lo Mar.. 1911.] 



Tobacco Culture. 



As tobacco ripens, the plant shows general signs of maturity, the leaves 

 droop and appear heavy, the upper surface becomes roughened, and 

 mottled, and in the pipe varieties especially get gummy and sticky to the 

 touch. This ripening period is somewhat erratic and all plants do not 

 ripen together, though in a crop of 4 or 5 acres it will be found that a fair 

 percentage will ripen about the same time. This is generally, in the case 

 of plug tobacco, about six or eight weeks ofter topping, according to the 

 season ; if the leaf does not show signs of ripening at the end of the eighth 

 week it is. as a general rule, better to cut. 



Directly tobacco commences to get over- ripe, brown spots appear on 

 the leaf and rapidlv spread over the surface. This is a sure sign that 

 the leaf is beginning to waste and no time should be lost in cutting. If, 

 owing to want of moisture or any other cause, the crop stops growing 

 after the topping process and turns yellow, it should be cut at once as loss 

 in weight and quality will assuredly result if allowed more time in the 

 field. Though the yield per acre will be light, such crops often command 

 good value, owing to the golden colour of the cured leaf and its mild 

 aron";atic qualities. In some 



TOH\rCO KNIVES. 



cases, yellow tobacco is 

 grown on soil so poor that 

 it will not properly mature 

 the leaf when the condition 

 referred to ensues and a 

 bright leaf is obtained. 



In harvesting heavy to- 

 bacco, the ripe plant is held 

 by the top in the left hand 

 and a knife specially made 

 is inserted in the top of the 

 stalk, where the bud has l)ei'!i 

 removed, and pressed down 

 splitting tlif stalk to within 

 6 inches of the ground. 

 Care must be taken to so in- 

 sert the knife at such an 

 angle as will avoid cutting or 

 breaking the leaves from the 



stalk. The plant is then bent over with the left hand and 

 or chopped off with the knife close to the ground. 



Various knives are used, ihe best being those illustrated, which can be 

 made bv a blacksmith at a cost of a couple of shillings, or by any handv 

 man. In .some cases, a light tomahawk, or a heavy butcher's knife is used. 



The plant after cutting is left on the ground to wilt for haif-an-hour 

 ur more, according to the strength of the suri. with the tij^s of the leaves 

 to the sun. Care must be taken not to let the leaves get scorched under 

 a hot sun; leaf .so burned will not cure or make t<>l)acco, but will blacken 

 and become very brittle. II it is not ])<)ssible, owing to lack of hands 

 or other rea.sons, lo get the tobacco to the .scaffold or shed, it should be 

 placed in piles of five or six, one on the other. kee])ing the butts even both 

 perpendicularly and horizontally, and then taken to the shetl as soon as 

 l)OssibIe. Tobacco should always be carted to tne shed or scaffold the 

 same dav as cut. and should not be left in thick piles for more than a 

 couple of hours. oth<r\\ise ii will heat am! W damagt'd. It should !•' 

 at once hung in the shed, and if that .i,;.r ^- po.ssiiile sb,ould be sprea I 

 thinly, say three deep, und<-r cover fro'^nd wit. '"• 



d the >talk cut 



