ure will, on a very light colored soil, change the 

 color of the tobacco leaf from a bright yellow 

 to a mahogany shade. Very light sandy soils 

 or very light loams with clayey subsoils are 

 usually chosen for these light yellow tobaccos. 

 Although by processes subsequent to growth it 

 is possible to darken the color of tobacco leaf, 

 there is no known process that will make a dark 

 leaf light in color. 



Moreover, the soil must be very fertile and 

 rich in the special substances needed by the 

 growing plant. This is all the more necessary 

 because tobacco is a rapidly growing plant, 

 and reaches its maturity within a few months 

 after its planting. The rapidity of growth 

 therefore demands a rich fertile soil well stored 

 with plant food. Good manuring, or liberal 

 treatment with fertilizers, is essential for keep- 

 ing such soils in prime condition, because the 

 period of growing must not be extended. 



Tobacco is usually planted in rows, the rows 

 being from three to four feet apart, the usual 

 arrangement being that the plants are generally 

 about 12 or 18 inches apart in the row. Some 

 planters, however, give the plants more room 

 for many reasons, varying the distance between 

 the plants even as much as 30 inches. Cigar 

 leaf tobacco plants are usually placed about 14 

 inches apart. 



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