106 



THE GENESEE FARMER. 



The land can liardly be made too rich, but it is 

 better to have the soil naturally rich than to de- 

 pend on manure applied at the time of planting. 

 It is desirable that the manufe should be com- 

 pletely incorporated -with the soil and thoroughly 

 decomposed, and the richer it is the better. We 

 believe superphosphate ot'.lime will be found a val- 

 uable auxiliary as a manure for tobacco. We 

 would scatter a tablespoonful in the holes at the 

 time of transplanting. It will, we think, give the 

 plants an early start. We have not tried it, but 

 intend to do so the present season. 



A farmer in Genesee county, who raises ten 

 acres of tobacco, gives us the following facts in re- 

 gard to his method of culture: As soon as the 

 ground can be worked in the spring he sows the 

 seed on a carefully -prepared bed. If the seed is 

 good, a pint and a half is sufficient for ten acres. 

 He sows it broadcast on the bed at the rate of a 

 tablespoonful to a square rod. The seed "is very 



fia. 4, — HAKOINO TOBACCO ON THE POLES. 



small, and it should be mixed with sand to insure 

 an equitable dist.'ibution. Corn-meal is better than 

 sand, as (Vom its color you can see where it strikes 

 and whether it is evenly distributed on the bed. 

 He does not use a hot-bed or cold-frame ; but it is 

 very essential to have the bed protected from the 

 wind. Last year lie found that on those parts of 

 the bed exposed to the witid ill the plants died, 

 and this year he intends to build a tight board 

 fence on all sides of it, except facing the south. A 

 little frost will not hurt the young plants. 



The seed is very slow in germinating early in the 

 ipring. It is from three to six weeks in coming 

 up. By way of experiment he once sowed some 

 teed in July, and it came op in a week, indicating 

 to our mind the advantages of starting the plants 

 in ft hot-bed. As soon as tlie plants can be dis- 

 tinguished, the bed must be carefully weeded. The 

 young plants have two round leaves, which lie flat 

 on the ground. If too thick, as they usually are, 

 the plants must be thinned out. If the bed ia drj', 

 it should be waterad occasionally. 



The land for the crop should be got into as mel- 

 low a condition as possible, and in this section the 

 plants can be set out the last of May or first of 

 June. The distance apart depends on the strength 

 of the land — the richer the land the closer th© 

 plants should be set. They are set in rows three 

 feet four inches one way, and from eighteen JBches 

 to three feet in the rows, according to the quality 

 of th© land — the general rule being two feet. A 

 man goes along the rows and makes the holes, a 

 boy drops the plants near the holes, and another 

 man follows and sets out the plants carefully and 

 presses the soil round them. It is very desirable 

 to have moist weather for this operation. Some 

 scatter a little green clover over the plants to pro- 

 tect them from the sun. One thing should always 

 be done : Let the bed from which the plants are 

 taken be thoroughly saturated with water to the 

 depth of the roots before the plants are taken up. 

 Do not pull up the plants, but loosen the soil with 

 a fork and take up the plants in such a way that 

 considerable moist earth will adhere to them. A 

 little care in this way will be much better than all 

 attempts at watering the plants after they are set 

 out. If a plant dies set out another in its place. 



In about two weeks after transplanting the plants 

 begin to start, and the weeds will not be far be- 

 hind. A cultivator should then be run through the 

 rows and hand-hoed lightly on the surface, being 

 careful not to disturb the roots. The hoe should 

 be kept sharp with a file. In about two weeks hoe 

 the second time, being very careful to destroy 

 every weed. There should not be a weed in the 

 field. The tobacco worm may appear about this 

 time and should be killed at once. 



When the blossom appears, as shown in the en- 

 graving, (fig. 1) the plants must be topped at J, 

 leaving about fifteen leaves, and cutting otF about 

 seven. 



After the tops are cut off, the plants will begin to 

 throw out suckers (fig. 3.) These must be stripped 

 off as fast as they appear. They grow with great 

 rapidity, and if not removed injure the crop. As 

 soon as the last suckers appear at the lower leaf 

 the plants are ready to harvest. The stalks are cut at 

 the roots, and the plants allowed to wilt. If there is 

 no danger of rain, it is better to cut in the after- 

 noon, allowing the plants to remain on the ground 

 all niglit. A hot sun is liable to bum the leaves. 

 After wilting the plants are taken to a shed, where 

 they are hung up to dry (fig. 4.) They must not touch 

 each other. Here they remain for about six weeks, 

 or until the crop is cured. This is known by the 

 stem being dry. The tobacoo is then taken down 



