184 



THE FARMERS* REGISTER. 



it gives the tobacco a healthy jrrou'th which 

 ottierwJBe would be sickly. Some planters sow 

 the land with plaster belbre the tobacco is planted 

 and afterwards piaster the plants, alter they are 

 transplanted. This way makes a heavy crop, 

 but it will not cure so fine as it would have done 

 with less plaster.' I have generally found that a 

 large spoonlul is enough, if put in the bud of the 

 plant directly after being xoed-out. 



When manuring tobacco land with manure 

 that is well rotted, or with ashes, the best time to 

 ptat it on is when the land is readyto be laid off 

 lor making the hills. The plough then throws 

 the manure where the hill will be when made. 



I have said that plant beds should be sowed 

 in March ; they may, in case of accidents, be 

 sown much later and yet bring plants in time. 

 In the year 1826 I had most of my plants killed 

 by a spell of freezing weather, about the middle 

 of April. About the 18ih or 19th day of the same 

 month, I burnt and sowed a bed in low land. 1 

 selected the place along the margin of a branch 

 <6r the purpose of having water at hand to water 

 che bed if necessary ; Ibr late in the spring as it 

 was, 1 knew it would only be by great attention 

 that the plants would come in time. It so turned 

 out that Httle or no rain lell until near the last 

 ol June, and I regularly, every evening, watered 

 die bed : by the middle of June the plants were 

 large enough to plant, and if there had been a 

 planting season, at that time, a great many plants 

 could have been planted for the size of the bed, 

 out of it. I knew a bed that was sown in Feb. 

 1820; the plants came up in March ; on the 2d 

 <lay of April a snow storm commenced which 

 lasted all day, snow lell to the depth of 5 or 6 

 inches, which was succeeded by a cold northwest 

 wind. Nearly every plant in the bed was killed ; 

 in a few days it was dug up and sowed ; as soon 

 as the plants got up the bed was cleaned of them 

 by the flies ; about the 8th or lOlh of May the 

 bed was dug up and sown again ; by the middle 

 of June, there was a smart drawing of plants 

 taken from it, and by the last day ol June a crop 

 of fifteen or twenty hogsheads of tobacco planted 

 out of it. I give these two instances to show that 

 plants may be raised in time in case of accidents, 

 although sowed very late in the season. 



It seems superfluous to say that a planter should 

 provide and keep on his plantation the best of ag- 

 ricultural implements ; for every mechanic, artizan 

 and agriculturist should provide himself with the 

 best of tools, lor it has been remarked that none 

 but a rich mnn can afford to work with an indif- 

 ferent tool ! Of all others a planter stands most in. 

 need of labor saving tools and machinery. For 

 tobacco requires a great deal of labor and attention 

 to produce it of a fine quality ; how much labor 

 is often lost by giving a hand an indiflierent axe 

 or worn out hoe, to work with, how much more 

 ploughing can be done, and how much better, 

 with a plough in good order, than with one worn 

 out. How much time is often lost in sendin" to a 

 neighbor's to borrow a spade, or to grind axes 

 for want of a grindstone at home. Half the time 

 lost in this way in the course of a year would if 

 employed in some useful labor more than purchase 

 a spade and grindstone. But it is not only to 

 these little matters that a planter's attention should 

 he called, as tobacco puts it out of his power to 

 devote as much time as he would wish to the 



raising of food for his family, workmen, and ani- 

 mals. He ought to provide such machines and 

 utensils as will enable him to prepare his food for 

 his animals to the best advantage. 



I must again say that it should be the greatest 

 object with a planter, to have his tobacco crop 

 grow quickly alter it is planted ; tobacco that grows 

 slowly is apt to become diseased (Ibr tobacco like 

 other vegetables is subject to disease) and will not 

 cure of a fine color. To make fine tobacco re- 

 quires great attention to what would seem to be 

 small things. For instance, the setting of a 

 tobacco plant in tiie hill may retard its growth 

 considerably. Put the main root in the ground 

 doubled like a staple, if it live at all, it will have 

 to grow an entire new root before the leaf grows 

 any. Or set a plant too deep in the ground if it 

 does not rot and die it will be a 'long time belbre 

 it goes to growing ; when a crop of tobacco is 

 ready (or the house early there is more time to 

 take care of it; there is no danger of its being 

 spoiled by being caught in frost.; the plants will 

 be entirely cured belbre very freezing weather 

 commences, consequently, there will be none to 

 freeze in the house. A Ibrward crop likewise 

 can be stripped early and of course the sooner got 

 ready Ibr market. 



As 1 am about to close, I must say, there is no- 

 thing recommended in my essay that is far-fetcli- 

 ed ; to an experienced planter, the most of it will 

 appear co.mmon-place,ibut to young planters it 

 will give many a uselul hint. 



Young men when commencing any business 

 stand in need of the experience of those who 

 have been engaged in the same kind of business 

 before ihem. 



\_Note — The words in italic are technical terras 

 used by tobacco growers. — Ed. xJm. Farm.'] 



[Believing that it would give additional value to 

 the foregoing interesting essay, we requested of a 

 gentleman who is well qualified for the task, to fur- 

 nish notes and remarks on those points of practice 

 and opinion, which, though doubtless correct as to 

 Maryland, or bright tobacco, are unsuitable to the 

 very different product sought to be made in Vir- 

 ginia. The writer of the commentary furnished 

 upon this request, has had long experience in to- 

 bacco culture ; and the high prices obtained for his 

 crops were sufficient evidence that the after ma- 

 nagement was judicious. Not having space for all 

 the notes in this number, they will be deferred to 

 the next.— Ed. Far. Reg.] 



MONTHLY COIMMERCIAL REPORT. 



For the Fanners' Register. 

 The present month is not marked by any thing 

 of peculiar interest. Political affairs wear a pa- 

 cific aspect. Money matters have not improved. 

 Stocks of almost every description are even lower, 

 so great is the want of confidence and the scarcity 

 of money. European capitalists have ceased to 

 invest in American stocks, and their own govern- 



