134 



THE GENESKF. FARMER. 



June 



I 



his lands well manured and well set iu plants, the 

 promise of a luxuriant growth full before him, when 

 the tobacco fly appears. He deposits his eggs upon 

 the leaves, and multitudes of worms are hatched 

 and enter life feeding upon the plant. The egg is 

 about the size of a pin's head, deposited upon the un- 

 der side of the leaf; at first, the worm is very small, 

 but so rapid is their growth that in a few days they 

 become tliree or four inches long, and most destruct- 

 ive. They are the greatest gormandizers in the 

 known world, eating more than several times their own 

 built of green tobacco daily, casting off their old skin 

 as it becomes too small, assuming a new one, large 

 enough to gratify their insatiable appetite. When 

 these pests become abundant, the planter has his hands 

 full ; constant attention is requisite to stay their pro- 

 gress, and sometimes crops have to be cut before they 

 are fully ripe, to save even a portion of what these 

 horn ivorins liave left. The best means of prevent- 

 ing their ravi^ges, is to examine the tobacco and de- 

 stroy the eggs. Every leaf should be carefully ex- 

 amined. Turkeys, and poultry generally, are great 

 aids in keeping under the horn worm. Kept in the 

 field a few days, and regularly fed before being set 

 to work, (on corn or tail ends of wheat) they become 

 fond of their employment, and seem to delight in the 

 amusement which their daily wanderings over the to- 

 bacco field aflbrds them. 



The time for cutting tobacco must depend upon the 

 time of planting, the soil, and season, and much up- 

 on the cultivation. If planted by the middle of May 

 by the middle or last of August it should be ripe, and 

 when ripe, cut. The appearance of the tobacco is 

 the best guide by which to be governed in cutting. 

 The color changes, and it becomes of a yellowish- 

 green, and sometimes spots when very ripe. It is 

 better to cut it when well ripened, as it cures better. 

 I use a knife for cutting ; the stalk of the tobacco is 

 split, and then cut off near the ground — it is then 

 hung on sticks about 4 feet 4 inches long, about 6 

 large plants on a stick, and the number increased if 

 the tobacco is small. The knife used forcutting, has 

 three sharp sides, and is fixed in the end of a stafi^ 

 which is about 15 inches long, and has a handle at 

 the opposite end. 



It is held perpendicularly when spliting the stalk, 

 and then the stalk is cut off by either of the sides that 

 it may be most convenient to use. Some cut the to- 

 bacco without splitting the stalk, and use a spear in 

 hanging, by which the stalk is pierced ; the spear is 

 placed on the stick by means of a socket, and the to- 

 bacco passes over the spear on to the stick. I have 

 heard Gen. Wm. Matthews, of Charles Co., speak 

 veay favorably of this method. I have never tried it. 

 He is a gentleman well worthy of credit, and would 

 be sufficient authority to justify planters in trying the 

 spear, as used by him, in hanging. 



When the tobacco is hung on the stick, it is either 

 put on a scaffold, in the sun, or hung in the house, if 

 it is desired to cure the tobacco red ; the scaftbld 

 should be used if yellow tobacco is desired ; it should 

 be housed immediately it is taken from the field. If 

 it should be put upon the scaffold, care should be ta- 

 ken that it should not be caught in the rain after it 

 has begun to cure. If house room is plenty, I would 

 prefer hanging in the house, as it saves one hand- 

 ling ; if scarce, scaffolding is best, as the house will 

 hold more when partially cured in tlie sun. The 

 sooner tobacco is stripped after it is cured, the better; 

 and when stripped, should be very carefully handled, 



so as not to break the leaves. The stripping is done 

 by hand : it would be a matter of great saving of 

 labor, if it could be done by some sort of machine, 

 constructed for that purpose. I, however, doubt its 

 practicability. When stripped, the tobacco should 

 be carefully packed away, if in proper condition ; if 

 not, it should be again hung on sticks until such 

 time as it will bear packing down. If put down too 

 wet, it will mould ; if too dry, it breaks and much 

 disfigures it. The size of hogsheads, aa fixed by the 

 act of the Legislature of Maryland, in 1828, ch. 164, 

 seems to me reasonable, to wit : 50 inches in the 

 length of staves, and 76 inches in diameter at the 

 cross and bilge. Oak is perhaps as good wood as 

 any for materials for hogsheads ; pine will answer 

 very well, and gum or poplar, if sawed, would an- 

 swer for staves ; the hoops should be of red oak. — 

 All should be perfectly dry before packing the tobac- 

 co in them. 



As to the best mode of prizing', there is a great 

 variety of opinion. If it is desired to use great ex- 

 pedition, the horizontal screw prize, perhaps, would 

 be preferred ; if it is desired to pack neatly and safe- 

 ly, and, at the same time, with ordinary speed, the 

 beam and lever prize, with a swinging weight, that 

 can be increased or diminished at pleasure, would be 

 recommended. Mr. Rodolph M. Gibson, of St. Ma- 

 ry's county, has obtained a patent for prizing tobacco, 

 which I have heard highly spoken of, and which from 

 the high recommendation 1 have heard of it, I have 

 no doubt is well worthy of public attention. I regret 

 that I am not sufficiently acquainted with its con- 

 struction to furnish a correct idea of it in detail.. It 

 is, however, very simple. 



I have given a plain statement of the culture of 

 tobacco. I have studied brevity, even, perhaps, at 

 the expense of perspicuity, and yet this communica- 

 tion has far exceeded the limits of my original design. 

 My object has been to impart to others the benefit of 

 my own experience, to instruct, not to amuse them. 

 Having given my own opinions and practice, I 

 should be much gratified if othen?, of more experi- 

 ence and practice, would favor the public with com- 

 munications of more practical utility. I desire no 

 one to adopt any opinion or suggestion of mine, 

 except so far as his individual benefit may be thereby 

 promoted. 



" Whether it would not, under the present circum- 

 stances of the tobacco trade, be to the interest of the 

 planters to decrease the quantity grown, and intro- 

 duce the culture of other agricultural products, and 

 if so, of what kind ?" 



I propose a brief examination of the above ques- 

 tion, and shall then close tliis communication. 1 

 have always thought that the planters would best 

 consult their own interests by limiting the amount of 

 tobacco grown, and improving the quality, Uiereby 

 increasing the demand, and consequently the price. 

 This view seems to be entertained by most intelligent 

 planters whom I have seen, nearly all of whom have 

 reduced the quantity grown, and many have abandon- 

 ed its culture altogether. Those who have soils 

 adapted to the growth of tobacco, may, I think, with 

 great propriety, continue the culture with the very 

 confident hope that good tobacco will (after the ex- 

 cess of over production of former years shall have 

 been exhausted) pay a fair remuneration for its pro- 

 duction. This must soon be the case, as the very 

 reduced prices have so diminished production, that 

 the demand must greatly exceed the supply, and pri- 



