The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1902-01-28

PLANTING AND CULTIVATION.
Planting should have strict atten-
ton. For the growth will be irregu-
lar if the plants are not we'll set. DO
not bruise the plants when drawing
from the bed, and never set a bruised
plant. Wash the roots clean from
the bed soil, as clods left on the roots
retard growth. Make the holes no
deeper than the roots are long and
press the earth we'll about them, but
do not pack hard. Plant when the
stems are the size of a lead pencil.
From middle of April to middle of
May is a good time here, the earlier
the better.
Begin cultivation as soo as the
plants have taken root, whether
there is any grass or not. You can
follow with hoes, but do not work
too deep around the plants, but let
the first blowing be deep enough to
loosen the earth under them. Keep
up the cultivation till tobacco gets
too large to use the pillow, and then
continue the hoes among it. Use
every preoaution TO avoid bruising
or injuring the leaves, and never
work deep after the plants button.
TOPPING AND PRUNING
Top the tobacco before it has run
into bloom, and as soon as the button
appears. Some farmers say let the
button get we'll out, for is ruins the
tobacco to top too low; but if you
top too high you can go over and top
again. Go over tobacco in a few
days, and if the tip leaves are stand
ing up straight, top again. If the
crop has been highly MANFRED you
can leave from IL to 20 leaves, for
what is the use of making a heavily
MANFRED piece of ground force the
sap into 10 or ID leaves, when the
result will be heavy, thick, large,
hony leaves that will bull-face and
wrinkle and cure into dark, chafy
tobacco? These rules are not in
tended for stalk cutting, but for
printing and curing all the leaves
from first TO last.
Printing the entire stalk is better
in our sandy land, as the tobacco
only ripens two or three leaves at a
time. As all plants r not alike,
the number Of leaves to be left
should be determined by the thrifty
or unthrifty appearance of the plant.
Take the suckers off as 500 as you
can pinch them, eve letting them
get over three inches long. II
allowed to grow they will injure the
quality and quantity of the tobacco.
If let get old and tough it is almost
impossible TO remove them without
injury.
wORMING.
The worming is the most import
ant thing with the crop, for we can
not make a crop unless they are kept
off, as worm-cut tobacco will not sell.
Some will tell you TO worm the to-
bacco two or three times a week, but
you should worm it daily if is needs
is. In the morning or late in the
evening is the best time, as the
worms will hide in the middle of the
day, and are harder to find. Every
tobacco grower should have a flock
of turkeys. If you have about so
little turkeys, the size of cartridges,
when the worms appear, take them
in the patch early in the morning
and drive them over it till the sun
gets hot, and then let them go to the
shade. They will worm 10 TO 15 acres
very we'll. If you have no turkeys,
Paris green is the best thing l have
used, but do not use too much at a
time, but regulate it so as to get a
fine spray.
CURING AMI GATHERING.
Ripening is shown by the thioken-
ing and granting of the leaf, and
change of color, the leaf assuming a
yello wish or notified yellow and green
COLOR, and the under side of the Leaf
will crack when bent. About the
last of June the bottom leaves will
begin to ripen, and those just above
will follow when the top leaves are
not half grown. These bottom leaves
make the best smokers on the plant,
and re worth 10 to Is cents per
pound. Pluck them from the stalks
and place smoothly in bash cts made
for the purpose, haul immediately TO
the barn and tie on sticks from the
baskets. Have three sets of baskets,