24 



should be done as soon as possible, as a longer time will be 

 required for the leaves to grow and ripen than when top- 

 ping is delayed until the plants are in bloom. Top the 

 plants at a regular height, leaving from nine to twelve 

 leaves, so that the field will look even and also make the 

 number of leaves to a plant uniform. The above method 

 of topping refers more especially to cigar rather than cut- 

 ting leaf. Those varieties of tobacco suited for cutting leaf 

 should be topped as soon as the flower bud appears; top 

 low, thereby throwing the strength of the stalk into a few 

 leaves, making them large and heavy. Let it grow from 

 tive to six weeks after it is topped, so as to have it thor- 

 oughly ripe, thereby giving it the bright, rich, golden 

 ■color, entirely different from cigar leaf, but desirable for 

 •chewing leaf. The custom in the old tobacco States is to 

 top for English shipping from eight to ten leaves; for coal 

 <3uring, from ten to twelve. In some sections of the United 

 •States the plants are not topped at all; the leaves are left 

 ■upon the stalk until they are fully ripe, when they are 

 taken off. 



