The Tupelo journal., 1907-07-26
TOBACCO
Dr.. Freeman Says Crop viii Noe
Stand Flat Cultivation.

I am reminded of some experiences
l have he'd in growing tobacco, and
especially am / more impressed be-
cause OF the condition of some tobac-
co fields | see in my every day
rounds.
Many years ago, before we knew
about stripping the leaf from the
stalk and curing only the leaf, /
thought | would cultivate my tobacco
differently from the old rule of high
killing and running the rows so as
to give the water a.chance to run off.
So | planted my crop OF about eight
acres on a dead level, having ter
raced the land before running the
rows. | ran the rows on a level and
planted on a small ridge and cultivat-
ed with Iron Age cultivators and cot
ton plows. This tobacco did nicely
and | thought | had a nice crop, which
| did. But soon after it was topped
and sometime before it would do to
cut for the barn, the rain began to fall
and for some time 1t was very wet.
The leaves at the bottom began to
dry up and fall off and this condition
continued until cutting time. Then I
had an expert old curer from Gran
lite County to cure it.
This eight acres of tobacco was a
total loss and | never saved a pound
nor offered a pound on the market for
colo Thic Wac on nvnnr{nnno 1oyoHA,
but shall never forget it. If | had
done this on a dry year | would not
have learned the lesson so soon.
Now there are fields and fields OF
tobacco in this section which will not
pay the expense cf making, if this is a
wet year and the present plan of cul-
t~ivation continues. Many fields are
planted on a low fiat ridge and being
plowed with cotton plows, and c~ultiva-
tors. This plan is not a good one for
any year and will surely fail in a wet
year.
One of my neighbors concluded it
was foolish to top tobacco, so he did
not top one year., and the only thing
he had that year was a beautiful flow
er garden. He had the flowers in
abundance, but no money. He has not
done that since. neither have l planted
ON a level.
Now, my friends, don't you forget
that there are some few .thinsgs you
must learn, somehow, before you sue
coed in making tobacco. | will men,
ton a few The land should not be
cultivated in anything the year before
planting in tobacco, and it should be
plowed two or three times before
planting time.
1t must be planted on a high ridge
and kept so, by blowing up high
every time and laid by with turn
pillow with top of large wing broken
off. No better working will it get
during the year than killing at last
with hoe. 1t must be topped and
primed to suit the land and amount
of fertilizer you have in the hill. This
is where your brain work will give
you the lead on the sales floor. Few
stalks of tobacco will do well if more
than twelve leaves are left. Be sure
the suckers are kept out until the last
leaf is carried to the barn. Now the
suckers should not get so large but
that you can push out with them.
Now, my friends, when you fail to
grow a good crop, and it does not cure
up nicely in the barn, it is not always
your fault, but eight times out of ten
1t is your fault. l know but very few
men who know how to make tobacco
and these are making money and big
money, every year.
Now if you are a thinking farmer
you will make money every year, and
if you are not you will succeed in only
the lucky years.-H. F. Freeman in
Progressive Farmer.