THE FARMERS' REGISTER. 



181 



ground is not very f^rassy, around ilie plant only, 

 and afterwards plough the land by running two 

 furrows between the plants each way. While 

 the plants are youn^j, if the ground does not get 

 too grassv, I do not plough until the tobacco 

 makes some growth. If the land should become 

 grassy soon after the tobacco is planted, the 

 ground should be ploughed by running too fur- 

 rows in each row, and should be wed afterwards 

 across the way it was ploughed. 



Alter tobacco has been wed out some time, it 

 is very often necessary to go over it again with 

 the hoes, and take from around the plants grass 

 that was left by oversight. This should be done 

 without taking away any earth from the plants. 

 Two ploughings are enough for tobacco after it 

 is planted. A cultivator should be used after- 

 wards. When tobacco begins to cover the 

 ground in which it is planted pretty well, it should 

 be laid by ; then it should be gone over again 

 with the hoe and a hill put to it. Hilling tobac- 

 co is not absolutely necessary ; for I have seen fine 

 crops that were not hilled. The most advantage 

 of hilling is, it keeps the tobacco from blowing 

 down in storms. 



There are two kinds of worms which have not 

 been mentioned in this essay; either of which 

 are at times troublesome to tobacco growers : the 

 common ground-worm and the tobacco or horn- 

 worm. The ground-worm is troublesome to 

 early planted tobacco. I know of no way to get 

 rid of this kind of worm only the old one, and 

 that is to hunt around the plants and kill them. 



This worm never cuts much after the 10th day 

 of June ; about tliis time they appear to have had 

 iheir day and disappear. The horn- worm is 

 troublesome from the tiaie of planting a crop of 

 tobacco until it is housed. A large gang of tur- 

 keys manage this worm pretty well. When the 

 turkeys cannot manage these worms, they must 

 be pulled off the tobacco and killed. 



1 vvill suppose the crop laid by, and that the 

 next stage has arrived ; that is the tapping of it. 

 There are two opinions about which is the best 

 time to top. One opinion is, that the tobacco 

 will cure a better color if the plants are permitted 

 to get out in full blossom before they are topped. 

 The other opinion is, that tobacco should be topped 

 as soon as it shows an inclination to flower, or in 

 the language of planters as soon as it buttons. 

 I think it should be always topped as soon as it 

 shows a button, for the growth of the top takes 

 from the plant of tobacco so much that would 

 have gone to it had it been topped earlv. The 

 same remark applies to succors that grow between 

 the leaf and stalk. They should be taken out 

 early; that is, they should not be permitted to 

 grow large, for they take away much from the 

 leaf which at this tmie is making its principal 

 growth. (J.) 



After a crop of tobacco is laid by, that is, after 

 it is ploughed and hoed enough, there are from 

 three to five weeks before it is ripe and ready to 

 go to the house. During this time, a planter 

 ehould make all the necessary preparation for 

 housing. If he intends to cure liis tobacco with 

 fire, his wood should be cut and hauled to his 

 barns. If he has not got tobacco sticks enough 

 to hang all his crop they also should be prepared. 

 If he intends curing without fire, his scaffolds 

 should be put up around his barns. Id short, 



every thing that will be wanted, should be in ila 

 place before he commences houssing; lor alter he 

 gels Adiy to cutting his tobacco, he will have 

 enough to do without having to do what might 

 have been done before. (K.) 



1 will in this place make some remarks on cur- 

 inir of tobacco. Firing — that is, making fires 

 in the barn, under the tobacco, alter it is hung — 

 is the surest way to cure fine tobacco. Tobacco 

 that is intended |o be^rec/ should be hung in the 

 house as quick as can be after it is cut. The 

 house should be filled in a day, if possible, and 

 fires put in immediately. The quantity oi' heat 

 from fires during the different staires of curing'a 

 house of tpbacco, should be regulated by the state 

 of the weather. When fires are first put in a 

 house, under tobacco just hung in, they should 

 not be large, especially if the weather is warm 

 and dry. For the first, second and third day, 

 the heat should be such as will yellow the tobac- 

 co without sweating of it. Af^ter this time, the 

 fires should be larger, so as to keep the tobacco 

 as it cures dry. In dry warm weather, very lit- 

 tle fire under tobacco will cure it best. In wet or 

 cool weather, of course, more heat from fires is 

 necessary. Tobacco cures of a yellow color, 

 when managed in this way, if the fires are kept 

 under it from seven to eight days. It is a very 

 good way, also, in firing of tobacco, to let it hang 

 in the house until it yellows by the air, betijre 

 fire is put under it : then three or four days firing 

 will answer. But the tobacco is not likely to 

 cure yellow — it will, if properly managed, cure 

 what is called a fine red. (L.) 



After all that may be said about firing of to- 

 bacco, I would not recommend it only at particu- 

 lar times, unless barns could be fixed with (Lir- 

 naces so as to carry off the sparks and smoke, so 

 as to prevent the barn fiom taking fire. I am 

 apprehensive that even furnaces would not be per- 

 fectly safe ; for there would be some danger even 

 from having fire in the barn ; and the pipes that 

 would carry off the smoke and sparks, might, by 

 passing through the tobacco as well as the barn, 

 communicate fire to some part of it. 



The loss of a barn, with its contents, is a heavy 

 one. It takes also a great deal of wood to fire a 

 barn of tobacco ; and this on plantations where 

 fuel is scarce, is of considerable consequence. 

 Even if wood is plenty, it takes some labor to cut 

 and haul it. I have for several years past cured 

 my tobacco without putting a panicle of fire near 

 it ; and I have found it to be nearly, if not quite 

 as fine, as if it had been./irefZ. Tobacco of good 

 color, cured without fire, is worth more money in 

 a foreign market, from the circumstance of it8 

 not being smoked by the firing process. 



Tobacco that is to he cured without fire, should 

 never be put in the house without its being hung 

 out of doors, after it is cut, lor several days. 

 There should be erected around each barn a 

 scaffold — the tobacco, as it is cut and slicked, 

 should be hung on the scaffold, and if there 

 should be no appearance of rain, it may remain 

 there for five or six days before it is put in the 

 house. Tobacco, before it begins to cure on a 

 scaffold, is not injured by rains; and after it be- 

 gins to cure, a rain that lasts a short time does 

 not injure it. If is rain that lasts two or three 

 days that injures tobacco hung on a scaffold. (M.) 



A scaffold is const ruc'ed by burying in the 



