21 



in many parts of the Nortli and East. The following, 

 from the pen of the lamented Peter Minor, of Albemarle 

 County, Virginia, may better meet the wants of sec- 

 tions where land is yet new and plenty. Mr. Minor is 

 characterized by Col. Skinner, who published it, in TJie 

 Plough, the Loom, and the Anvil, in 1852, as '' a good 

 farmer and abetter man." He says : 



" The best tobacco is made upon new or fresh land. 

 It is rare to make more than three successive crops upon 

 the same ground, of which the second is the best, a 

 the first and third being about equal. But it is more 

 common to make only two. The new land, after all the 

 timber and brush is removed, and the surface very clean- 

 ly raked, is twice closely coultered as deep as two horses 

 or oxen can pull. After this, hands with grubbing hoes 

 pass regularly over the whole ground, and take up all 

 the loose roots that have been broken liy the coulter, 

 which are heaped and burnt, or removed. One, and 

 sometimes two more coulterings are then given, and the 

 same operation repeated with the grubbing hoes." 



Mr. Geddes' remarks on preparing the .ground imply 

 somewhat less manipulation of the soil than we have 

 often seen practiced with the best results, and have, in 

 a former paragraph, commended. They are as follows : 

 " To prepare the land, the manure should be applied as 

 early as the ground is dry enough to plow. The last 

 of May plow and harrow again, so as to mix the manure 

 well with the soil." J. Periam, a correspondent of the 

 Prairie Farmer, very truly says : 



" The most thorough preparation of the soil is required 

 to the succfissful cultivation of tobacco. If not pre- 

 viously done, it should be thoroughly subsoiled in the 

 fall, to the depth of at least twelve or fourteen inches, 

 by following after the turning plow with a subsoil 

 lifter. As soon in the spring as the land is in condition 



