The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1918-05-15
a WORD TO THE
TOBACCO FARMERS

I note today in going through sew
cral tobacco fields that bud worms are
beginning to make their appearance
in great numbers. The month of May
is usually the time tnat great deal
of harm is wrought upon tobacco
fields. The egg from which the bud
worm is hatched is SO small that the
casual observer never sees it. The
first thing that catches his eye is the
dlsfigured bud which is full of small
holes. This insect is the greatest en-
emy that the tobacco plant has to con-
tend with during the first stages of
real growth.
We find from experience and OBJ
servation that the bud worm usually
does more harm than the horn worm
and all other insects put together. The
buds that he fills full Of holes en-
large as the tobacco plant grows and
tobacco that is infested with this pest
destroyed that comes about the mid
die Of the stalk when the plant is
grown. So you will observe from this
that your best leaves on the stalk,
where this is the case, might make
wrappers or nice cutters become very
much damaged.
l am writing this to call the atten-
ton of the grower that usually waits
until his field gets infected before us
ing poison. Paris Green, | will say
for the benefit of the new planters.
mixed with fine sand or dirt, half
and half, can be used to best advan-
tage | have observed by dropping a
small quantity in the bud of the plant.
Some use arsenic of lead mixed with
flour or well-slakcd lime prefer
the Paris Green, personally. | find
it much harder to kill this worm by
the bellows or spray as you do not
always get the poison in the bud of
the plant.
Now is the time to use poison
against this enemy whether you see
signs or not. When tobacco gets the
size of your hat, as the average fields
are now, the eggs have been deposited
and will certainly iniure your tobacco
IT you DO not take steps in time to
prevent it. You will also find the
baby worm much easier to poison.
| haven't been around much yet,
but from what | have seen we have
the best tobacco prospect this coun-
ty ever had. | certainly hope we will
have good seasons from now on, and
that we may make our banner crop
in both yield, quality and price.
| think the average one Of us has
been topping our tobacco rather low
in the past. The trade wants bright
smoking cigarette types. Let's see if
we can stretch our topping a little bit
this summer. OF course we have to
be govcrnmed by the land, the amount
Of fertilizer, etc, under it, but | saw
lots Of fields topped too low last year.
Let it button out good first so we
can better judge how to top it. or
course we must not let the stalk get
hard or tough before we remove but
ton, but we can let it stretch up far
enough to judge where and when to
break it off.
Let me leave this thought with you.
1t is better to top too high than too
low. You can take another whack at
it if you find the plant has less vgor
than you thought. But it is hard to
remedy if you have gone too low and
the plant shows more vigor than you
expected. Just the right topping of
tobacco is very essential to the max
ing of the best quality and yield. I
have been thoroughly convinced Of
this by seeing it in chc fields for
twenty-five years and by buying and
selling same on warehouse floors.
Yours for best service,
r. D. COTHRAN,
Central Warehouse.
--W--S-S-
Be sure to come early to the Ball
10 ~