Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1902-02-07
CHAPTER X.-(Continued.J


CHAPTER X.-(Continued.)
The cotton crop had proved a success;
the field had in time been covered with
cotton plants, which had burst first into
a bright yellow blossom, and had then
been covered with many balls of white
fluff. The picking the cotton had been
looked upon ut first MS great fun, al
though it had proved hard work before
it was finished. Its weight had rather ex-
ceeded Mr.. Hardy's anticipation. The
process of cleaning the cotton from the
troublesome operation, and had taken an
immense time. Judging by the progress
that they at first made with it, they
really began to despair Of ever finishing
1t, but with practice they became more
adroit. Still it was found to be too great
a labor during the heat of the day, al
though carried on within doors. 1t had
been a dirty work, too; the light particles
of fluff had got everywhere, and ut the
end Of a couple of hours work the party
had looked like Il family of bakers. ln-
deed, before more than n quarter of the
quantity raised was cleaned they were
heartily sick of the job, and the remainder
was sold in the pod to an Englishman
who had brought ont machinery, and was
attempting to raise cotton near Bucnos
Ayres. Although the profits had been
considerable, it was unanimously deter
mined that the experiment should not be
repeated, at any rate for the present.
Mr.. Hardy had not at first carried out
his idea of planting a couple of acres
with tobacco and sugar cane, the ground
having been required for other purposes.
He had not, however, abandoned the
idea; and about two months before the
marriage of Terence and Sarah he had
planted some tobacco, which was, upon
their return from Buenos Ayres, ready
to be picked.
The culture of tobacco requires consid-
cradle care. The ground is first prepar-
ed with great care, and is well and thor
oughly manfred; but this was not reIuir-
ed in the present case, as the rich virgin
soil needed no artificial aid. 1t is then
dug in beds something like asparagus
beds, about two feet wide, with IL deep
trench between each. The seeds are rails
ed in a seed-bed, and when nine or ten
inches high they are taken up and care
fully transplanted into the beds. TWO
rows being placed in each, md the plants
being a foot apart.
There are various methods of %cultiva-
ton. but this was the one adopted by Mr..
Hardy. The plants grew rapidly, the
ground between them being occasionally
hoed, and kept free rom weeds. When
nipped off, and any leaves which showed
,srvN oQ s,Nnc ,,,N,,, .r,,,, IN,a1.
stem had from eight to ten leaves. When
the leaves began to turn rather yellow,
Mr.. Hardy announced that the time for
cutting had arrived, and one morning all
hands We're mustered to the work. 1t
consisted merely in cutting the stems at
a level with the earth, and laying the
plants down gently upon the ground. by
breakfast time the two acres We're clear
ed. They We're left all day to dry in the
sun and a little before sunset they. we're
taken up and carried up to one of the
store sheds, which had been cleared and
prepared for the purpose. Here they We're
placed in a heap on the ground, covered
| over with raw hides and mats, and left
for three days to heat. After this they
were uncovered and hung up on laths
from the roof, close to each other, and
yet sufficiently far apart to allow the
air to circulate between them. Here
they remained until they We're quite dry,
and were then taken down, a damp cover
ing being chosen for he operation, as
otherwise the dry leaves would have
crumbled to dust. They We're again laid
in a heap, and covered up to allow them
to heat once more. This second heating
required some days to accomplish. and
this operation required great attention,
as the tobacco would have been worthless
if the plants had heated too much.
In ten days the operation was complete.
The leaves were then stripped off, the up
per leaves We're placed by themselves, as
also the middle and the lower leaves: the
higher ones being of the finest. quality
They were then tied in bundles of twelve
leaves each, and were packed in layers
in barrels, Il great pressure being APP
piled with a weighted lever, to press
them down into an almost solid mass. In
all they filled three barrels, the smallest
of which, containing sixty pounds of the
finest tobacco. Thu %venture,i like that OF
the cotton, had proved a success, but TIL.
trouble and care required had been very
great.
The next experiment which was per
fected was that with the sugar cane. III
this, far more than in the others, Mrs
Hardy and the girls took Il lively inter.
est. Sugar had been one of the few ar
ticles of consumption which had cos
money, and it had been used in considera,
Bile quantities for converting the fruit
into fine buildings and preserves. 1t was
not contemplated to make sugar for sale
btu only for the supply of the house; TIVE
acres, therefore, was the extent of tn,
plantation. MIR. Hardy procured the cut
tings from a friend who had n small SUI
gar plantation near Buenos Ayres.
The cultivation of sugar cane is simple
The land having been got in perfect order
deep burrows We're plowed at a distanc
of five feet apart. In these the cuttings
which are pieces of the upper part of TIL
cane, containing two or three knots, wer
laid Mt u distance of three feet apart
The pillow was then taken along by tn
side of the furrow. SO as to fill it IL,
again and cover the cuttings. In suga
plantations the rows of canes are clos
together, but MI. Hardy had chosen thi
distance, as it enabled his horse hoe t
work between them, and thus keep til
without the expense of hard labor. In
short time the shoots appeared above tn
soil. In four months they had gained tn
height of fourteen feet, and their gloss
stems showed that they We're ready t
cut.
"NOw, Clara" Mr.. Hardy said, ''thi