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require to be hilled, by mounding tlie eartli around the 

 plants, to protect them from falling when the soil is wet or 

 from being blown down by heavy winds. One or two hoeings 

 are necesary during the growing period to keep down the 

 weeds, as everything that detracts from the growth of the 

 plant is detrimental to the quality of the leaf. 



V. 



FEETILIZING. 



To be of good burning quality, tobacco should not con- 

 tain more than 0.4 per cent, chlorine to 2.5 per cent, potash 

 (that is, six times as much potash as chlorine), consequently? 

 fertilizers for smoking and cigar tobacco should contain at 

 least six parts of potash for every part of chlorine that is 

 at the disposal of the plant. The closer the relation be- 

 tween potash and chlorine in a fertilizer the less it is 

 adapted for smoking tobacco. A number of experiments 

 have been made, with potassium nitrate, potassium sulphate, 

 potassium muriate, gypsum and common salt as fertilizers 

 for tobacco. 



The chlorine compounds always injure the burning 

 qualities, and the potassium sulphate and potassium nitrate 

 often improve this quality, though not always — the failure 

 being due, it is believed, to the potash not being sufficiently 

 distributed through the soil, or where heavy applications 

 are made to the formation of too concentrated solutions. 



The tobacco plant gets its growth and maturity rapidly, 

 and requires a constant supply of plant food from the soil, 

 but on the other hand it is exceedingly sensitive to concen- 

 trated solutions. It is important that the fertilizer, especially 

 the potash, be thoroughly mixed with the soil to a depth to 

 which the roots extend. This may be accomplished in a 

 measure by applying the fertilizer sometime in advance of 

 planting. 



Previous Culture of Land for Tobacco. — The quality of 

 the soil and the manuring are largely responsible for the 



