18 



Frevious Culture of Land for Tobacco. — The quality of 

 the soil and the manuring are largely responsible for the 

 early and late ripening and the regular and irregular 

 ripening of tobacco. 



Tobacco plants ripen later on soils rich in organic mat- 

 ter, except in the case of sandy soils, where the organic 

 matter decomposes rapidly. Heavy applications of nitro- 

 genous manures retard ripening. Tobacco richly manured 

 with liquid manure, night soil, barnyard manure, or nitrate 

 ■of soda, ripens late. 



If the plants are set late on fields so manured, or those 

 rich in organic matter, the leaves may not have time to 

 ripen, and a greenish leaf will result, which, in burning, 

 gives an unpleasant odor and bitter taste, and bitter taste 

 in chewing also. 



Formulas for Fertilizers for Tobacco. — The following 

 fomulas for fertilizing tobacco have been recommended : 



Formula No. 1. — From 900 to 1250 pounds of wood 

 ashes, or 350 pounds of potassium sulphate per acre, the 

 •applications being made to deep soils late in the fall, or to 

 ^shallow soils before the iirst plowing. In the spring be- 

 fore setting the plants 135 to 180 pounds of nitrate of 

 •soda may be applied when the land is not heavily manured. 

 In rainy seasons, when the plants lose their dark green 

 'oolor, and fail to grow well, 90 to 135 of nitrate of soda 

 per acre may be applied while the plants are small. 



Formula No. 2. — Two hundred and seventy-iive (275) 

 pounds of low grade sulphate of potash, 250 pounds of 

 acid phosphate (12 per cent.) and 100 pounds of sulphate 

 of ammonia (a by-product of gas liquor) or 280 pounds 

 of cotton seed meal. Sulphate of ammonia, it is stated, 

 is one of the most concentrated forms in which ammonia 

 can be applied to the soil, and is, at the same time, one of 

 the most active and readily available forms, being deci- 



