Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1897-01-14

$1,000
fine. These repeated plough
ings, crossing each time every
previous one, never fail, if the
work is done when the land is in
proper condition, to put it in
proper filth.
Let the planter remember that
ga good preparation is half Guilt
walton" and not stop until the
land is in proper condition.
In preparing land for tobacco
be sure you don't plant varieties
unsuited to the soil or type, else
failure is inevitable. The cause
of SO much mean, nondescript
goods on the market every year is
mainly attributed to failure in
planting the proper varieties on
the right kind of soil, and plant
ers should carefully note this and
sow seed suited both to soil and
type.
Having put the land in nice or
der, lay off the rows with shovel
pillow, three feet, three inches
apart, and follow, drilling along a
furrow a good fertilizer at the
rate of some two hundred and
fifty to four hundred pounds per
acre, according to the natural
strength of the soil and the guam
tity of manure previously applied;
then follow with one horse turn
ing plows, tapping four burrows
on the fertilized trench, and when
finished in this manner your lot is
ready to be planted, when the
beds have been ''patted'' with
hoes, with "pats" two feet ten
inches apart, to mark points for
setting the plants,
New ground, or old field that
has grown up and been cut down,
will require different preparation
from old, smooth land. But on
the former our best brights are
raised. Any preparation that
will put the soil in fine condition,
clear of roots, tufts and trash, is
all that is required. Experience
teaches that if land is cut down
two or three years previous to it's
being prepared for tobacco, it
greatly facilitates the preparation
and helps it's fertility. Much of
the vegetable material, both in and
upon the soil rots, the roots break
easily, and the soil is altogether
lighter and finer.
PLATING.
Having prepared the hills, you
are ready to plant any time after
the first of May. Planting is Of
ten most effectually done when the
hills are being made in May, and
the land is moist with the winters
sap, by planting in the afternoon
the hills made the same day. If
properly planted, very few of the
plants will fail to live. Observe
to draw the plants one by one
from the bed and handle so as not
to bruise them. It is waste of
time and plants to set out very
small plants, but wait until they
are of proper size, the largest
leaves about two and one-half to
three inches wide.
Put basket of plants in the
hands of a boy or girl, who drops
a plant on each hill, dropping in
one or two rows, according to age
or experiences. The men follow
each with a planting peg made of
hard wood, six inches long, one
and a quarter inch in diameter at
large end, and tapering to a point.
Each planter takes a ''hand
plant to start with unless the
dropper has learned to drop two
plants on the first hilI), and push
ing his planting peg some two
inches into the hill withdraws the
peg, inserts the plant, and by a
dexterous movement of the peg
and the knuckles of the left hand,
closes the dirt gently but COM
pactly around the roots. He then
picks up the plant on the hill as
he moves forward and by the
time he reaches the next hill has
adjusted the plant in his hand to
insert into the hole in the next
hill. Thus the "hand plant fa-
cilitates the work. Try it and
you will be convinced. There is
art in planting properly, as is
shown in the increased number OF
living monuments that attest SUI
perior work. But why enter into
such minute details? say some.
That you may start right, shun
the errors of inexperience, and
practice at the start the best
methods, as demonstrated by sue
cessful practice.
IF the soil is dry when the hills
are made, then it will require a
season for planting. The best
come with showers. 1t is not
well to plant soon after a soaking
rain, but wait until the land set
ties. IF the plants are good, sea-
son favorable, and the planting
we'll done, very few will die il