CULTURE OP TOBACCO. 199 



hoeing and picking is as great as with the longer poles. 

 Indeed, it is very seldom that a large crop of first rate 

 hops is obtained from short poles. 



705. Hops should be gathered when fully ripe, in 

 August or September. The vines are cut off from one 

 to three feet from the ground, and the poles pulled up 

 and laid over large boxes. The hops are then to be 

 picked perfectly free from leaves and stems, dried in kilns, 

 and pressed into bales. 



706. Tobacco is sown in beds made very rich by 

 manuring, to be transplanted in June, or when the leaves 

 are two or three inches long. The soil may be prepared 

 by ploughing in old and well-rotted stable manures, 

 guano and other stimulating fertilizers. 



707. Tobacco 

 should be planted 

 early, that it may 



be cured while the Fig 35 



weather is still 



warm and dry. It is only in this way that a fine quality 

 can be secured. Constant care is necessary to prevent 

 injury from the tobacco worm, shown in figure 35. For 

 this purpose the plants must be frequently examined 

 and the grubs- picked off by hand and destroyed. 



708. While still in blossom and before the seed has 

 formed, the plants should be topped, about two and a 

 half feet from the ground, leaving twelve or sixteen 

 leaves to thfe stalk, and all side shoots broken off. 



709. When the leaves are thick and spotted, and crack 

 if pressed between the thumb and finger, they are ready 

 for gathering. The plant is then cut, left in the row till 

 the leaves are wilted, and then carried to sheds to be 

 hung up to dry from five to ten weeks. 



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