﻿Tobacco 
  Interests 
  of 
  North 
  Carolina. 
  171 
  

  

  clearing 
  for 
  other 
  crops, 
  this 
  is 
  probably 
  too 
  low 
  rather 
  than 
  

   too 
  high 
  an 
  estimate. 
  

  

  PREPARATION 
  OF 
  THE 
  SOIL. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  preparation 
  of 
  tobacco 
  lands, 
  methods 
  vary 
  with 
  

   the 
  character 
  of 
  the 
  soils, 
  old 
  "sedge" 
  lands, 
  clover 
  tallows 
  

   and 
  stubble 
  lands 
  requiring 
  more 
  plowing 
  than 
  land 
  last 
  

   cultivated 
  in 
  corn 
  or 
  tobacco. 
  

  

  New 
  ground 
  is 
  cohered 
  twice 
  or 
  oftener, 
  and 
  is 
  cleared 
  of 
  

   roots 
  and 
  trash 
  ; 
  lot 
  lands 
  are 
  plowed 
  in 
  autumn 
  or 
  in 
  early 
  

   winter, 
  to 
  obtain 
  the 
  help 
  of 
  the 
  winter 
  frosts 
  in 
  reducing 
  

   the 
  soil 
  to 
  fine 
  tilth, 
  are 
  again 
  plowed 
  early 
  in 
  the 
  spring, 
  

   and 
  a 
  third 
  time 
  before 
  planting. 
  Turning 
  plows 
  are 
  used 
  

   to 
  a 
  depth 
  of 
  from 
  2 
  to 
  5 
  inches, 
  the 
  object 
  being 
  to 
  invert 
  

   the 
  upper 
  soil 
  as 
  deeply 
  as 
  possible 
  without 
  exposing 
  the 
  

   subsoil. 
  

  

  If 
  the 
  land 
  is 
  trashy, 
  or 
  not 
  in 
  thorough 
  tilth, 
  it 
  is 
  dragged 
  

   with 
  a 
  heavy 
  harrow 
  after 
  the 
  last 
  plowing. 
  It 
  is 
  then 
  

   bedded 
  up 
  by 
  throwing 
  from 
  two 
  to 
  four 
  furrows 
  together 
  

   with 
  a 
  turning-plow, 
  and 
  the 
  hills 
  are 
  laid 
  off 
  from 
  2| 
  to 
  3 
  

   feet, 
  3 
  inches 
  apart 
  and 
  patted 
  on 
  the 
  top, 
  so 
  as 
  to 
  compact 
  the 
  

   soil 
  where 
  the 
  plant 
  is 
  to 
  be 
  set. 
  Hilling 
  is 
  strongl}' 
  recom- 
  

   mended 
  by 
  the 
  best 
  planters, 
  especially 
  in 
  wet 
  seasons, 
  

   affording 
  better 
  drainage 
  and 
  protection 
  against 
  all 
  the 
  wet- 
  

   weather 
  diseases 
  of 
  tobacco. 
  Hills 
  present 
  a 
  flat 
  surface 
  of 
  

   from 
  10 
  to 
  15 
  inches 
  in 
  diameter, 
  and 
  are 
  made 
  when 
  the 
  

   ground 
  is 
  in 
  good 
  order 
  for 
  working. 
  If 
  too 
  dry, 
  it 
  will 
  

   require 
  too 
  much 
  rain 
  to 
  moisten 
  them 
  sufficiently 
  ; 
  if 
  too 
  

   wet, 
  they 
  will 
  bake. 
  In 
  new 
  ground 
  tiie 
  hills 
  may 
  be 
  

   made 
  in 
  March 
  or 
  April", 
  in 
  old 
  ground 
  they 
  are 
  to 
  be 
  

   made 
  late 
  enough 
  to 
  avoid 
  danger 
  of 
  growing 
  up 
  in 
  weeds 
  

   or 
  grass 
  before 
  planting, 
  not 
  earlier 
  than 
  the 
  first 
  of 
  May. 
  

   Listing 
  or 
  bedding 
  up 
  by 
  3 
  or 
  4 
  furrows 
  of 
  a 
  turning-plow 
  

   saves 
  labor 
  in 
  making 
  hills. 
  

  

  There 
  is 
  a 
  wide 
  difference 
  of 
  opinion 
  and 
  of 
  practice 
  as 
  

   to 
  the 
  proper 
  distance 
  between 
  plants, 
  varying 
  from 
  2h 
  by 
  

   2 
  ft. 
  3 
  ins. 
  to 
  3 
  ft. 
  3 
  ins. 
  by 
  3 
  ft. 
  3 
  ins. 
  Many 
  hold 
  that 
  noth- 
  

   ing 
  is 
  gained 
  in 
  aggregate 
  weight, 
  v»'hile 
  something 
  is 
  lost 
  in 
  

   length, 
  breadth, 
  and 
  body 
  by 
  crowding 
  closer 
  than 
  3 
  feet 
  3 
  

   inclies 
  apart 
  each 
  way. 
  Hills 
  are 
  generally 
  made 
  by 
  meas- 
  

   uring 
  or 
  stepping 
  off 
  one 
  row 
  and 
  placing 
  the 
  hills 
  of 
  the 
  

  

  