﻿174 
  History 
  of 
  Durham. 
  

  

  be 
  deprived 
  of 
  the 
  dews 
  of 
  August 
  and 
  September; 
  if 
  too 
  

   late, 
  they 
  may 
  not 
  mature 
  properly 
  before 
  frost. 
  

  

  In 
  general, 
  planters 
  wait 
  for 
  rain 
  in 
  order 
  to 
  transplant, 
  

   though 
  crops 
  of 
  seventy 
  acres 
  have 
  been 
  successfully 
  planted 
  

   b}' 
  making 
  artificial 
  seasons. 
  

  

  CULTIVATION 
  OF 
  TOBACCO. 
  

  

  As 
  soon 
  as 
  the 
  plant 
  has 
  rooted 
  and 
  begun 
  to 
  grow, 
  which 
  

   is 
  shown 
  by 
  the 
  color, 
  and 
  is 
  usuall}'' 
  within 
  five 
  or 
  six 
  

   days, 
  the 
  turn-plow 
  is 
  run, 
  with 
  the 
  bar 
  next 
  the 
  plant, 
  

   thus 
  barring 
  off 
  the 
  soil. 
  The 
  hill 
  is 
  then 
  cleared 
  of 
  weeds 
  

   with 
  a 
  hoe, 
  and 
  a 
  little 
  fresh 
  earth 
  is 
  drawn 
  to 
  the 
  plant. 
  

   An 
  excellent 
  authority 
  opposes 
  the 
  use 
  of 
  the 
  plow 
  unless 
  

   the 
  rows 
  have 
  become 
  very 
  foul, 
  and 
  recommends 
  breaking 
  

   the 
  crust 
  of 
  the 
  hill 
  with 
  the 
  hoe 
  and 
  drawing 
  loose 
  earth 
  

   around 
  the 
  plant 
  until 
  it 
  has 
  covered 
  the 
  hill 
  to 
  a 
  breadth 
  

   of 
  12 
  inches. 
  This 
  is 
  probabl}'- 
  the 
  better 
  way, 
  but 
  it 
  is 
  too 
  

   tedious 
  and 
  costly 
  for 
  general 
  practice. 
  

  

  About 
  a 
  week 
  after 
  the 
  first 
  plowing 
  the 
  earth 
  is 
  thrown 
  

   to 
  the 
  plant 
  by 
  the 
  plow, 
  and 
  a 
  broad, 
  flat 
  hill 
  is 
  made 
  with 
  

   the 
  hoe. 
  A 
  third 
  plowing 
  is 
  given 
  before 
  topping, 
  and 
  the 
  

   hoe 
  hands 
  follow, 
  hilling 
  up 
  well 
  with 
  a 
  high 
  hill. 
  Unless 
  

   grass 
  and 
  w^eeds 
  are 
  very 
  prolific, 
  this 
  will 
  be 
  cultivation 
  

   enough. 
  Both 
  the 
  turning-plow 
  and 
  the 
  bull-tongue 
  are 
  

   used, 
  the 
  former 
  being 
  preferred 
  when 
  the 
  rows 
  are 
  foul. 
  

   The 
  cultivation 
  is 
  shallow, 
  and 
  the 
  subsoil 
  is 
  but 
  little 
  

   stirred, 
  and 
  cultivation 
  is 
  avoided 
  after 
  topping 
  unless 
  the 
  

   weeds 
  and 
  grass 
  require 
  the 
  hoe. 
  

  

  The 
  plowing 
  is 
  often 
  done 
  with 
  a 
  cotton 
  sweep, 
  which 
  is 
  

   growing 
  in 
  favor, 
  and 
  cultivation 
  is 
  pushed 
  rapidly 
  by 
  the 
  

   best 
  planters. 
  In 
  shipping 
  leaf 
  cultivation 
  is 
  continued 
  

   until 
  August, 
  but 
  in 
  fine 
  tobacco, 
  beginning 
  with 
  plow 
  or 
  

   hoe 
  when 
  the 
  plant 
  has 
  commenced 
  growing, 
  it 
  is 
  continued 
  

   about 
  once 
  in 
  ten 
  days 
  until 
  the 
  10th 
  or 
  15th 
  of 
  July. 
  

  

  PRIMING, 
  TOPPING, 
  AND 
  SUCKERING 
  OF 
  TOBACCO. 
  

  

  At 
  the 
  last 
  hoeing, 
  as 
  a 
  general 
  rule, 
  the 
  bottom 
  leaves 
  

   are 
  primed 
  off. 
  When 
  it 
  is 
  possible, 
  all 
  plants 
  for 
  fine 
  

   tobacco 
  are 
  topped 
  by 
  the 
  last 
  of 
  J\i]j, 
  or 
  at 
  latest 
  by 
  the 
  

   10th 
  of 
  August. 
  There 
  is, 
  however, 
  the 
  greatest 
  diversity 
  

   of 
  opinion 
  as 
  to 
  both 
  priming 
  and 
  topping. 
  The 
  general 
  

  

  