TOBACCO. 



with hoes, and well covered with i 

 brush to protect the plants from 

 frosts. A\'hen the plants have come 

 fully out, tlicy should bo slightly ma- 

 nured with strong manure made fine ; 

 this should be repeated fre(juently, 

 and in larger quaniity as the i)lants 

 increase in size and are able to bear it. 



" When the plants have attained a 

 good size, and there is no longer dan- 

 ger of frost, the covering of brush is 

 removed, and the bed weeded with 

 theliand, those employed in this duty 

 taking great care to avoid bruising 

 the tender plants. The beds require 

 frequent picking to keep down the 

 weeds. 



"Preparation and ria?iting. — The 

 plants will be generally ready for re- 

 moval about the last of May or first 

 of June. They are to be drawn out 

 after a rain and transplanted in good 

 ground previously well prepared for 

 their reception. 



" Field Cukurc.—The land for to- 

 bacco should be of the best quality, 

 either newly cleared and virgin soil, 

 or old ground highly manured and 

 well pulverized, or good clover fal- 

 low, ploughed in the fall, manured 

 and cross-ploughed in the spring, 

 just before planting, well harrowed, 

 and then laid off with a plough in 

 rows three, three and a half, or four 

 feet apart each way. Every square 

 thus made is to be scraped with the 

 hoe so as to form a hill, in which one 

 plant is to be set. In case the plants 

 die from drought, or are destroyed 

 by worms, a very common occur- 

 rence, others must be set in their 

 places. 



" Cultivation. — The culture is very 

 much like that usually adopted for In- 

 dian corn, the plough, cultivator, and 

 hand hoe being freely used to keep 

 down weeds and loosen the earth. 



" It is important to the early growth 

 of the plant to plough and work deep 

 once or twice, so that when it is ri- 

 pening, the ground will be broken 

 deep and fine. (The coulter is prefer- 

 red for this operation.) This should 

 be effected without much interference 

 with the roots, as that would check 

 the growth, and prevent the plant 



800 



from attaining its proper size. And 

 hence the advantage of greater dis- 

 tance between the rows than the 

 common distance of three and a half 

 feet, because the wide rows can be 

 ploughed, and worked with less dam- 

 age to the roots. In this, as in all 

 other crops, if we wish a good return, 

 " we must speed the plough" and hoe 

 before the roots run out. On our 

 high lands, we should endeavour, l)y 

 deep and horizontal ploughing, to 

 counteract the bad effects of drought. 

 On our flats, we should aim to pre- 

 vent the collection of water by drains 

 discharged at the lowest point. 



" The bed is best for high land, be- 

 cause it retains more moisture where 

 it is generally needed. The hill, re- 

 taining less moisture, is best for fiat 

 land, where there is commonly a su- 

 perabundance. 



" Priming, Topping, Suckering, and 

 Worming. — As the tobacco plant 

 grows and develops, a blossom bud 

 puts out from the top, which is term- 

 ed buttoning. This top must be pulled 

 off along with such of the upper leaves 

 as are too small to be of any value. 

 The plants are thus left usually about 

 two or three feet high. The plants 

 also shoot out suckers from every 

 leaf, which must be broken off, care 

 being taken not to break the leaf from 

 the main stem. This causes the 

 leaves to spread. 



" The most regular topping is per- 

 formed by measure. The topper car- 

 ries in his hand a measure six inches 

 long, by occasionally applying which, 

 he can regulate the priming with 

 great accuracy ; and as the remain- 

 ing leaves are numbered, this governs 

 the operation, and gains the object of 

 even topping. The topper should 

 always carry this measure in his 

 hand, as it serves to prevent excuses 

 for negligence and uneven topping. 

 Prime six inches, and top to eight 

 leaves. We have found, by experi- 

 ence, that this is the best average 

 height. We sometimes, but seldom, 

 vary from this general rule. If the 

 land is poorer than common, or if, 

 from the backwardness of the plant, 

 and the advanced state of the season, 



