TOBACCO AND COTTON. 185 



tilization of the female flowers is weakened, and the 

 product of seed decreased. The suspension of the water- 

 ing leaves the spaces between the beds dry, for the pas- 

 sage of the persons who pull out the male plants, which 

 is done to give more room for the ripening of the seed 

 upon those that are left. 



Tobacco. This crop thrives well under irrigation. The 

 method in use where tobacco is largely grown, is to plow 

 the ground to a depth of seven inches, the manure hav- 

 ing been previously incorporated with the soil by plowing. 

 The ground is harrowed smoothly and leveled. Eidges 

 are then thrown up, 18 inches apart from each other, and 

 the surface between them is leveled. The beds are then 

 watered by flooding the intervals, and the ground well 

 soaked. As soon as the soil is dry enough, the plants are 

 brought from the seed bed, and set out on the ridge, 18 

 inches apart ; or more, if a large leafed variety is grown. 

 The day following the planting, water is given, and re- 

 peated in two or three days. Then an interval of twenty 

 days occurs, in which no water is given, but the soil is 

 hoed or cultivated. Then water is given every 14 days, 

 or if the weather is very dry and warm, and the soil need 

 it, water is turned on every 8 days. Hoeing is done 

 when needed, after the watering. This is continued un- 

 til the crop is ready for cutting. In every other respect 

 the cultivation is the same as when irrigation is not used. 

 Under irrigation a leaf of remarkably fine texture, and of 

 a mild flavor and color may be grown. Where the climate 

 admits of it, two crops are grown in one year by means 

 of irrigation. This is regularly done in Algeria. 



Cotton has been grown in Southern California, under 

 irrigation, with success. It has been found that the 

 peculiar needs of this crop, as regards its growth of stalk 

 and leaf, the formation of bolls, and the season of ripen- 

 ing, are better supplied by irrigation than in any other 

 way. But few crops need so little water as cotton, and 



