The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-01-22
ABOUT TOBACCO.
HOW TO PLANT, GATHER AND CURE
N THE WEED.

Valuable Information About Subject
Now Attracting Much Attention in South
Carolina. .r. =
The following information about
tobacco is from "a treatise on culti-
vation. curing, and handling of to-
bacco," by R. E. Pittman:
Much depends upon
PLANT BEDS .,.as -.
for strong, healthy plants, and much
depends npon strong healthy plants
for an early and uniform growth in
the field. I find that the south side
of hill where the sun shines most
of the day and where the plants will
be protected from cold by wood land
on the north is the most desirable
location for beds. The bed should
be well prepared, be where wood is
convenient. I consider it pays to
thoroughly burn the bed before
breaking the soil. This can be done
by placing logs and brush on the
ground to the depth of a foot or two
and burning them. The burning is
not necessary to grow good plants,
but it kills all grass and weed seed
and makes the land more plant, and
is no doubt beneficial. Clear the
land of roots and trash, distribute
heavy coat horse stable manure over
the bed, mix well with the soil and
on every one hundred square yards
SOW one and one-haf table spoons
full Of seed. In order to SOW the seed
uniformly they must be mixed with
other material. A good guano is
best for mixing seed with, and in
mixing use fifteen or twenty pounds
to every one and one-haf table spoons
full of seed. After plants have come
up to add to their growth distribute
over beds occasionally thin sprinkle
of guano, just before or during rains.
ISeed should be sown on, or before the
18th of February, but any time during
the months of January or February
will do. 49,. ..
It is an erroneous idea that sand
hills make the best tobacco land.
Most all land that will grow cotton
will make tobacco, but different soils
lproduce different. grades. Sandy
land makes thin light tobacco which
is good only for smoking purposes,
while stiff soil makes ''hea1y filings
or chewing tobacco. Neither the thin
light leaf or the, thick rough one sells
well. There is no good prices in eth
er. The point is to make bright,
heavy, smooth leaf, and to do this re-
|quires select soil and wise cultivation.
A splendid rule for selecting tobacco
land is to select that soil adapted to
the cultivation of watermelons and
sweet potatoes. Another mark OF
lgood tobacco land is that soil which
before cleared produced long straw
pines and chinquapin growth New
ground of this kind will make good
grade of tobacco and will ripen well
In the field. Select hill sides with nat
ural drainage as much as possible.
Tobacco land must be well drained.
Flat bottom land produces a thick
rough weed which will not yellow
well in the field, and makes it almost
impossible to give it a good color in
the barn. To make good cures tobac.
co must yellow on the stalk. You
cannot make bright yellow cure
when the tobacco goes into the barn
green; remember this. The soil must
not be sobbed with water or be toe
strong for tobacco to ripen well in the
field. A very rich soil does not make
a good quality of tobacco, and quality
and not. quantity should be the aim ot
the tobacco cultivator. Tobacco on
very rich land will stay green too Late
IN the season and grow too thick and
rough. The land should possess only
lenough strength to produce a quick,
heavy growth, and not enough to keep
it green when the tobacco is full
grown.
MUCH DEPENDS ON FERTILIZERS
for early growth and for yellowine
in field. There are many brands OF
fertilizers prepared specially for. to
bacco cultivation. cannot say what
brand is best, this depends upon the
kind of soil on which used, as with the
cultivation of cotton. The planter
must exercise his judgment here.
Some use cotton seed meal and ammo
mia with good results. I Ihave received
best results from use of a compost
made of rich dirt and dead vegetation,
mixed with horse stable manure.
This use on land that has grown up
in weeds the year, before, for I never
cultivate my tobacco land two years
in succession, but let itfest every 9th