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been used. Oarcorrespoutlent says, " tbree acres of tobacco wiii require 

 the manure accumulated from 100 to 200 acres." In Bucks County, 

 Pennsylvania, the tobacco section is Falls Township, along the Dela- 

 ware River, where the surface is nearly level, and the soil a rich, dark, 

 sandy loam. During the winter 35 loads of manure per acre, brought in 

 boats from Philadelphia at $1.25 per load, are spread upon the fields, 

 and plowed under at a depth of 4 to 6 inches as soon as frost is out, and 

 left till about May 20, when the soil is well pulverized and worked into 

 hills 3 feet apart each way. A compost of well rotted manure is applied 

 in the hill. Fertilizers are believed to injure the burning qualities of 

 the leaf, and their use has been discontinued. The culture is similar to 

 that of cabbage, until the leaves are 6 inches in width, after which the 

 fields are gone through two or three times per week in search of worms, 

 ■which do not increase in abundance from year to year. The crop should 

 be cut in twelve weeks from planting. In Lancaster, the largest to- 

 bacco-county in Pennsylvania, plants are set 20 inches apart in the rows, 

 which are three and a half feet apart. The culture is about the same 

 as for corn ; the soil is kept well pulverized and free from weeds. Farm- 

 yard manure is the main fertilizer, which is so extensively used that 

 other crops sufl'er from lack of it. 



In Maryland, seed is germinated from January 1 to March 15, in a 

 well-prepared bed, enriched with barn-yard manure and Peruvian guano. 

 As the plants attain the size of a man's hand they are transplanted when 

 the earth is moist from rain. The distance apart varies somewhat, 2J 

 feet each way being the usual distance in several counties ; in some 

 cases 3 by 2 feet ; in Prince George's 3 by 3 feet. In Calvert the laud 

 is well fertilized with farm-yard manure, guano, and superphosphate. 

 When the plants begin to grow, the crust around them, with the starting 

 grass, is scooped away with the hoe ; this process is called weeding. 

 Subsequent cultivation consists in stirring the soil every eight or ten 

 days with a one-horse cultivator, as long as it can be done without iu- 

 lury to the leaves. When the blossoms appear the top is broken off, 

 and the plant is allowed to stand until mature, when it is cut and hung 

 on poles in the barn to cure. Suckers are broken off and worms killed 

 during the growth. It is cut between August 20 and October 20, the 

 first cut being the best. In Prince George's, growers prefer to plow 

 both in fall and spring. They want A^ery rich beds to start the plants, 

 but do not care for heavy fertilizing of fields. They use guano, Turner's 

 Excelsior, and the Old Dominion fertilizer. In Saint Mary's 20 to 30 

 loads of manure with 300 pounds of superphosphate per acre are spread 

 in drills. 



The housing and curing is thus reported in Calvert : When the leaves 

 are sutficiently mature, and soft from moist weather, they are stripped 

 from the stalk and tied up in small bundles, care being taken to keep 

 the several qualities separate. When in proi>er condition these bundles 

 are packed in hogsheads for market. Nearly all the crop is air-cured 5 

 a few planters use the curing apparatus of Bibb & Co., and by proper 

 care and attention jiroduce a sui)erior article. In Montgomery, when 

 cut it is hauled to the house and hung on sticks 4:^ feet long. On one 

 end of these sticks is an iron spear, on the point of which the plants 

 are pressed, while the other end is made fast in the house, and thus 

 about ten plants are strung upon each for curing, the sticks being hung 

 10 to 12 inches apart upon poles. Fires are kindled beneath the tobacco, 

 which is hung 10 feet above. The curing process requires great exi)eri- 

 ence to secure the desirable color, and caution to prevent the burning 

 of house and tobacco together. The fires are kept up till the tobacco is 



