TOB 



TOB 



457 



IS a sovereign antidote to all other 

 insects. 



The tops of the plants should 

 be broken or cut oflT, at the height 

 of three feet, or a little less or more, 

 according to the greater or less vi- 

 gour of the ditferent plants ; those 

 excepted which are to bear seed, 

 which should be some of the stout- 

 est and most thrifty. It should be 

 done so early in the summer, as to 

 allow time for the upper leaves to 

 grow to the same size as the lower 

 ones ; of which the cultivator must 

 be his own judge, attending to cir- 

 cumstances. All the plants should 

 be topped about the same time, let 

 their height be greater or less ; for 

 if this be done too late, though 

 there will be a greater number of 

 leaves, the tobacco will be of a 

 worse quality, nor will the quantity 

 in weight be much, if at all, in- 

 creased, because the leaves will be 

 thinner and lighter. 



The suckers which shoot out at 

 the foot stalks of the leaves, should 

 be broken off as often as they ap- 

 pear ; that so the leaves may have 

 all possible advantage of the sap of 

 the plants to perfect tliem. 



The maturity of tobacco is known 

 by certain small dusky spots ap- 

 pearing on the leaves. When it is 

 in this state, it should be cut down 

 carefully with a strong knife, below 

 tht lower leaf, on the morning of 

 a sunny day, and the plants laid 

 singly in the sun to wither, which 

 iftiiey do not stitficietitly in one 

 day, must be in the same maimer 

 exposed the next day. 



Being entirely withered, the 

 plants shcMjld be laid in clo^e heaps, 

 in the barn, or some other building, 

 58 



to sweat, for the time of forty- 

 eight hours at least. After which 

 let lioles be made witha gimbletin 

 the lower ends of the stems, and 

 the plants connected by two and 

 two, with sticks about eight inches 

 long thrust into those holes ; then 

 hang them upon smooth poles, 

 placed about sixteen inches apart, 

 in an apartment which is pretty 

 tight. 



As the tobacco turns dry and 

 brown, the plants should be slip- 

 ped nearer together on the poles. 

 But this should be done only whea 

 the air is damp, and when the leaves 

 do not crumble. It is often found 

 convenient to reduce them to close 

 order to make room for the re- 

 mainder of a crop, which will be 

 ripe later. 



From the roots of plants which 

 are cut early, suckers will arise, 

 and give a second crop ; but it 

 will be of an inferior quality. It 

 may stand out till late in autumn, as 

 a small degree of frost will not in- 

 jure it. 



When the tobacco has hung till 

 all the greenness is gone out of the 

 leaves, and at a time when the air 

 is da«np, the leaves should be strip- 

 ped from the stalks, tied up in 

 hands, packed in ca^ks or chests, 

 well pressed down, and kept in a 

 dry place. But by no means in a 

 cellar, which would so<>n spoil it. 

 It will not be so tit for use the first 

 year as afterwards. 



That is the best tobacco which 

 is raised with the least assistance 

 from manure. And, as high ma- 

 nuring is required when it is culti- 

 vated in cold climates, 1 cannot 

 wish to see many attempts to do it 



