The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-01-15
TIME no SOM Seed.

|
| In the northern counties OF Florida SOW
the nrst beds OF the Vuelta Abajo from
the Isl to 10Th OF January then SOW one
I or more beds every week or two until The
last OF February to insure IA suffcienc,
for u large crop. II is not safe to rely OF
4 one seeu oea. Further south seed may b,
sown earlier, the object being to trans
plant just as soon as danger OF late spring
irosts is passed. for tobacco, like tona-
toes or other vegetables, should lie In tho
field as soon as safe from frost Sumatra
seed should not be sown as early by three
weeks, it being Il later variety.
HARVESTING.
Tobacco Is ripe and ready to cut when
yellow spots begin to appear ON the sur
race OF the leaves, or when it VIII snap OF
break when pinched between tho thumb
and finger. Cigar leaf, unlike plug leaf,
should not be oyerripe, better cut Il day
~ two too soon than to let IL get overrlpv.
Sumatra and Old Florida are not to be
.u,, pul lAe leaves should be 'priined"
on
The plant should be cut with sharp,
strong knife, entire and moi split, as some
do. The Sumatra wrapper and old Florida
specified wrapper. which grow much taller
and bear many more leaves than the Vu-
eliza Abajo, should be 'primed." In soni.
respects cigar leaf needs the very opposite
NrVutulthL from iue plub lcui, l. u, inc
former should run two or three hundred
louves To the pound the latter twenty W
thirty. The former needs humidity al the
way through from tho seed to the cigar
and often water Is used 10 wet tho barn
floor. whereas the other needs a furnace.
Cigar leaf must be bulked almost damp.
the other almost dry, So let no one be
led astray by agents OF patent barns anu
flues from plug districts, or laborers there
from. My own experience in Virginia,
North Carolina and Kentucky misled me
in my first experiments In cigar leaf
Never cut tobacco while the dew or rain
drops on the leaves, AS black spots VIII
result prefer TO cut in the afternoon,
az the sun is getting weaker. for In the
forenoon, unless cloudy. there is danger
of sunburn, which Will result in ten
minutes just before noon. Before and AZ
ter the plant Is cut be careful to remove
every worm, as they will destroy the to-
bacco II taken into the barn. 1, e., cigar
lenf TO be air-curcd II the ground has not
been cultivated for two or three weeks be-
fore cutting there Will be nice carpet OF
young grass on which to lay the tobacco
when cut, don't lay ii down in the sand
or dirt--select shaded, grassy place and
after II has wlted so as not to break lay
II very carefully On the straw on the floor
of the wagon, aud when medium load Is
on, cover with a sheet or some weeds. SO
40 " FIttcct ~ ktUtii Tue sun Wllit IN
route to the barn, where II must be placed
on some straw or a rug very carefully, till
the hand who must remain there has
speared II on the laths and put Il closei,
upon the bottom tier poles. where IL may
remain tin next MONDAY, when II should
be carried up and adjusted ON the upper
tier poles. II should be put about six
inches apart on tho laths. and they about
seven or eight inches apart on the poles.
STRIPPING AND BoNiNG.
Cigar tobacco Is ready I, strip from the
stink even before all the green he's disap-
ptared from the stalk bu, not until the
stem OF the leaf Is cured By opening
Windows every night In July ard August
ny Florida the tobacco win he soft or
in ease every morning. when enough
should be taken dawn aud covered to last
the shippers for one day. Lcxinnors
should mako only three or four.
GRADES OF CIGAR LEAF.
First. wrappers perfect leaves) second.
partially perfect leaves), third fiiler
ragged and MI imperfect ie,yesl. The
ourth Grade should be the ;rachy leaves
Aiiich. II sold at all. should moi be in
'iuded with the crop, Always give The
over grade the benefit OF III doubtful
eaf. The best plan Is to take on all the
imperfect leaves nrst. leaving those With
Pparent WRAPPER Quaiities Tor nore criti.