276 Transactions of the 



often do well on lands that have been weakened by repeated wheat 

 culture. The exception to this statement should be when the lands 

 have been exhausted of their stalk-forming food as well as of the parti- 

 cular elements required to mature the seeds of the wheat plant. On 

 lands where wheat or barley tends to run to straw, and which are suit- 

 able for tobacco, this crop alternating with the grain, should improve 

 the outturn of the latter. 



PROTECTION. 



. The land, too, must not be too much exposed to the sweep of Califor- 

 nia Summer winds. The tobacco leaves, eighteen to twenty-four inches 

 long and nearty half as many wide, brittle of stem and tender of web, 

 present a great superficies to the wind, and a single norther may thrash 

 out the leaves of a handsome crop — tearing the edges to rags, snapping 

 the stems so that all that part of the leaf beyond the fracture withers 

 away, and reducing the value of the whole stand in a serious way. A 

 belt of wood or of hills to windward, is sufficient to avert this source 

 of loss. 



PKEPAK1NG THE LAND. 



FIRST PLOWING. 



As early in the season as practicable, the land should be plowed to a 

 depth of twelve inches, i. e., the plow should make a clean cut of twelve 

 inches dee}) measured on the land side. The draft for this will require 

 five good horses; of unusually large and heavy ones, four may do it. 

 A gang plow, with one plow removed, will be found handier than a 

 single plow. With several patterns of "gangs" the plow cannot be set 

 down twelve inches. This should be looked to. To aid in turning the 

 furrow a board may be jammed between the mold board and standards 

 and secured so as to prevent the earth from pouring back over the mold 

 board into the furrow. If to this board a sheet of tin or sheet iron be 

 tacked, the slip will be the easier. This is not so important now as later 

 in ridging, w T hen it is essential to mold the earth high up, but is useful 

 in keeping a clear furrow for the horses to walk in on the next round. 

 I do not know any plow in the market that will turn a twelve-inch fur- 

 row clean over. A good deal of soil is bound to pour back over the 

 mold board; the farmer must do the best he can with such tools as are 

 procurable. Plowing should be done only when the land is in. proper 

 condition, and then it will be well if the lands turned each day be har- 

 rowed the same day. If the work be done by contract, a provision to 

 this effect may save some disputing as to getting the land harrowed 

 up to the satisfaction of the planter. 



Tobacco is a rank grower during the months of July and August, pro- 

 vided it can get moisture at that time. The amount of growth made 

 during the latter month especially, is the particular growth that gives 

 the heavy crop. The deeper loamy land is stirred, the more freely and 

 the later in the season will moisture rise in it. Good loam plowed twelve 

 inches deep will in September show T moisture from two to three inches 

 below the surface. The same land plowed only seven or eight inches 

 deep ma}', at the same date, be nearly or wholly dried out. Again, the 

 deeper land is plowed the more freely does all excess of water drain 

 away from the superficial layers, allowing it to warm, and the more 



