The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-10-23
Tobncco culture In Te.ns

| Tobacco Culture In Texas
a. w. May in Texas Farm and Ranch
Tobacco (nicotiana) is plant which can
be cultivated In Texas of a superior quail
| ity. The proper soil is found at various
places in our great State and the climate
is very favorable for the plant, which is a
child of the tropics.
| This causes it TO be cultivated In many
counties Of Texas, and It's culture, if ra-
| tionally proceeded with gives better re-
turns than that of our staples, cotton and
corn.
! Tobacco grows best in fertile, rlch
sandy soil, with clay foundation. Black
waxy land causes the leaf to grow too
fat and loses the fine flavor. a manur-
ing Of the land with old stable manure and
a composition of lime may be recon-
mended.
II is entirely unnecessary to apply arti-
hcia manure, especially potash, as rec
commended by Northern agricultural pub
iications-ashes produce the same result
and are cheaper.
The ground intended for tobacco should
be plowed flat in the fall aud left to lay
| four weeks, when 1t should be well puver-
| lied by narrowing in order to kill the
| weeds that have come up The ploring
| is TO be repeated in December and Janu-
airy to depth OF eight or ten inches. Now
| leave the rough burrows lay so that they
| can absorb the winter rains and that the
| frost can have its beneficial effects Har-
| row the land in March until the soil is
| clear and clean. Ii the land is low. IL is
ADVISABLE to band 1t at three feet distance,
so that the young plants will not be swamp
| ed by heavy rains. 1t Is advisable to SOW
| the TOBACCO seed i'll manure bed, SO as
| 70 nave early, large and vigorous plants In
| the frst part OF January. However. the
seeas may be sown In beds prepaie ed as
iolioWs Make your beds three and one
| nan ieet VIDE in projected location, cover
| u wei WIN dry twigs, set fire to them 30
| mat the ground VIII become hot. in order
! to XIII any seeds of weeds. Then snada
uePp ana put the ashes At the bottom In
oluer 10 OBTAIN vigorous plants a manure
Oh ola stable manure is recommended.
~ tlhe OF sowing in open air is TIM
i9t.sr part OF February or the first part
OF March. Sow the seed evenly moi 10
thick, and cover with one-haif inch ~ ~
hnely sifted garden soil.
Aiter the sowing is finished, sprinkle
pOllihs water and repeat sprinkling with
warm water after shutdown every night
uhtl the young plants come up. which will
ordinarily be in from ten TO twelve davs
- au9 Possioie light frosts. have covers
ready on hand.
II is not advisable to transplant the
young plants in the field too young. the
lo"ts being very tender and the treatment
dry spring wind is liable TO iniure them
rant in rows three feet distant from
edch other and the plans from one and
one half to two feet. according to tba
size of the leaves | plant Havana one
ana one-half feet. Sumatra, Brazil and
connecticut two feet dis ant AS these
nraRds, according to my experience do ey-
tremeiy we'll and bring the highest price
| can recommend them arnaniali
Texas. Aoi
The growth OF the young nIants ot,a,
transplanting is very slow at first. A fro.
queht hotlng. working with cultiyator or
sood double shovel in the rows, is very
nosessary ana especially after every rain. |
break Off the suckers. which In many
seasens VIII form on the plants. Before
wv plants FORM flower petals reduce the |
ans 80 ~ eisne on each plant; this streng h
duccd. " NC pro-
men the leaves begin to get yellow
shols' tney are ripe for cutting. Take n !
sharp knite, cut the plant about two inches
ABOVE me ground and put them in piles
put care must be taken thar no dew or
.aan"a'er is en- the plants Then load tho
~ S,,t' WIN care on the wagon SO as not |.
~ luJure me leaves and pile 1t up in a
neap under the roof of the barn I.et 4.
ray LOT Two days so as 10 get thoroughly
aeated' Then dry it in the shade ON ,virrs
Ai'e, tne ieaNes are thoroughly dry. which
,equlres several weeks. detach them from
snv stains ana pack in cases-ribs up-
Marus-to sweat. The cover OF the Eases
must ne air tight and weighted down v.i,h
heaVy weights II you have a wine nress
use this. II within eight or ten days M
iea'es nave not commenced SWEATING thew
muse DC repacked and the single LAYERS
ssprlhkied with strong black coffee. which
Is done by blowing same thereon bv Tho
.ioo'niuL This surely assures the begin
mug OF the sweating, which should bo con
'inued Tor two or three months.
Ater the sweating process Is complet-
ca the leaves will have to be dried in ~
shaee: when they are ready for use in the
Sort The leaves into wrappers and filters
using the smaller, unpresentable ones for
sHokins tobacco. l here mention that Won
want TO be extra econcmicnl the lower
or so-called sand leaves. which freo,,entr.
ripen very early might be gathered sinsiy
ana prepared for the pipe separatelv II
favorable seasons YOU will be able-from
nationally cultivated tobacco fie,d-
make three cuts, and obtain up TO 4 no,nS
OF good. marketable tobacco from the ia' snu
leaved varieties. N 'a'se-
In conclusion ! will state that two
~ ess isSas tooacco from Victoria county
SHIPPED TO New York, was valued nv
large tobacco firm at 40 cents Der na,,ns
sna ciassed as the best quality az iyni,aa
1888 taiseu Tobacco, a proof that thsra q.
! sreat future for Texas in the raisins -