TOBACCO. 175 



plank beveled so as not to carry the earth with it, and two or 

 three weeks before planting out, this is drawn over the grain 

 to level it and got it out of the way, and then I go ou with the 

 plow and turn it all deeply in. I have been in the habit of 

 fertilizing the field witb three hundred weight of Peruvian 

 guano to tlie acre, and turning that in with the rye. The 

 whole field is gone over in that way ; plowed up to the depth of 

 twelve inches as nearly as possible, and then we let it rest 

 right there, that this vegetable matter may heat and go 

 through its fermentation and whatever changes nature effects. 

 When we get ready to prepare the ground we generally top- 

 dress with perhaps a third of the quantity of barnyard ma- 

 nure that 1 should put on if I had not fertilized the piece 

 with the rye and guano. We generally put on about four 

 hundred weight more of guano with this manure and harrow 

 it in thoroughly, and as soon as Ave have gone over it in that 

 way, we put on the smoothing-iron again, and go right over 

 the whole of it, levelling everything down smooth — ironing 

 it, so that it is just as smooth as a floor, or nearly so. Then 

 we let that rest a few days, until we think the manure and 

 the guano have l)een completely absorbed and incorporated 

 with the soil, so that none of it shall be lost. The great ob- 

 ject of going over the field with this smoothing-iron is to pack 

 it, and bring the manure in contact with the soil as much as 

 we can, so as to have no escape of the ammonia. When we 

 get ready to set the plants, we mark out the field the way we 

 want the rows, which is generally east and west on our lot, 

 because it inclines to the east. We take a light plow and 

 throw a furrow this way and the other, turning the two fur- 

 rows together. That is the preparation of the soil, with the 

 exception that in some cases if there are any lumps, or the 

 soil is not well pulverized, we go over the field and make hills 

 so as to be sure to have nothing in the way of the man's pro- 

 gress wdien he undertakes to set his plants. There is an im- 

 portant point in raising tobacco. Many men set out their 

 plants so carelessly that they topple right over, and make a 

 kind of bow. Those plants will show themselves by not 

 growing at all, in the course of a few days. Latterly, I have 



