The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1904-01-05
JANUARY FARM WORK.


If the planter has taken the precaution to mt
his unstripped tobacco in bulks during the month
of November and carefully protected the heads
of the bulks from drying winds by using wheat
straw, blankets or wagon sheets, he will be able to
utilize all the bad weather in asserting and strip
ping his crop. The stripping-room should be
close and provided with a good stove. upon the
top of which a vessel containing water should be
kept. The steam arising from the water will pre-
vent the tobacco from drying out, and by this
means the tobacco may be kept with the same de-
gree of humidity that it contained when bulked.
Cold weather is entirely unsuited to the handling
of cured tobacco unless the stripping-room is pro-
vided with such appliances. When exposed to the
cold tobacco quickly becomes harsh and brash and
will break in the handling, much to it's damage
and the consequent loss to the planter. A good
stripping-room furnished with plenty of heat and
light is a necessity with every planter who expects
to reap the highest prices for his product.
PREPARING TOBACCO FOR MARKET.
The habit now most in vogue of selling tobacco
on a warehouse floor demands more care on the
part of the planter in asserting and delivering of
his tobacco. The different grades should be most
carefully separated, and no two should ever be put
together on the same pile. There is often a diff
terence III price OF several cents per pound be-
tween the best grade and the one next to it. How
ever small may be the amount of the best grade,
il should be sold by itself, and so with the other
grades, because the prices are often regulated by
the worst, and not the best. samples in the piles as
they appear on the warehouse floors.
If tobacco is to be priced in casks, the work
had better be postponed until the advent of warm
weather. Tobacco cannot be properly ordered and
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There is a likelihood that the uniformity in the
degree of humidity may be destroyed in the hand
ling required in packing it in the casks. This will
have a bad effect upon the appearance of the sam
pies when drawn by the inspectors. Some of the
samples may be condemned for being too high in
case and others for being too dry. Many a plant
er has lost all the profits on his tobacco crop by
prizing it in cold, wintry weather.
In the yellow-tobacco districts of North Caro-
lima much Importance is attached to the proper
Equipment of an asserting and stripping room.
Such a room is constructed so as to have the light
come III from a window on the north side. This
furnishes a more steady light, without glare and
without transitions, from a full to a subdued light.
The delicate standings in the colors of the tobacco
leaves make the work of asserting difficult and
tedious even to one with an eye trained to discrim-
mate between the shades of different cOlors. Some
't"ls IN this region are put into ten grades, and
ID" trrldc at once into what grade to put a leaf
Tie work Of an expert. requiring rare Judgment
and a practiced eye.
FLOWING.
Ia the extreme Southern States some blowing
e done in January. provided the ground i. not too
"et. Cotton stalks are broken off and burned dur
ing the month, and a freeze greatly facilitates this
work. In those States where the cotton stalks
attain a height of six or eight feet it is a consid-
cradle task, but an imperative one, to get rid of
the stalks. Bedding the land for cotton begins
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