The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1896-01-22
ABOUT TOBACCO.
HOW TO PLANT. GATdER AND CURE
THIS WEED.

Valuable Information About IA Subject
Now Attracting Mucl, Attention in South
Carolina.
The following information about
tobacco is from a treatise on cult
walton. curing, aud handling of to-
bacco," by +. +. Pittman
Much depends upon
PLANT EEDS
for strong, healthy plants, and much
depends upon Strong healthy plants
for an early and uniform growth in
the field. | find that the south side
of a hill where the sun shines most
of the day and where TIE 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. | 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 we'll with the soil and
on every one hundred square yards
SOW one and one-half 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-half 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
Seed should be sown on, or before the
14th OF February. but any time during
the months OF January or February
will do.
| 1t 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
produce different grades. Sandy
land makes thin light tobacco which
is good only for smoking purposes:
while stiff soil makes heavy filings
or chewing tobacco. Neither the thin
| light leaf or the thick rough one sells
we'll. 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.
\ splendid rule for selecting tobacco
land is to select that soil adapted to
the cultivation OF watermelons and
sweet potatoes. Another mark OF
good 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 lanC must be we'll drained.
Flat bottom land produces a thick
rough weed which will not yellow
we'll in the field, and makes it almost
| impossible to give tia good color in
the barn. To make good cures tobac-
co must yellow on the stalk. You
cannot make a bright yellow cure
when the tobacco goes into the barn
green; remember this. The soil must
not be sobbed with water or be too
strong for tobacco to ripen well in the
field A yery rich soil does not make
a good quality of tobacco, and quality
and not quantity should be the aim of
| 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
enough 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 yellowing
in field. There are many brands OF
fertilizers prepared specially for TO-
bacco cultivation. l 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. l have 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 l never
cultivate nv tobacco land two years
in succession, but let it rest every 9TH
er year.
II PREPARING LAND
l begin in the fall season by turning
under the vegetation and in the spring
about the first of April-plow the
| land again. I then run rows three
feet and three inches apart, put in the
rows the compost mentioned above,
using about thirty-ive cart loads to
the acre, and on top Of this compost |
distribute six hundred pounds of high
grade fertilizer per acre. Some plant
ers use eight hundred pounds and up
wards of fertilizers per acre, but |
consider six hundred pounds sutii-
cient quantity. You want only
enough to sustain full growth, and
|! if TOO much is used the tobacco will
no. ripen well, but grow late in the
season and become thick and rough.
] After distribution of manure ridge uE
land as in preparing for planting cot.
ton, then drag ridge down and
SET PLANTS
three feet apart. Most planters use a
| peg for making holes in which to set
plants. With proper care in setting
! plants most all will live. Il weather
is dry water plants in setting. The
most successful way to water is by
filing hole with water, SET plant in
the mud and place dry dirt around it.
Plants set this way, even in very dry
weather. Will live And have learn.
ed by experience that in dry weather
it is better to set plants and water than
TO lei them stand on bed and grow uE