33 



which the leaves gvovr from the stalk, will soon enable 

 a person to perform this operation with great dexterity 



Plant needing to be sucker ed. 



and dispatch, without counting- the kaves. All that is 

 requisite after this until the plant is fit to cut, is to keep 

 it from being eaten by worms, and to pull of the suckers 

 that grow out at the junction of the leaves to the stalk. 

 These suckers put forth only twice at the leaves, but 

 after that indefinitely and continually from the root ; and 

 it is thought injudicious ever to let them get more than 

 a week old, for besides absorbing the nutriment neces- 

 sary to push forward, and increase the size and thick- 

 ness of the leaf, the breaking them off when of a large 

 size makes so great a wound as greatly to injure the 

 after-growth of the plant. In general, about three 

 months is requisite to perfect the growth of tobacco- 

 from planting to cutting." 



From tJie Farmei^s UncycIopcBdia, on Priming, Topping, 

 SucJcering, and Worming : 



" As the tobacco plant grows and develops, a blos- 

 som-bud puts out from the top, which is termed buttoning. 

 This top must be pulled off along with such of the upper 

 leaves as are too small to be of any value. The plants 

 are thus left usually about two or three feet high. The 

 plants also shoot out suckers from every leaf, which 



