The Tobacco Crop 225 



this way very little if any hoe work will be needed, and 

 in these days of labor scarcity on the farm it is important 

 that tobacco growers should learn the greater economy of 

 horse labor over that of the human hand. Rapid cultiva- 

 tion to break the forming crust after every rain is impor- 

 tant, and the two-horse cultivator will enable the grower 

 to do this more rapidly and economically than by the old 

 method with plow and hoe. But never work the soil when 

 land or plants are wet. After the crop develops to a size 

 that prevents the use of the cultivator, hand hoeing must 

 be resorted too, for there is no crop that demands the 

 weeds to be eradicated more completely than tobacco. 



A few leaves next the ground are ' ' primed' ' 

 Crop"^^ *^® off, as it is called, and the ten to a dozen 



leaves above are left and the bud at the top 

 of the stem is pinched out. It is not absolutely necessary 

 to prime off the lower leaves, but the practice arose from 

 the necessity of getting a clear stem for hiUing, and hilling 

 not being necessary it matters very Uttle whether the lower 

 leaves are pulled or not so long as enough are left above 

 them. Pinch the bud at the leaf that hangs directly over 

 the second one next the ground. The topping is done to 

 throw all the growth into the leaves and to save the growth 

 that would be used in the development of the bud and 

 flowers. 



After topping, the plants being checked in their upward 

 growth, will start the buds in the axils of the leaves. If 



these were allowed to grow it would diminish 

 Worming and ^ ^ ^^ ^^^ ^^^^^^ ^n which the crop 



Suckering o ^ . . +1,^ ^o 



depends. Therefore, suckenng, or the re- 

 moval of the shoots that appear in the leaf axils before they 



