MISCELLANEOUS CROPS. GM9 



TOBACCO.* 



A light, friable, sandy loam is the most suitable for the production of a 

 g 1 quality tobacco that will give the desired aroma, texture, and colour. 



The plant is. however, easily affected by climate ami by the chemical and 



mechanical conditions of the soil. Bright coloured tobaccos are usually 

 produced on light-coloured soils, and dark leaf on dark soils. 



The presence of clay has a great influence on the product, and it will be 

 found that a proportion of eighl to ten parts of sand to one of clay is most 

 likely to produce bright or yellow tobacco Large proportions of clay will 

 produce a tobacco which cures out a dark colour. 



The subsoil is another important factor. It is desirable that it should 

 underlie the soil at a depth of about 12 to L s inches, and that it should 

 contain a Larger proportion of clay than the soil above. Tt is found that 

 "lieie the subsoil is too near the surface the tobacco is inclined to cure out 

 a darker colour. On the other hand, it must not lie too deep, tor the sandy 

 nature of the surface soil may allow moisture to get beyond the reach of the 

 plants, which may thus suffer from insufficiency of moisture should a dry 

 spell occur during the growing season. Thus the subsoil should lie neither 

 too near the surface nor too deep, and within 18 inches of the surface is 

 most satisfactory. 



In new localities the suitability of the local and climatic influences should 

 be determined by experiments before tobacco-arrow in L; on a large scale is 

 attempted. It is not advisable to attempt to grow the crop within 10 to 15 

 miles of the coast, as the " burn " of the tobacco is injuriously affected by 

 the presence of chlorides in the atmosphere and soil. The land should be 

 well drained, and the soil as free as possible from weeds. 



Preparation of the Ground. 



The land should receive a thorough ploughing early in the winter, and 

 a- soon as weeds appear thereafter, or a crust is formed on the surface,, the 

 spring-tooth cultivator should be used. The operation will not only kill 

 the weeds, but will conserve moisture and sweeten the subsoil. Shortly 

 before the season for transplanting, a st-cond ploughing should bo given ti> 

 a depth of 9 inches, and the soil harrowed to produce a tine tilth, so that 

 the rootlets of the tobacc > plants may he hampered as little as possible in 

 their search for nourishment. 



As tobacco should arrive at maturity in two to two and a half months 

 after transplanting, the grower requires to give careful attention to the 

 preparation of his ground. With anything like unfavourable soil conditions 

 the rapid and healthy development of the plants is bound to be interfered 

 with, and it should be the concern of the farmer to do all that is within 

 his power to prevent such a state of affairs. 



Working-up the Seed-beds. 



In the growing of tobacco, care and trouble in the preparation and subse- 

 quent treatment of the seed-beds are amply repaid. — 



The last week in August is early enough to start sowings of seed, and this 

 should be continued at regular intervals of a week or ten days up to the 

 first week in November, so that the grower may be assured of a sufficiency 

 of plants whenever the weather is favourable for their removal to the field 

 after danger from frosts is past. 



* C. J. Tregenna, Tobacco Expert. 



