45 



the death all worms that show themselves ; at the end 

 of a week, repeat the operation, at the end of another 

 week, repeat it again ; and he adds : "By. this time the 

 crop is ready to begin the harvest." We conclude that 

 tlie plant has not, in his opinion, then arrived at its very 

 Lest state ; but that, in consideration of its perils and 

 of the time required to secure the crop, he would then 

 " begin," lest more should be lost than gained by delay. 

 Mr. Minor, late a distinguished .farmer of Albemarle 

 County, Va., remarks on the same point as follows : 



"We have now arrived at the most difficult and critical 

 stages of the whole process; every operation, from this 

 time until the plant is cured, requiring great attention 

 and care, as well as skill and nicety of judgment in the 

 execution. And hence a great contrariety of practice 

 in some of the minutifB prevails, according to the supe- 

 rior skill and ability of different planters. 



" It is difficult to convey an idea of ripe tobacco by 

 description. It can only be learned by observation and 

 experience. In general, its maturity is indicated by 

 the top leaves of the plant turning down and often 

 touching the ground, becoming curdled with yellow 

 spots interspersed on their surface, looking glossy and 

 shining, with an entire loss of fur, a manifest increase 

 of thickness in the substance of the leaves, which, when 

 pinched in a fold between the finger and thumb, will 

 crack or split with ease. But the most experienced 

 planters acknowledge that they are more apt to err in 

 cutting their tobacco too soon, than in deferring it too 

 long. As a proof of this, take two plants growing side 

 by side, of equal size and appearance in every respect, 

 and both apparently ripe ; cut one and weigh it both 

 green and when cured; let the other stand a week longer, 

 and when weighed like the first, the difference in favor 

 of the latter will be astonishing. 



" If it be asked, why we do not avail ourselves of 

 he advantage to be derived from thus deferring the 



