22 



HOW TO KAISE TOBACCO. 



packed in a separate pile or on top, or at the ends of 

 the wrappers. It is now ready for marliet. If it 

 should remain long in pile it should be examined oc- 

 casionally to see that it does not hurt, as it sometimes 

 happens that when taken down, stripped and packed 

 when it is too damp, it will grow damper and perhaps 

 ot. If too damp, it should be repacked on some 

 windy day to give it an airing, shaking out the damp- 

 est hands and letting them remain exposed till suffi- 

 ciently dry to be repacked. The stalks, after being 

 stripped, should either be spread on grass land and 

 remain till spring, when they may be raked up and 

 carted on to the land designed for the next crop of 

 tobacco, and burnt, or let them remain in the barn till 

 spring, when they may be cut up fine and dropped 

 into potato or corn-hills, using a good-sized handful 

 to each hill. 



I have raised the past season on a little more than 

 three fourths of an acre one thousand four hundred and 

 twenty-seven pounds wrappers, worth at the present 



time twenty-five cents ; two hundred and twenty-one 

 pounds seconds, worth twelve cents ; and one hundred 

 and forty-six pounds fillers, worth ten cents ; amount- 

 ing to one thousand seven hundred and ninety-four 

 pounds, worth three hundred and ninety-seven dollars 

 and eighty-seven cents. 



Cost of raising an acre of tobacco : 



Interest on land, $12 00 



60 loads manure at $1, one half is, 80 00 



Plowing twice and spreading manure, 3 00 



Making hills, 1 00 



6000 plants, at 60 cents, 3 00 



Setting out plants, 2 00 



Hoeing three times, 5 00 



Worming, topping, and suckering, 10 00 



Cutting and hanging, 10 00 



Stripping, 10 00 



Hauling to market, etc., 4 00 



$90 00 



Ko. VI.-BY A. S. THOMAS, HIGHLAND COUHTY, OHIO. 



I WAS raised in one of the best tobacco-growing 

 districts in Eastern Virginia, and was familiar with 

 every step in its production for twenty-four years. I 

 moved to this State in the fall of 1844, and have 

 raised more or less of it ever since. Therefore, I 

 ought be competent to give the "'practical informa- 

 tion" desired. 



The Seed. — In A''irginia there were as many varieties 

 of tobacco-seed as of corn or wheat. I will name a 

 few: The "Big Frederick," the "Little Frederick," 

 the "Blue Stalk," the "Brittle Stem," the "Big 

 Orinoco," the " Little Orinoco," and half a dozen 

 others, each having, or supposed.to have, some charac- 

 teristic distinguishing it from all the others. Bxit the 

 "Brittle Stem" and the " Orinocos " were the varie- 

 ties mostly cultivated, the former for its early maturi- 

 ty, the latter for its comparative heaviness. There 

 are several varieties, also, in this vicinity, such as the 

 "Brittle Stem," the "Graham Tobacco," and the 

 " Cuban," but the names convey little certain informa- 

 tion, as the same varieties bear different names in 

 different localities. But some varieties are evidently 

 to be preferred to others — one, noted for early matu- 

 rity, all things else equal, is preferable to another that 

 ripens late. One, distinguished for fineness of texture, 

 all things else equal, is better than another of coarser 

 fiber, etc. Upon the whole, the surest and most profit- 

 able variety is that which ripens earliest, and yields 

 the largest number of pounds, cured, to a given num- 

 ber of hills planted. 



Sowing. — In Virginia this was done in the first fii- 

 vorable weather in February, and I have done so here 

 up to the last year. But, hereafter, I shall sow as 

 soon as convenient after the seed is ripe. I was led 



to this conclusion by this fact : two years I saw mil- 

 lions of plants coming up under the seed-stalks of the 

 previous year ; the seeds had fallen to the ground, sur- 

 vived the winter, and were more forward than that 

 sowed in February in prepared beds. 



Seed-Bed. — It should be moist, or convenient to 

 water, as it may require watering in dry weather. It 

 should have an open, southern aspect. It should be 

 burned sufiiciently to kill the seeds of all weeds and 

 wild grasses, for if not then killed they will come on 

 before the tobacco-plants and surely destroy them. 

 Hence the importance of thorough burning. Having 

 burnt the ground well, rake off the coals and all other 

 rough and coarse materials. When cool enough, dig 

 it up fine and sow the seed. Any one that can sow 

 cabbage or turnip-seed can sow tobacco-seed. 



Quantity op Seed. — A table-spoonful of good seed 

 will sow one hundred square yards. Such a bed, un- 

 der favorable conditions, will yield ten thousand plants, 

 and so in proportion. If the bed should need water, 

 give it, and finely-pounded sheep-manure sowed over 

 it will greatly expedite the growth of the plants. If 

 the seeds are sowed too thick the plants will be crowd- 

 ed, and fiiil to obtain the proper size, at the right 

 time. It is evidently important to have the plants uni- 

 form in size, and as many of them as possible put out 

 at the first planting. Therefore, endeavor to have 

 enough of plants in your bed or beds — to have them 

 all of the same size, that all may be planted out at 

 the first planting. When that is the case, the priming, 

 the lopping, and the cutting can all be done regularly. 

 But when planted at intervals of two or three weeks, 

 all the subsequent operations come on irregularly. 

 With seed sown any time before the first of March, 



