20 



from a mnck swamp, thoroughly worked over, fermented, 

 and pulverized, he applied, at the last of many plowings, 

 a heavy dressing of Peruvian guano, and then, if we are 

 not mistaken (are not quite sure about this), spread 

 super-phosphate on the surface the last thing before set- 

 ting, and men and teams had been busy with the soil 

 from early in April till late in May. About seven 

 months after, we met this man in Xew York, and 

 learned that he had the refusal, from a reliable dealer, 

 of fifteen cents a pound for his entire crop — 2,500 lbs. to 

 the acre, which, on his sixteen acres, would, of course, 

 be 40,000 lbs. 



The upshot was, that, before the week was out, he re- 

 fused the offer, and subsequently obtained a higher 

 price. Ordinary tobacco was then selling at but little 

 more than half as much as was paid for his. The great 

 excellence of his made the difference. AVas not this 

 man's extra manuring and labor richly compensated in 

 the extra quantity' and quality of the crop ? 



But this is not an isolated case. There are many in 

 the same region, if not quite as remarkable, strongly re- 

 sembling it, in the main features, at least showing high 

 and careful cultivation and highly remunerative returns. 

 In the cultivation of tobacco, as with most other crops, 

 too much attention can hardly be given to a right and 

 THOROUGH preparation of the soil for the intended crop. 

 Perhaps but few fields are sowed or planted in the older 

 parts of our country, where a few days' extra labor in 

 preparing the soil, and a little more expense in enrich- 

 ing it, would not increase the profit. 



It will be observed that our remarks on the choice of 

 land and its preparation for planting, have a special 

 reference to the high cultivation beginning to prevail 



