CULTIVATION. 15 



furrows, will act as a good manure, but are not sufficient. 

 In highly- worked farms, that is, where the soil is valuable, 

 and cannot remain idle, it will pay every way, to sow rye 

 for fodder on the tobacco-land in the fall ; this may be 

 made into hay, or turned under as manure at the beginning 

 of July, just as may seem most profitable. Deep ploughing 

 for the rye, and afterward for the tobacco, must not be 

 forgotten." 



E. E. Burton, in the Sugar Cane, translating from 

 Mitjen's essay on tobacco growing in the most renowned 

 district of Cuba, has the following sensible remarks on the 

 all-important subject of manuring : — 



" Each veguero or farmer should make a hole or rotting- 

 bin in which he should deposit as much muck and leaves 

 as he may be able to accumulate, and, before giving the 

 last ploughing to prepare his field for planting the tobacco, 

 he should spread over it all the prepared rotten manure 

 he can procure. Manure that is not thoroughly rotten 

 injures the plants more than benefits them. A piece of 

 land, well manured and thoroughly worked up, will 

 produce four times more tobacco than one badly prepared 

 would. Consequently no expense or labour is so remune- 

 rative as that which is applied to the soil. This is a 

 very important point which should fix the attention of 

 every agriculturist who desires to prosper. 



" Agriculturists acknowledge the advantage of manur- 

 ing. In tobacco cultivation it produces the most brilliant 

 results, but in Vuelta-Abajo it is very difficult to procure 

 sufficient country manure. Yagues (i.e. strips of palm 

 bark used as screens, and for baling) and all the refuse 

 from palm trees are excellent ; grass from the savannahs 



