HEA.VY SHIPPING TOBACCO. 303 



ago, and this has caused a perceptible deterioration in 

 the average product. 



Seed Beds, Plants, Transplanting. See Chapters 

 VII and VIII. 



Cultivating the Crop. With suitable weather, it 

 requires about ten days for the plants to establish them- 

 selves upon old lands. The first cultivation is then 

 given with a one-horse turning plow, which is run with 

 the bar side next to the plants, throwing the dirt away 

 from the plants to the center of the row. When prop- 



, . 



*T$^*y i i i w 



FIG. 90. HEAVY SHIPPING TOBACCO ON SCAFFOLD IN FIELD. 



erly done, this leaves the plants standing upon a narrow 

 strip of undisturbed soil, which is easily and rapidly 

 cleared of any grass or weeds by the use of the hoe which 

 usually follows the plow. All weeds or grasses between 

 the rows are covered up by the dirt thrown to the mid- 

 dle in plowing, where it forms a ridge. If the land is 

 free from grass, the first plowing is often done with 

 double shovel plows, which pulverize the soil much bet- 

 ter than the turning plow. After a few days, the 

 weather continuing favorable, the second cultivation 



