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cure Lriglit wrappers, plant on light-gray soil in fair condition as to fertility. Let the 

 tobacco ripen on the hill before cutting; if the weather permits, scatibld three days iu 

 the sunshine, then put in the house and start fires of charcoal, slow at first, and grad- 

 ually increased to the desired temperature ; keep the heat at this poiut until the leaf- 

 stem and stalk are thoroughly dried. Wrappers cured by this ])roce8s are known as 

 "coal-cured wrappers," and sell for 40 to 120 cents per pound. Fluvanna: A great 

 portion of so-called fine, or high-priced, tobacco is grown on light-gray granite land. 

 This is of a light yellow or brown color and rarely grows to a large size. It is often 

 planted on new ground or lands that have grown up in pine. We have also strong, 

 heavy lands on the Rivanua and James rivers which produce a coarser and larger 

 growth of tol)acco adapted to what are called strippers, aud wanted for 

 the English market. Our most successful tobacco-growers use fertilizers at the 

 rate of 300 or 400 jjounds per acre, with or without farm-yard and stable-manure. 

 Henry : Old ground not often planted in tobacco more than once; new ground twice. 

 Stone flues are 'generally used iu curing, but charcoal-curing is growing in favor. 

 Louisa: The two principal things are, to get the plants out early iu May, if ])assible 

 l>y the 15th, and to keep the crop well worked. An early stand insures against frost. 

 The most popular fertilizer is that known as "Gilham's;" but it is sold too high, $70 

 per ton. It is generally sown at the rate of 300 pound.s to the acre, and with a small 

 amount of stable-manure acts well. Lunenhurgh : Land for raising the plants is pre- 

 pared by thoroughly buruing in the latter part of December or early in Januaiy ; the 

 seed sown sooq after. In a favorable season the plants are large enough for trans- 

 planting about the first of May. For the crop new or fresh land is usually taken. To 

 insure a good stand, the transplanting must be in wet weather. Montfjomerij : Seed- 

 beds prepared in January and February by buruing the ground thoroughly; the earth 

 and ashes well mixed and pulverized ; the seed brushed in ; the ground tramped or 

 packed, and covered with a thin layer of brush. A wet season is indispensable for set- 

 ting the plants. When the tobacco attains a sufficient size and number of leaves, the 

 lower leaves are stripped ofiP to the height of about eight inches, aud the top taken off, 

 leaving eight to ten leaves growing on the stalk. No fertilizers are here used. Nelson : 

 Soon as the plant is large enough it is topped from eight to ten leaves, after taking off 

 three or four of the bottom leaves. Soon as topped it begins to throw out suckers or 

 sprouts just above each leaf. Then comes "the tug of war"' to keep the crop clear 

 of suckers and horn-worms. This requires the entire crop to be gone over, and each 

 plant carefullj" examined about once a week. Fertilizers — such as bone-phosphate. 

 Eureka tobacco-fertilizer — are used to some extent; but stable-manure is universally 

 preferred, as being cheaper aud more reliable. The ripe plants are cut out from time 

 To time as they ripen, and are citlier hung up in the sun for two or three days or car- 

 ried, as some "prefer, immediately to the house. After wilting for several days, and 

 until vellow spots begin to show on the leaves, slow fires are made under the tobacco, 

 and gradually increased until the leaf is entirely cured. Powhatan : Stable or cow- 

 yard manure is genei'ally spread on the land, and plowed under in the fall, and the 

 laud refallowed in the last of April or first of May. The most popular fertilizers are 

 the Pacific soluble and Gilham's tobacco-fertilizer, ritlsyh-nnia : Commercial fertilizers 

 are used. It is supposed that barn-yard manure will not produce as fine quality of 

 tobacco as some artificial fertilizers, though it is acknowledged that most of these are 

 not beneficial te the land. I'rince Edward : As the season advances the plants are 

 pruned and topped lower, leaving a smaller number of leaves, in order to bring a uni- 

 form ripening, as far as practicable. The tobacco is cured by making fires of logs on 

 the floor of the barn, extending across the floor, and four or five feet apart. Peruvian 

 and soluble Pacitic guano are most used. Soft gray land is selected for the plant-beds, 

 and prepared for the seed by burning with wood cut for the purpose. Spottsylvania : 

 l*eruviau guano and other fertilizers are extensively used. Old land manured makes a 

 thicker, heavier loaf than fresh or new land from the woods. New laud will produce 

 only three-fourths as much in quantity as old. Not half the tobacco-growers put out 

 a single plant, the fly having destroyed all the plants ; but a few made better crops 

 than lor years. When the tobaeco-bed was made beside a running stream, and a ditch 

 cut around the bed, making it on an island, the plants escaped the fly. 



The coal-cnved tobacco of North Carolina is cut when it begins to yel- 

 low in the hill. In the barn it is first heated gradiiallj^ until the leaf is 

 nearly cured, when the temperature is raised to 175°, aud kept at that 

 point until the cure is complete. Heavy fertilizing is avoided for the 

 bright, charcoal-cured, high-priced grades, to obviate the danger of a 

 dark color and bad bloom from too much sap. On this account it is 

 grown usually on new land, in a light, gray soil, for two consecutive 

 years after the removal of the forest, with a small quantity of fertilizers, 

 if necessary, to give the plants sufiticient size. In Warren, seed-beds are 



