CULTURE OF CIGAR LEAF. 415 



so that it will take the dirt from the middle of the row, 

 and build up the ridges still more. The hiller will not 

 be found desirable where the ridger has not been used, 

 as it will "hill" too much. 



When the ground has been fitted by hand, use a 

 common cultivator with the horse-hoe teeth turned out 

 at the second hoeing ; the amount of hilling can be reg- 

 ulated, of course, by the operator. At the third culti- 

 vation you can narrow the cultivator, bear a trifle 

 harder on the handles, run the hoe teeth a little deeper, 

 and then hill still more. When Havana stands up, the 

 leaves do not lop towards the ground as much as do 

 those of the seedleaf plant ; consequently it can be cul- 

 tivated later without danger of the horse stepping on the 

 leaves. The shorter roots of the Havana also admit of 

 later cultivation by horse power than is practicable, or 

 desirable, with seedleaf. 



Management of the Crop. Where the stand is 

 uneven, it always pays to reset with good plants and 

 water them carefully. Sometimes plants are tipped 

 over by heavy rains when the ground is soft. All such 

 plants should be set up again and the earth firmed about 

 them. Many prudent growers, while setting out their 

 plants, provide an extra one here and there sometimes 

 as often as every other hill in every tenth or twelfth 

 row so as to have stock at hand to reset in place of 

 plants that have died, or that are eaten by worms, or 

 cut by careless hoeing. If a good body of earth is taken 

 up with such plants, they can be set up in the vacant 

 spaces even when fully a foot high. If the weather is 

 favorable, these transplanted plants will quickly thrive ; 

 if it is hot and dry, they wilt at first, but will usually 

 straighten up nearly as well as those that have not been 

 moved. This near-at-hand transplanting is much more 

 desirable at this late day than any transfer from 

 distant tobacco beds, as the roots are less disturbed and 



