a-half tablespoon
fuls in every twenty-five pounds Of
fertilizer to every Que hundred square
yards in the BED. and then tread it
with the feet or pat with the hoe
Tobacco seed require but little cover
ing, aud. if covered too deep, will fail
to come ap. Cover the bed with foe
brush (dogwood is best. If couvenienD,
to protect thc plants from frost and to
keep the bed moist. Sometimes it be-
comes necessary TO force the growth OF
plants iu order that they may be large
enough to transplant at the proper
time /; this is done by using some quick,
reliable fertilizer as top-dressfbg G
care being taken got to apply it when
the plants are vet with dew or rain.
SOIL.
Gray, friable soils-fresh from the
forest. or long out Of cultivation-with
dry, porous subsoil, are the best
adapted to the growth and maturity Of
yellow tobacco.
Plow your land and put it in good
condition before bedding. run the rows
off three feet four inches each way,
using, according to the strength Of the
land, from ninety to one hundred and
ten pounds of good fertilizer to every
one thousand hills. Use farm-p pen
manure in the drill with the fertilizer !;
it will be found of very great advan-
tage, even If it is not convenient to use
it except 10 small quantities.
PLANTING.
Planting in hills as early after the
first of alay as the plants sud season
will admit AS soon as the plants take
good root, commence cultivation.
whether in a grassy condition or Dot,
and continne Ia sir the land with n|ov
aud hoe unit the tobacco begins to
come in top, using short siugle-irees as
tue plants iacrease in size, to prevent
bruisiog and breaking After the
plau,s become too large 10 admit Of the
use Of the plow. use only the hoe to
keep down grass.
TOPPING.
1t is best to wait until a good num-
Der Of plants button for seed before
beginning to top, as these viii then
ripeu together, 4 man must top &C
cordipg to the appearance and promise
of the plant, the strength of the land !,
&c; he must use his own judgment 10
topping, bearing in mind that stroug,
healthy plant can bear higher topping
than snail one. AS general thing,
the fest topping will bear ten to four
teen leaves primiug of the lower leaves
neither too high nor too low, so that
when the plant ripens the bottom leaves
may be we'll of the ground AS the
season advances. continue to top lower,
SO that the plants may ripeu before
frost.
CULTIVATION AFTER TOPPING
Never plow tobacco later than the
first of August; after which tiue use
the hoe, as late plowiog keeps the
tobacco green too long. and causes it to
ripen with green color. When
tobacco begins to ripen, use neither
plow nor hoe, as quality is better THAI
quantity 10 this case.
After being topped, tobacco should
he kent as clear as poss;be from worms