State Agricultural Society. 485 



the day, but, if they come up again during the night, they are doing 

 well. The condition of the plants, under the cover, should be looked 

 to. If bud or cut worms are found to be operating freely, the cover 

 ought to come off as soon as practicable. We must not bo too much 

 afraid of frost. In the first place, it takes a pretty hard frost to cut 

 down a tobacco plant; in the second place, when cut down, it is only 

 set hack — not killed. The worms, on the other hand, make a finish of 

 it. But if it appear that neither of these worms is at work under the 

 cover, then there is no hurry at all about lifting it. And, especially, 

 the work of planting ought not to be interfered with for this purpose. 

 Unless there be a crust to break up, planting may be fiuished before the 

 hoes are set to work, but they should start as soon as ever the first 

 planting is done. By this time, the plants that have died at the first 

 planting can be known, and a portion of the hands can reset thom. Be 

 in no hurry to give up a plant for dead. A majority of even the hope- 

 less looking cases will make a live of it and show new leaves — in time. 

 After the plants have had proper chance to root — say ten days of warm 

 weather, or a fortnight to three weeks of cold — those that appear dead 

 may be pulled up and looked too. If a growth of white spicules, like 

 white mold, be found on the roots, it shows that the plant was starting 

 to grow. When the plant is really dead, the cause can also be detected 

 nine times out of ten, and will be found to be one of the faults in plant- 

 ing previously enumerated, or the work of a bud or cut-worm. If the 

 last (cut-worm) the plant will have been cut off at the crown. The 

 earth may then be turned up around it with the finger for a distance of 

 five or six inches, and about two inches deep, when the malefactor will 

 commonl}^ be found, and immolated. The bud-worm (which is very 

 small) operates by eating his way down the center of the stalk, leaving 

 it a hollow tube to the crown of the plant, where he cuts his way out. 

 It should be learned as soon as practicable through what fault plants 

 are being lost, in order that it may be corrected in the balance of the 

 work. During this examination, test the condition of the earth about 

 the plants that are growing by pressing it, and if it prove to be very 

 loose and open — settling an inch or so under moderate pressure — the 

 shovel plow ought to be got to work promptly. 



Uncovering can be done very expeditiously. A man starts at the end 

 of a row and picks up the covers with his right hand, clapping each 

 handful (got from five or six plants) under his left arm, without raising 

 the body or breaking his pace, which can be kept at a smart walk quite 

 across the block. Care must be taken not to twitch up plants along 

 with the covers. The armfuls of dry grass are thrown down in the 

 roads at the ends of the rows. If the covering of one row make more 

 than an armful, so that the man has to carry out and deposit his load 

 before finishing his row, it shows that a needless quantity of grass has 

 been used, and this present operation is much retarded. The covering 

 may bo now hauled away and stacked for stock (it is not worth much 

 for feed), or to the barn for bedding; but it should be moved at once, or 

 else burned, for it is an insect breeder. 



GENERAL MANAGEMENT — HOEING. 



I may mention here that the tobacco fields should be kept free from 

 trash of all sorts. Weeds growing along fences, in swales or sloughs, 

 along a willow or other brush brake, should be faithfully mowed down, 

 and when dry, burned. All such stuff breeds insects, and the mischief 



