170 TRANSACTIONS OF THE 



If the above course had heen adopted by tobacco raisers we should 

 not have heard of so many failures this season in getting plants to live. 

 If the season is cold, the cut-worm may attack the plants as soon as 

 they begin to grow ; if so, it is necessary to go over the field early in the 

 morning, as they are readily discovered, and cease to he troublesome on 

 the setting in of hot weather. 



As soon as the plants begin to start run through the field with the 

 cultivator, and use the hoe to draw the crusted earth away from the 

 plants, and to hring around them a small quantity of fresh earth. Keep 

 the ground clean of weeds at all times. 



TOPPING, SUCKERING, AND KILLING WORMS. 



The next enemy to contend with is the common tobacco worm, which 

 will probably make its appearance when the plant is about half grown. 



This tobacco chewer is of a green color, with prominent horns on the 

 head, and is ahout the size, when full grown, of the finger. This worm, 

 if unmolested, will soon destroy a plant; hence it becomes necessary 

 to watch a plantation vigilantly for its presence, which will be indicated 

 by its excrements dropping on the leaves under it even hefore its rav- 

 ages have marked a plant for destruction 



As soon as the seed bud shows itself the plant must be " topped," 

 which consists in breaking off the top of the succulent plant at a point 

 which shall be in height according to the vigor and thriftiness of the 

 plant, generally permitting ten to fourteen leaves to remain on the stem 

 below the point of severance — those being, sufficient to grow on one 

 stalk. 



After the plant is topped the suckers will start, which will require the 

 field to be gone over twice a week to remove the latter. Priming the 

 tobacco consists in taking off three or four of the bottom leaves, which 

 may be spread in the shade and cured so as to make a very good article 

 for smoking. 



CUTTING AND HOUSING. 



The tobacco house should he ready by the first or middle of August, as 

 the oldest plants will probably he ready to cut by that time. The build- 

 ing may be of any dimensions most convenient, provided there is room 

 enough to house the crop. A barn, forty feet by sixty, with posts six- 

 teen feet high, will be sufficient to hold the produce often acres of land. 

 The building must be divided off into tiers of racks on which to place the 

 sticks which hold the plants. I prefer sticks about four feet long and 

 about one inch square, split out of redwood, these, in my experience, be- 

 ing the cheapest. The racks should be about three and one half feet 

 apart, and strong enough to bear the weight of a man. 



When the leaves become spotted the plant is fit to be cut, but will not be 

 injured by remaining standing a few days longer. If cut before mature, it 

 will cure green. Use a common butcher knife, and split the plant from the 

 top to within four or five inches of the bottom, and cut the plant off near 

 the ground and lay it down to wilt, being careful not to let it " sunburn." 

 The safest way is to cut late in the afternoon, and remove it from the 

 field immediately after the dew is off in the morning. Hang it on the 

 sticks before loading it on the wagon — from six to nine stocks to a stick, 

 according to size of the plant. After being put on the sticks it must be 

 placed on a scaffold, which may be arranged in the field under a shade. 

 The scaffold must be so arranged that the plants will hang nearly to the 



