The Van Buren press., 1896-02-08
FARMER AND PLANTER
TOBACCO CULTURE.
some rsafal Hints to De UtIliHed - the
Season Approaches.

and warm south winds viii greatly ala
IN bringing the tiny seeds into life.
ana insure strong. healthy plants
The first thing u Be- done is 20 clean
The ground Of al rubbish and trash,
ana prepare il for burning, 70 destroy
al foul weed seed. A very good mate
rial 70 do the burning with is brush,
Uieees Of rails or cid Logs. After the
burning. as soon as the bed has cooled
dig and pulverize The soil throughly
TO receive tie small seeds. Great care
should be taken not 10 sow the seed
too thiekly. Many plant-beds are
ruined by beng too thick. as
this makes the psknts tender aud easily
injured by the hot sun after they have
been set out. a teaspoonfuI Of seed is
sufficient to sow a bed ten feet square.
Nix the seed with siffed ashes or corn
meal TO insure It's even distribution
over the bed. After the seed is sown
the surface Of the bed should be settled
smoothly. Ina piece Of board Is inches
square and two inches thick bore hole
IN the center, and fl IN an old broom
handle Take hold OF the end Of the
handle and gently pat over the surface
Of the bed. This method is much
easier and neater than tramping. The
beds shonld not be more than nine
feet wide, but may be as long as de-
sired a bed Of this width viii take
three strips OF canvas. one yard wide,
sewed together. TO cover u, and il viii
be found more convenient in many
WAYS than a wider bed. The beds
should ne attended to carefully, and
kept clean O weeds, which viii be sure
70 make their appearance.
The ) e,eparation Of the ground for
the plants should be carefully and
thoroughly done. The ground should
ee plowed from eight TO ten inches
deep: if sod. il should be plowed early.
IN order that the soil may settle and
the sod rot. Thoroughly pulyerize the
soil and get il n good condition. Mark
Of the ground into rows three fe ct
eight inches apart; and Il commercial
fertilizer Is used. driT IN the row with
q e1rd=drin which has a fertilizer at
tachment. This vii be found much
easier and better than hand-dropping.
Atcr the fertilizer j drilled, make hills
from two . two and one-half feet
apart. and Y0u are now ready for a
season. The plants should be trans
planted, or s.sef. from May 20to June
a. but better n May. as it VIII giYe
the tobacco more time to mature before
frost. In setting the plants, be careful
70 straighten cut the roots and to get
them covered with soil. to insure a
good and speedy start.
After the plants have been set for
from three 70 i've days. run between
the rows with cultiYator. In week 5
time run through again with the cult
yator and hoe carefully. Cultivate as
Level as possible 70 hold the moisture.
Soil under level cultivation VII not dry
as easily as that hoed n ridges along
the roWs.s The crop should be culti-
waited at least twice with the hoe and
four times with eultiyator. Do not,
under any circumstances. cultivate
when the crop is ready TO top, as culti-
waiting az this time breaks and INJURIES
the numerous small roots which the
plant sends out after food and moisture.
have seen eases in which eonsiderab bic
damage was done by late cultivation,
especially in a dry season.
Be careful 10 look out for worms, as
they may take you unawares and do
considerable damage before they can
be checked. II the crop is large and
the worms very plentiful, it win he
found quite a task To pick them of by
hand. a great many growers resort
10 poisoning. This IS done By mixing
Paris green with water. land-plaster or
-four. and sprinkling the tobacco with
the mixture.
The next important point in tobacco
culture IS the topping. II you have
hada favorable season. and your crop
has grown weIl, it should be ready 70
top at least by August g. In this
work considerable Judgment should be
exercised. II you top too low. you lose
perhaps several leaves that would
make good tobacco; If too high, the
plant win not spread and make per
feetly developed leaves; usually from
Is TO 20 leaves left TO a plant viii be
about right
In about two weeks after the plant
is topped the first set OF suckers
makes their appearance, which must
b. broken ont BY hand. Two weeks
later a second set Of suckers come on,
when the same process must be gone
over again. BY this time the crop viii
be ripening and nearly ready to cut.
When the tobacco is ripe il becomes
very thick and heavy; il also has yell
lowish cast. spotted with green. A
very good test is to double a part of
the leaf back with thumb and finger;
and il il cracks or breaks, II is consid-
cred IN fairly good condition for cut
ting. Now for the cutting. Put the
stick in a slanting position at the
Foet Of plant. Take the knife
in the right hand, start II down the
stalk, and gaging it so as TO
miss the leaves as much as possible,
let the hand follow the split, and
when the knife IS within about six
inches Of the root Of the plant. remove
il from the split, slightly bend the
stalk over with the left hand. and with
one stroke Of the knife cut the stalk of
below the leaves. Take hold of the
end Of the stalk with the right hand,
keep the left hand in the slit. raise the
plant and with a quick movement
bring the plant down astride the stick.
Put tive or six large plants ON each
stick.
After the tobacco is thoroughly wilt
ed haul 10 10 the barn on havladders
or some other platform atrivance.