490 Transactions of the 



of cultivating the crop, of worming and suckering. The variety of 

 latitude to which the papers are meant to be adapted, appears to render 

 it expedient to proceed this month to the subjects of " topping and cut- 

 ting" — although the only tobacco likely to be ripe for cutting, as early 

 as the first of June, would be the Havana variety or Connecticut seed- 

 leaf, when grown in the southern parts of California, and early planted. 



The tobacco plant shoots up its stalk at top, sending out some four or 

 five main suckers branch wise, to bear its blossoms and seed pods. 

 About the point of branching and above, it forms a number of small 

 leaves, which are under merchantable size, and, also, too far behind 

 those of the rest of the plant in point of maturity, to be cured with 

 them. At the time the plant is cut, therefore, all this top growth is to 

 be broken off. This operation is called "topping." On all but rich 

 virgin tobacco land, the growth of the plant is not sufficiently vigorous 

 to form all this top-growth, and at the same time to properly mature it3 

 main leaves. Hence, on such inferior lands, it is needful to "top'' the 

 plant a certain period before cutting, and throw the whole of its strength 

 into the main leaves. Not only this: it is found on the poorer lands 

 further expedient to break off several of the lowest and less valuable 

 leaves, next the ground — this is called "priming" — leaving only twelve 

 to sixteen of the largest and best leaves to receive the remaining strength 

 of the plant. But if these operations be performed on a plant that is 

 growing vigorously, drawing its substance from a soil capable of sup- 

 plying whatever amount of food the plant is able to assimilate, very 

 different results naturally follow. Under these circumstances, the first 

 effect of topping at a similar stage of development, is to start a rank 

 growth of suckers, with which, thereafter, it is all but impossible to 

 contend successfully. Besides this, an undesired quantity of material 

 is formed within the substance of the main leaves; they become thick 

 and velvety, with heavy woody stems, curing up strong and rank in 

 flavor and of low value. 



This has been the history of some tobaccos produced in the Western 

 States. The culture of the plant was carried from the older States to 

 rich virgin soils in the West, along with the methods of managing it 

 that had come to be adopted, gradually, from necessity, as the old 

 tobacco lands had become impoverished. The result was the produc- 

 tion, under favoring circumstances, of a coarse low grade tobacco, such 

 as above described. On its first appearance, manufacturers found diffi- 

 culty in dealing in it at any price. It took its place at the bottom of the 

 price list, where the same quality of tobacco still remains. But the 

 price has improved relatively to other tobaccos, for its extensive pro- 

 duction at the West created a local taste for its peculiar quality, and of 

 late years that local market has become an extensive one. During the 

 same time, the character of the Western tobacco, in general, has changed, 

 and improved. Partly this is because the soils- have been cropped to 

 tobacco until the}' have reached the stage to which the old methods of 

 topping and priming are adapted; and, partly, because many growers 

 have learned to modify the traditional methods to a better accord with 

 their special circumstances. Plants are allowed to mature a greater 

 number of leaves, which are thereby produced of an improved quality. 



The market value of tobacco increases very rapidly with the improve- 

 ment in quality. Thus, taking the market grades of Ohio tobaccos, 

 when the quotation per hundred pounds for inferior to good common is 

 seven dollars and fifty cents to eight dollars, that for medium spangled 

 and fine red will be twelve dollars to thirteen dollars, and for yellow, 



