EXPERIENCE OP PRACTICAL GROWERS. 



in time. Start when they are being hatched, and 

 keep up a strict watch upon them, going over the whole 

 field, plant by plant, and breaking the eggs, killing 

 such as may be seen, and by constant attention during 

 each morning and evening to this business alone, with 

 the whole force of the farm, they may be prevented 

 from doing much harm. When they disappear the 

 second time, there is no more cause of trouble. 



Cutting and Hodsing.— When the plant begins to yel- 

 low, it is time to put it away. It is cut off close to the 

 ground, by turning up the bottom leaves and striking 

 with a tobacco-knife, formed of an old scythe — such 

 knives as are often used for cutting corn. Let it lie on the 

 ground for a short time to Vi^ilt, and then carry it to the 

 tobacco-house, when it may be put away in three dif- 

 ferent modes, by "pegging," "spearing," and "split- 

 ting." Pegging tobacco is the neatest way and best, 

 yet the slowest. It is done by driving pegs about six 

 inches long and half an inch or less square into the stalk, 

 about four inches from the big end of the stalk ; and 

 these pegs are driven in with a mallet, in a slanting 

 direction, so as to hook on to the sticks in the house. 

 It is then put on to a " horse," which, by a rope fixed 

 to one corner, is pulled up in the house and there hung 

 upon the sticks, which are regulated at proper dis- 

 tances, A " tobacco-horse " is nothing more than 

 three small sticks nailed together so as to form a tri- 

 angle, each side being three or feet long. Spearing 

 is the plan I pursue ; because it is neat enough and 

 decidedly the quickest plan. A rough block, with a 

 hole morticed in it, and a little fork a few inches from 

 the hole for the tobacco-stick to rest upon, one end 

 being in the hole and a spear on the other end of the 

 stick, is all the apparatus required ; the plant is then, 

 with both hands, run over the spear and thus strung 

 upon the sticks, which, when full, are taken to the house 

 and hung up at once. There are "dart-spears," like 

 the Indian dart, and " round spears." Either will do. 

 "Splitting" tobacco is admired by many who con- 

 tend that it cures brighter, quicker, and is less 

 likely to house-burn or injure from too thick hanging. 

 This mode is pursued easily by simply splitting, with 

 a knife made for the purpose, the plant from the top 

 to within a few inches of the bottom, before it is cut 

 down for housing. Care should be taken not to break 

 the leaves while splitting the stalk. The knife for 

 splitting may be fully described by saying it is a mm- 

 iature spade. It can be easily made out of an old 

 scythe-blade inserted in a cleft white oak handle, with 

 its edges beveled off to the blade, so that it acts like 

 a vedge to the descending knife. After the tobacco 

 is split, cut down, and carried to the house, it is strad- 

 dled across the sticks and hung up. The sticks are 

 generally supported by forks driven in to the ground 

 near the heap of tobacco, for greater convenience to 

 the person putting on the plants. Tobacco-sticks are 

 small round sticks, or are split out like lath, and are 

 about one inch square at one end, or one and a half 



inches square, usually larger at one end than the other, 

 and they should be about eight or ten inches longer 

 than the distance between joists of the tobacco-housa. 

 As the tobacco cures they may be pushed up closer. 

 After the house is filled, some put large fires under it, 

 as soon as it has turned yellow, and by hot fires it is 

 dried at once and does not change color, unless to 

 increase the brightness ; but " firing " gives it a smok-y 

 smell and taste that is not much liked by buyers. The 

 cost of labor and loss of wood, and the risk of losing 

 tobacco and house too, are great objections well urged 

 against firing. The better plan is to have sufficient 

 house-room, and hang it thin in houses not too large, 

 which have windows and doors so as to admit light 

 and air, and by closing them in bad weather, exclude 

 the rain and dampness, which materially damage the 

 tobacco, besides injuring the color of it. 



Stripping. — After becoming dry and well cured, 

 the stems of the leaves being free fi-om sap, the first 

 mild damp spell of weather it will become pliant and 

 may then be stripped off the stalk. It is first pulled 

 or taken off the sticks and put in piles, then the 

 leaves arc stripped off, tied and put in bundles of about 

 one fiftli or sixth of a pound in each. The bundles 

 are formed by wrapping a leaf around the upper part 

 of the handful of leaves for about four inches, and 

 tucking tlie end in the middle of the bundle to confine 

 it. There ought, if the quality of the crop will permit, 

 to be four kinds of tobacco, " yellow" " bright,'''' " dull" 

 and " second." When the tobacco is taken down, the 

 " cullers " take each plant and pull off the defective 

 leaves that are next to the big end of the stalk, and then 

 throw the plant to the next person, who strips\off all of 

 the bright leaves (and if there are any yellow leaves, he 

 lays them on one side until he has got enough to make 

 a bundle) and throws the plant to the next person, who 

 takes off all the rest, being the '■'•dull;^'' and the re- 

 spective strippers, as they get enough leaves in hand to 

 make a bundle, throw one side for convenience' sake 

 to bulk. Stripping never should be done in dry or 

 harsh weather, unless the tobacco is bulked up almost 

 as fast as stripped. The best plan is not to take down 

 more than you can conveniently tie up in a few hours ; 

 but if the planter chooses, he may take down a lai-ge 

 quantity and put it in large bulk, stalk and all, and cover 

 it with tobacco-stalks, and it will keep for many days, 

 so that no matter how the weather be, he can strip out 

 of the bulk. However, this is a very bad and waste- 

 ful way. Tobacco should not be too moist or " high,'" 

 as it is termed, when put in stalk bulk, or it will get 

 warm, the leaves stick to the stalk, get a bad smell, 

 and change color ; besides, if left too long, it will rot. 



Bulking and Conditioning. — To bulk tobacco re- 

 quires judgment and neatness. Two logs should be 

 laid parallel to each other, about thirty inches apart, 

 and the space between them filled with sticks for the 

 purpose of keeping the tobacco from the dampness of 

 the ground. The bundles are then taken one ai a 



