The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1896-02-22
FARMER ANDPLANTEK.
TOBACCO CULTURE,

TOBACCO CULTURE.
como Useful Hints to be Utilixed IA ti,e
e ssAss'ss .At,isrtH Ehes:
Tho hrEt thing IN tobacco culture is
the preparation of the plant-beds;
This work should be done in the la tier
half of February or the LIST OF March:
according to the condition 1T his
weather. For beds select a rich SPOT
on a Warm, sunny slope, where the sun
ana warm south winds will greatly aid
In bringing the tiny seeds into life,
anu insure strong; healthy plants
The first thing to be done is to clean
The ground of all rubbish and trash;
ana prepare 1t for burning; to destroy
oil foul weed seed. A Very good mate
rial to do the burning with is brush.
pieces of rsfAs or old logs. After the
burning, as soon as the bed has cooled.
dig and Pulverize the soil thoroughly
to receive the small seeds. Great care
should be taken not to Sow the seed
TOO thiGkly: Many rlant=beds are
ruined by being too thick, as
this makes the plants tender and easilv
injured by the hot sun after they have
been set out. A teaspoonful of seed is
sufficient to sow a bed ten feet square,
NIX the seed with nifted ashes or corn
meal to insure ITS even distribution
over the bed. After the seed is so.vn
the surface of the bed should be settled
smoothly. In piece of board 8 nches
square and two inches thick bore a hole
in the center, and fit in an old broom
handle. Take hold of the end of tho
handle and gently pat over the surface
CT tho bed. This method is much
easier and heater than tramping- The
Leds should not be more than nine
feet wide, but may be as long as de-
sired. bed of this width will take
three strips of canvas, one yard wide.
sewed together, to cover it, and it will
lie found more convenient in many
tays than wider bed. The beds
should be attended to carefully, and
ept clean of weeds, which will be sure
to make their appearance.
The preparation of the ground for
the plants should be carefully and
thoroughly done. The ground should
tie plowed from eight to ten inches
deep; If sod, it should be plowed early,
IN order that the soil may settle and
Coil and get it in good condition. Mark
eff the ground into rows three fe ct
eight inches apart; and if commercial
fertilizer is used, drill in the row with
a cord-dril which has fertilizer at
tachment. This will be found much
easier and better than hand-dropping.
ter the fertilizer is drilled, make hills
fl ON two to two and onc-half feet
APART and you are now ready for a
season" The plants should be trans
planted, or ''set," from May 20 to June
10, but better in May, as it will give
the tobacco more time to mature before
frost. In setting the plants, be careful
to straighten out 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 to five days, run between
the rows with cultivator. In a weeks
time run through again with the Guilt
vator and hoe carefully. Cultivate as
level as possible to hold the moisture
Soil under level cultivation will not dry
as easily as that hoed in ridges along
the rows. The crop should be culti- |
waited at least twice with the hoe and |
four times with cultivator. Do not, |
under any circumstances, cultiva te |
when the crop is ready to top, as culti- |
Vating at this time breaks and INJURIES !
the numerous small roots which the |
plant sends out after food and MOISTURE
have seen cases in which considera BILE
damage was done by late cultivation,
in a dry season.
Be careful TO look out for worms, as
hey may take you unawares and do
damage before they can
DC checked. If the crop is large and
he worms very plentiful, it will be
'ound quite task to pick them off by
land. greet many growers resort
o poisoning. This is done by mixing
'arlS green wi Tn water, land-pla Stcr or
lour, and spris1kling the tobacco with
he mixture.
The next important point in tobacco
culture is the topping. If you have
lad favorable season, and your crop
las grown we'll, it should be ready to
OPP at least b.! August 25. In this
york considerab BILE Judgment should be
Exercised. If you top too low, you lose
perhaps several leaves that would
,sa1y al L
liant will not spread and make per-
ectly developed leaves; usually from
6 to 30 leavos left to a plant will be
bout right.
In about tvs:, weeks after the plant
S topped tho first set of ''suckers''
makes their appearance, which must
&C broken out by hand. Two weeks
ater a second set of suckers come on,
vhen the same process must be gone
yer again. BY this time the crop will
e ripening and nearly ready to cut.
When the tobacco is ripe it becomes
cry thick and heavy; it also has a yell
owis:, cast, spotted with green. A
cry good test is to- double a part of J
he leaf back with thumb and finger;
nd if 1t cracks or breaks, it is consid- :
red in fairly good condition for cut
ing. Now for the cutting. Put the
tick in a slanting position at the I
DOT Ct a plant. Take the knife !
4 the right hand, start it down the {
talk, and gazing it so as to
hiss the leaves as much as possible, ,
It the hand follow the split, and s