46 



operation; it may be answered, as I have before ob- 

 served, that tobacco, while standing", is liable to be in- 

 jured and destroyed by more, accidents than any other 

 plant, such as hail-storms, heavy rains, high winds, the 

 depredations of worms, the growth of suckers from the 

 root, which abstract greatly from the weight and thick- 

 ness of the leaves if suffered to grow, and which it is 

 not always convenient to pull off. Besides this, the 

 season of cutting tobacco is a very busy one to the 

 planter, and too much work would accumulate on his 

 hands by deferring it to the last moment. 



" For these reasons it is considered most prudent to 

 cull out the plants as soon as they will make good to- 

 bacco, in which case the loss in the aggregate amount 

 of crop is balanced by avoiding the risk of accidents, 

 and being able to bestow more care and attention to 

 what remains." 



The following, from the same pen, gives a lucid de- 

 scription of the Virginia mode of cutting and curing to- 

 bacco: 



" The cutters go over the ground by rows, each tak- 

 ing two at a time, and the plants they cut are laid in 

 the intermediate row between them. This facilitates 

 the picking up, as the cutting of four rows is thereby 

 placed in one. The stalk of the plant is first split to 

 within about six inches of the ground, and after be- 

 ing cut off just below the bottom leaf, is inverted and 

 laid upon the ground, to fall and become pliant for hand- 

 ling. The splitting of the stalk is important, both for 

 the convenience of hanging it on sticks, and accelerat- 

 ing the cure of the plant. To those unused to the cul- 

 ture and management of tobacco, it will be almost in- 

 credible to learn how soon it will sun-burn, as we call 

 it, after being cut and turned over on the ground. This 

 is effected by the hot rays of the sun piercing and pene- 

 trating the tender parts of the leaves, and is manifested, 

 by the parts affected turning white, and soon becom- 

 ing dry and crisp, and, when cured, of a dark green 



