324 SUCKERING. 



' house-gang,' as the force was styled, strung on small sharp 

 sticks like exaggerated meat-skewers, and cured, first in the 

 sun, afterwards in the barn, often placing a pretty penny in 

 her private purse. Now when all labor must be paid for in 

 money, they are not worth collecting, and, except when some 

 thrifty freedman has a large family which he wishes to turn 

 to account, are left to wither where they fall. 



There is absolutely no rest on a large tobacco plantation, 

 one step following another in the cultivation of the trouble- 

 some weed the last year's crop is rarely shipped to market 

 before the seed must be sown for the next and planting and 

 replanting, topping and priming, suckering and worming, 

 crowd on each other through all. the summer months. 

 "Withal the ground must be rigidly kept free from grass and 

 weeds, and after the plants have attained any size this must 

 be done by hoe ; horse and plow would break and bruise the 

 brittle leaves. 



"' Suckering' is performed by removing every leaf-bud 

 which the plant throws out after the priming (and topping), 

 thus retaining all its sap and strength for the development of 

 the leaves already formed, and this must be done again and 

 again through the whole season. Worming is still more 

 tedious and unremitting. In the animal kingdom there are 

 three creatures, and three only, to whom tobacco is not 

 poisonous man, a goat found among the Andes, and the 

 tobacco-worm. This last is a long, smooth-skinned worm, 

 its body formed of successive knobs or rings, furnished each 

 with a pair of legs, large prominent eyes, and is in color as 

 green as the leaf upon which it feeds. It is found only on 

 the under side of the leaves, every one of which must be 

 carefully lifted and examined for its presence. Women make 

 better wormers than men, probably because they are more 

 patient and painstaking. When caught the worm is pulled 

 apart between the thumb and finger, for crushing it in the 

 soft mold of the carefully cultivated fields is impossible. 

 Carelessness in worming was an unpardonable offence in the 

 days of slavery, and was frequently punished with great 

 severity. An occasional penalty on some plantations very 

 few, in justice to Virginia planters be it said was to compel 

 the delinquent wormer to bite in two the disgusting worm 

 discovered in his or her row by the lynx-eyed overseer. 

 Valuable coadjutors in this work are the housewife's flock of 

 turkeys, which are allowed the range of the tobacco lots near 

 the house, and which destroy the worms by scores. The 



