FARMERS' REGISTER— TO TOBACCO PLANTERS. 



293 



is very requisite, and cannot be acquired from a | 

 quick, rapid, luxuriant growth, which always pro- 

 duces coarse grain, and open, spongy texture. 

 Rich, low grounds are more disposed to those de- 

 fects than any other, because they contain a great- 

 er humidity of air than high land of equal fertility. 

 But I have seen low ground crops of very dry years, 

 some of them from the James river bottoms, that 

 was of the middle sized leaf, (owing to the 

 drought,) not too large nor too coarse, cured of the 

 fat lightwood colour, of fine grain, and close, good 

 texture, and of middling good flavour, which might 

 have been very much improved in flavour, by cur- 

 ing on high land, in the purer state of air. Plant- 

 ing closer, topping and priming higher of seasona- 

 ble years, would produce the same good results, 

 and make more leaves and heavier crops than the 

 common mode. 



As some of you agree that high topping, high 

 priming, and priming gradually, according to the 

 growth, will cause the growing to continue two to 

 three weeks longer, and produce smoother, smal- 

 ler leaves of finer texture, I hope others will profit 

 by this information ; at least all who have strong, 

 rich land, and have been in the habitof wide plant- 

 ing, low topping, and making it large and coarse, 

 which never commands the best prices. 



Erroneous opinions have also gone into circula- 

 tion on this part of the subject. Some think it 

 should be pressed in hogsheads, in soft, damp or- 

 der, so as to give it a motley, dapple, or pie-bald 

 colour : as these are the effects of bruising or parch- 

 ing in firing, it is an error to press in that order. 

 Others think it cannot be pressed too dry ; which 

 opinion is often expressed by purchasers, and is 

 also erroneous, and has induced many to press it 

 too dry. It should be pressed in just such order 

 as to cause the leaves to adhere, but not bruise, nor 

 become dapple, motley, or pie-bald. And it should 

 never be handled nor pressed, but in soft, mild, hu- 

 mid weather. Nay, indeed, there is no certainty 

 of ever pressing it in proper order when the wind 

 is from any northwardly or westwardly point be- 

 tween N. N. E. and W. S. W. That is to say, 

 the northwardly and v.estwardly winds are too dry 

 and harsh. 



The safest and best weather is under the south- 

 wardly winds, the nearer due south the better, be- 

 cause the softer. The proper order for striking 

 and pressing, is in soft, humid southern weather, 

 when the leaf will just barely yield to the pressure 

 and squeeze of the hand without crumbling ; and 

 it should always lie some time in bulk before pres- 

 sed in hogsheads, to get out of the curls and con- 

 tractions from dying. By lying till the moisture 

 on the surface gets diffused, the leaves will un- 

 furl, extend and expand measurably, and become 

 smoother. Then press it, if you find it wdl adhere 

 without bruising. If not, it should be hung up, and 

 go through the same process again. 



The wax, gum, and saccharine matter are form- 

 ed on the upper side of the leaf, and protects it 

 from the sun in growing, and neutralizes and mo- 

 difies the acrimonious and corroding tendency of 

 the stimulants and acids, salts, &c. when used. 



The wax, gum, and saccharine matter, becom- 

 ing dissolved and washed off by rains, when the 

 plant is ripe or nearly so, causes the leaf to burn 

 by the first hot sun^ and induces the planter to cut 



the plants in this state of poverty, to save them 

 from total loss and destruction. There is a partial 

 remedy for this dilemma : whenever the growing 

 season of the year is not too far advanced for nature 

 to re-act, repeat and nr.ike another efibrt, which 

 she is always very kindly disposed to do, if within 

 her power. But, if she is too far advanced, and on 

 the verge of frost, the following remedy will not be 

 unavaihng. 



When such a washing shall have taken place, 

 commence as soon as possible, even before the rain 

 ceases, and cut a part of each plant, say half, and 

 set tliem bottom upwards, each on its own plant, 

 and there let them remain till the weather clears 

 off, and the sun kills the cuttings sufficiently for 

 removal, and then do the best you can with them. 

 This partly cutting, and covering the lower half 

 with the upper, protects the lower awhile from the 

 sun, and thus reducing the size of the plant, gives 

 the standing part all the support from the root, 

 which will often send up sufficient nutriment to 

 support and protect the standing half from too 

 great injury from the sun. And whenever a plan- 

 ter finds his plants nearly ripe, and appreliends 

 much rain, and feels confident that it will fake 

 place, he should put all his force to this partial cut- 

 ting and turning up, as he well knows that a plant, 

 bottom upwards, injures very little by washing, as 

 the substances which yield to solution are chiefly 

 on the ofiier (upper,) side, and the upper half thus 

 turned up, covers and protects the lovv'cr half very 

 much from washing. And although I have heard 

 of but few experiments, the reasonableness of the 

 thing appears so clear and conclusive, that no one 

 should doubt so far as to refuse to make a fair ex- 

 periment. 



WOOD FOR HOGSHEADS. 



Too little attention has been given to dry sea- 

 soned timber for headings and staves. It should be 

 seasoned thoroughly dry. The moisture in green 

 wood contains an acrimonious and corrosive acid, 

 far more deleterious and destructive than so much 

 water. And very great injury and loss has often 

 been sustained 1^ green liogsheads, and partly- 

 green. 



Fear not, ye planters of Virginia, that you will 

 ever over-stock the world with fine tobacco, and 

 thereby reduce the price. The more fine you make, 

 the less will be made in Europe and other coun- 

 tries, not indigenous nor so congenial to its produc- 

 tion. 



The low, dull state of the markets for the com 

 mon and inferior, is not the result of too much ; it 

 is the consequence of our inferior quality, but little 

 or no better than what is made on the continent 

 of Europe, which comes in competition with our 

 inferior. 



Make more, better ; make all good, and you Vv^ill* 

 get good prices for all. But I have heard some of 

 you say, not so. To such I beg leave to reply, by 

 asking, is inferior tea cheap because there is too 

 much tea .' If all the India tea were good, all would 

 command good prices. We can raise tea also, but 

 our country and climate forbids our making it so 

 fine and fragrant as that which is made in India. 

 Just so with all the tobacco which may be made 

 in countries and climes not indigenous nor conge- 

 nial to the maximum of its perfection. 



If any one country or clime hath a decided na- 

 tural advantage over any other in the production 



