The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1906-08-25
FARMER AND PLANTER
MAKING TOBACCO cHsApLv.
A North Carolina Farmer Tells the
Method He Has Found
Successful.

I KNOW tnlS ID TOO late Tor q mar
10 start to raise crop of tobacco, but
probably it is never too late for us
to learn something about it.
In the first place, it pays well to
prepare your plant bed well. 1 pre-
fer to burn the land well some time
In February, then hoe and rake until
the land is as fine and level as a bed
can well be made, then put about
one pound Of cottonseed meal and one
half pound of some standard fertilizer
to every square yard; then rake or
hoe it in to have 1t thoroughly mixed
with the soil.
Now it is ready for the seed. I
usually put about two tablespoonful
| of seed to 100 square yards. This is a
little more seed than most people use.
but find that can get a plant to live
better where the plants were thick
enough on the bed to make it run up
and have leg two inches long, than
one that was as large or larger with
no stalk to 1t at all. And always have
plants enough to set my crop between
May 1st and 10th.
After having broken my land thor
oughly In the last of March or April,
I then lay of my rows with cotton
pillow, very shallow 3h feet apart.
Then l SOW 1000 pounds Of fertilizer
analyzing aga or 4-S-4 per acre. Then
list up on it with turn pillow, then put
a land roller on it and roll 1t down
level; this will help it to hold the
moisture.
Now l am ready to set my tobocco.
/ set it three feet apart on the row;
this will give 1000 plants per acre.
After plants have been set out about
ten days or two weeks begin to work
it-at first very shallow with small
tooth cultivator. After it has taken q
good start to grow pillow deeper, and
the last time / pillow very shallow
again. Just how often and how it Is to |
be worked will depend altogether up
on the condition of the land and the |
seasons. But if you put 1000 pounds |
of high-grade fertilizer per acre you
will find that you will not have time |
to work 1t many times, for 1t will soon |
be too large to work, and as soon as
It gets large enough to shade the land
sufficient to keep grass and weeds
from coming to injure it, / find it does
best to stop cultivation.
Now comes the most important time
Of the crop, Topping il is very vital
matter, in my opinion. Mr.. Petree says
six or eight leaves, but l double this.
think have a very poor crop unless
get an average of sixteen or eighteen
caves to the stalk. think that one
,ught never to plant land in tobacco
hat would not make this much with
900 pounds of good guano, and IL
rom 500 to 700 pounds only make
light leaves. it seems to me that 1t will
We good economy to use 1000 pounds
o get sixteen leaves, for it will be less ;
rouble to cultivate on acre and get
rom 1000 to 100 pounds of good to-
'acco than it would be to have two
ores Of land to work and get the
anne amount in pounds and not nearly
o good quality. IL
My average for the last Ave years | {
as been more than 1000 pounds to-
acco per acre, and the price from So
D 1898 per hundred pounds Now, :
,ean that my poorest crop In five
ears averaged SC per pound, and the
est crop. 10 1-3c. per pound.
Now, word as to getting It from
he field to the curing barns. have
led several different ways. I never !
ut my tobacco, but prime it ALL can !.
o 1t cheaper and get better results.
'r 1t is impossible to save a crop of 6
pod tobacco and cut it, for the bot
I'm leaves will all dry up, and you :
ave to cure the top green. As soon as
see the bottom leaves begin to ripen .
begin to cure, and go on every week
I'D gather what may be ready to cure,
1t be one leaf or four leaves to the .
ak. d
j use a truck with four wheels, It :,
ling made on the order of a draw
agon, to get it out of the field. / have "
'ery fourth row four feet or four feet r,
rec inches for this truck to be driven .,
. These trucks will hold enough to- 9,
eco to tie up from twenty-five to II
twenty-five sticks. depending upon
Nv hig1 the curtain is on the truck. n,
ID with three of these trucks you z
n take two men to prime and two r
Us to drive the trucks and get from q,
0 to 1000 sticks per day, out of the =,
Id to some convenient place to tie 1t m
/. This quality will make. when
red. 1000 to 1000 pounds tobacco. a,
using these trucks / get it out of Of
field, cure it and pack 1t up in ar
ckhouse for from $40 to $13 per- Ar
re. This doesn't include my team, n,
all the hand hire from the time I "a
lrt to curing until l get it in the
ckeouse, and this is only about 81 m
+ loo pounds. This is as cheap as it mr.
4 be cut and cured, l believe. Then on
en- it is to be graded it can be done q,
lch better and cheaper than 1t was so
the stalk.-B. N. Sykes, Hertford n
lnty. N. c.. in Progressive Farmer. te,
The Onion Maggot. no
Every onion grower should prepare tr,