HEAVY SHIPPING TOBACCO. 301 



generally abandoned, not because the quality of the 

 product is not improved, but because there is too much 

 land cultivated for the number of pounds of tobacco 

 made. Planted 3x4 feet, there are 3630 plants to the 

 acre ; 3^x3$, 3556, and 4x4, 2725. This made a differ- 

 ence of over 800 plants to the acre, which will not be 

 compensated for by the slightly increased quality of the 

 tobacco produced when planted at the distance of four 

 feet each way. 



Now and then a planter will be found who prefers 

 the rows to be laid off 3x3 feet, or 3ft. 3 in.x3 ft. 3 in. 

 This is too close, except for some very small varieties of 

 tobacco. Planted as closely as this, the leaves, being 

 very much shaded, do not secrete the gum and oils nec- 

 essary to give the product the finish and beauty, the 

 softness and body, the strength of tissue and the amount 

 of gum, so much desired in the shipping leaf. Thin, 

 chaffy tobacco, such as is made in the shipping districts 

 by being planted too closely, by the sterility of the soil, 

 by the bad effects of weeds and grasses growing about 

 the plants, by bad cultivation, or by suffering the suck- 

 ers to grow to great length, has but one market in all 

 the world, and that is Spain. It never pays to raise 

 heavy shipping tobacco under any of the conditions 

 named. 



There is a way of preparing land for tobacco by 

 which it is practically hilled by the plow. It is laid off 

 one way in rows, at whatever distance the planter may 

 desire. The fertilizers or manures are then distributed 

 in the bottom of the row. A turning plow afterwards 

 throws two furrows on this row, making a ridge. The 

 land is then laid off at right angles to the ridges. The 

 tops of the severed ridges are afterwards cut off and 

 patted, and this makes the hills. This plan is preferred 

 by many farmers, because of the great economy in the 

 hoc work. It likewise makes the application of the 



