Tobacco 



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judicious manuring tobacco is often grown upon comparatively poor soils. The especial require- 

 ments of the tobacco plant with regard to soil constituents are potash and lime, and it is 

 frequently necessary to supply these constituents to the field. in the shape of manures. Ordinary 

 stable manure is one of the best fertilisers where a large coarse leaf is required, but it, has 

 been found by repeated experiment that the best burning tobaccos are produced when the 

 manure takes the form of carbonate of potash. , 



In the United States the field selected is ploughed in the autumn, a method .which, allows 

 of the destruction of many of the larvae of all kinds as well as producing a good tilth. In the 

 spring the land is again ploughed, the manures added, and then two or three weeks before 

 planting laid out in ridges about three feet apart. Meanwhile the tobacco seedlings have been, 

 raised in a special seed-bed or nursery, which has been prepared with great care. The nursery 

 plot is selected with a southern aspect if possible, and subjected to a process of " burning " 

 — bushes, timber, etc., being laid upon the ground and ignited in such a way as .to burn 

 slowly in order that the earth may be thoroughly baked by the heat. The object, of this 

 process is chiefly to destroy the larvae of insects hibernating in the soil. After the bed has 

 been burned and had time to cool down, the baked earth is broken with a hoe until 

 it is reduced to a fine porous condition. Manure is then applied, often in the form of guano, 

 and, when this has been thoroughly incorporated, the bed is ready for sowing. Tobacco 

 seed is extremely small, an ounce containing between 300,000 to 400,000 seeds, and 

 there are two special difficulties which have to be met by the planter. In the first case, 

 a large percentage of the seeds will not sprout, and hence it is necessary to sow a great deal 

 more than is required. Secondly, the seed coat is excessively hard and resistent to the vivifying 

 action of moisture, and it is not an uncommon practice to bruise the seeds by gently rubbing 

 them with fine emery. The seed is mixed with fine ashes or earth, and then sown evenly over 

 the surface of the bed, which is gently beaten down to retain the seed in the soil ; it is most 

 important, however, that the seed should not be buried too deeply in the soil or it will not 

 sprout. When about four or six inches high the seedlings are transplanted in the field along 

 the ridges at regular intervals of two or three feet. The operation is often carried out by 

 hand, but transplanting with machines is now very generally practised in the northern cigar- 

 tobacco States. The machine, which is drawn by two horses, makes the hole before 

 planting, sets the plants, and firmly presses the earth round them. By its use a man 

 and two boys can plant from two to six acres per day. During the growth of plants 

 the soil is kept constantly broken with a horse cultivator or by hoeing, and great 

 care is taken to keep down weeds. As soon as the flower buds begin to appear a most 

 important operation must be commenced. The production of flowers and seed results 

 in a deterioration of the quality of the leaf, and hence, unless the plants are being grown 

 for seed, the buds are picked off by hand. 

 At the same time certain of the leaves 

 are removed from the plant, the number 

 depending upon the judgment of the 

 cultivator ; the whole process is known 

 as "topping." The young shoots or 

 "suckers" in the axils of the leaves are 

 also removed. 



In due course the leaves begin to 

 ripen, their colour changing to lighter 

 shades of green and yellow, and yellow 

 spots also appear ; at this stage the 

 leaves are richest in the nicotine, acids, 

 and nitrogenous compounds which are 

 necessary for a good tobacco. The leaves 



PACKING TURKISH TOBACCO 



