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color will be dark after curing and sweating, and the reverse 

 if of a lighter shade of green. If the soil be dark, the color 

 of the leaf will be darker than if grown upon light soil. The 

 kind of fertilizers applied to the soil, as well as the soil itself, 

 has much to do with the texture of the leaf, and should be 

 duly considered by all growers of the plant. 



The Sucker. — The sucker makes its appearance at the 

 junction of the leaves and stalk, as indicated in figure 7. 



Figure 7. 



Uusually these are not seen until after the plant has been 

 topped, when they come forward rapidly and if not plucked 

 off in a short time develop into strong, vigorous shoots. The 

 growth of the suckers is injurious to the leaf, retarding their 

 size and maturity, and affect the quality as well as the ma- 

 turity of the plant. When the plants are fully ripe and 

 ready to harvest, the suckers will be found to be growing 

 around the root of the plant. 



This is one of the most reliable evidences of its maturity, 

 as it denotes the ripening of the entire plant. 



Breaking off the suckers hastens the ripening of the leaves 

 and gives a lighter shade of color, no matter on what soil the 

 plants are grown. 



