Tabor City tribune. (Tabor City, N.C.) 1946-1991, 1956-08-08

1
views the destruction. is to give
up. This was particularly true
until recent years when work
by Wolff, Pointer, and McGants
Of the N. c. Experiment Station
and few trials by growers de-
monstrated that many times
certain practices promptly and
properly applied can bring prof
it out of what looks to be a ruin
ed crop Of tobacco.
In trying to decide whether to
salvage a hail damaged crop,
the important consideration is,
not what has already been spent,
but what it will cost to complete
the crop and what return you
will likely get for your effort.
The only consideration due
the money already spent is that
it should be an incentative to
encourage doing everything pos
sible to make enough from the
crop to pay at least fixed cost.
In this that you will not start
next years crop so far behind.
1t is much better if you do not
have to pay this years cost out
Of next years crop.
Shall l try to salvage the hail
damaged crop? This depends on
whether the soil is badly infest-
ed with nematodes, the age and
size of the tobacco, the severity
of the damage and the amount
of labor that will need to be
hired. If the plant roots are bad
ly infested with nematodes there
is much less prospect for good
recovery and new growth. The
older or larger the tobacco when
hail strikes the less recovery
can be expected. Experiments
have shown that tobacco cut off
five weeks after planting the
prospects are good for about 50
|Ipercent of a normal crop in
yield and 76 percent in value
Tobacco cut off after seven
weeks produced about So per-
cent of a normal crop in yield
and So percent in value. Tobac-
co cut off after nine weeks pro-
duced As percent of a normal
crop in yield and 40 percent ir
value. Tobacco cut off at the
end of three weeks produced as
much from a crop of suckers as
| tobacco that was not cut off
THE loss in yield as compared
to the check amounted to about
|I97 percent for each week of de-
llay in cutting off.
The emphasis placed on cut
|Iting off hail damaged crops in
|lexperimentS does not mean that
| all damaged crops are to be cut
| loft, as a matter of fact, cutting
|off applies to severely damaged
or destroyed crops. 1t is gener-
|ally suggested as a last resort.
The important thing is to look
each field over Immediately and
Idccidc what salvage operations
are necessary and carry out the
Indicated procedure immediate
ly. Remember you will need Cv-
cry day of growing season left
in order to make the most OF a
hail damaged crop.
Cleaning up the plants i'm
mediately after the stor mis- i'm
mediately after the storm is inn
move too little of the broken
leaf than too much. Remove
only those broken leaves that
covers a good leaf or a sucker
that you may wish to encourage
| Hi a plant is broken over, finish
removing the broken part and q
sucker will develop. Later tor
the sucker at the number Of
leaves YOU think will develop
and mature properly.
II
BY leaving as much of the
/ green leaf area, though portions
I,may be broken and ragged, more
plant food can be manufactured
in the leaf for more rapio
growth and quicker recovery.
Should the Stalks be cut of
or Will you Stick to What is
Left?
One of the most difficult de-
IlciSionS to be made is whether
the plants are damaged severely
enough to justify cutting the
stalks off and develop a sucker
or nurse the plants along re-
tanning the leaves that are not
destroyed and perhaps turning
out a sucker at the top Of the
plant or down on the side.
Do Not Cut Off
When light to moderate hail
hits young tobacco that is halt
knee high TO knee high: frequ-
emily only those large leaves
that arc spread out horizontal
with the ground will be destroy
cd or badly damaged. Generally
only six TO eight or ten leaves
viii be destroyed or badly dam
aged. In such cases there are
twelve TO eighteen leaves left on
the plant. Most of these will not
have unfolded from the bud.
You would not figure on cutting
stalks off where you have half
to three fourths of the leaves
left on the plants.
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