﻿Tobacco 
  Interests 
  of 
  North 
  Carolina. 
  175 
  

  

  rule 
  as 
  to 
  priming, 
  however, 
  is 
  from 
  4 
  to 
  6 
  inches, 
  while 
  the 
  

   range 
  in 
  topping 
  up 
  to 
  the 
  hist 
  of 
  July 
  is 
  usualh^ 
  from 
  ten 
  

   to 
  fourteen 
  leaves. 
  Ten 
  may 
  be 
  taken, 
  however, 
  as 
  the 
  

   number 
  approved 
  most 
  widely, 
  as 
  measuring 
  that 
  which 
  can 
  

   be 
  easilj' 
  matured 
  with 
  the 
  greatest 
  weight 
  and 
  desired 
  

   texture 
  and 
  color. 
  Planters 
  who 
  adopt 
  a 
  standard 
  of 
  ten, 
  

   top 
  as 
  Jiigh 
  as 
  twelve 
  leaves 
  when 
  the 
  plant 
  is 
  gross, 
  or 
  go 
  

   below 
  that 
  if 
  it 
  appear 
  that 
  ten 
  cannot 
  be 
  properly 
  matured. 
  

   Topping 
  is 
  usually 
  done 
  at 
  intervals 
  of 
  a 
  week, 
  find 
  at 
  each 
  

   successive 
  topping 
  fewer 
  leaves 
  are 
  left, 
  so 
  as 
  to 
  make 
  all 
  

   plants 
  set 
  out 
  at 
  the 
  same 
  time 
  ripen 
  together. 
  The 
  sea?on 
  

   and 
  the 
  character 
  of 
  the 
  plant 
  have 
  much 
  to 
  do 
  with 
  the 
  

   tojiping, 
  but 
  the 
  best 
  authorities 
  assert 
  that 
  those 
  who 
  are 
  

   tempted 
  to 
  go 
  beyond 
  ten 
  leaves, 
  except 
  with 
  very 
  gross 
  

   plants, 
  lose 
  in 
  body, 
  oil, 
  and 
  toughness, 
  and 
  gain 
  nothing 
  

   in 
  weight, 
  texture, 
  or 
  color. 
  Some 
  planters 
  top 
  even 
  as 
  

   high 
  as 
  twenty 
  leaves 
  on 
  strong 
  land, 
  holding 
  that 
  low 
  top- 
  

   ping 
  makes 
  the 
  plant 
  coarse 
  and 
  the 
  fibers 
  large. 
  

  

  One 
  planter 
  advises 
  topping 
  high 
  in 
  dry 
  weather 
  and 
  

   low 
  in 
  wet 
  weather, 
  on 
  the 
  ground 
  that 
  if 
  the 
  plant 
  be 
  

   topped 
  low 
  in 
  dry 
  weather 
  and 
  rains 
  follow, 
  it 
  will 
  be 
  sur- 
  

   feited 
  with 
  moisture, 
  and 
  the 
  top 
  leaves 
  will 
  grow 
  large 
  and 
  

   the 
  bottom 
  leaves 
  fall 
  off. 
  If 
  dr}'^ 
  weather 
  succeeds 
  wet, 
  the 
  

   plant 
  having 
  been 
  topped 
  high 
  and 
  the 
  supply 
  of 
  moisture 
  

   ceasing, 
  the 
  growth 
  is 
  checked, 
  the 
  plant 
  is 
  not 
  filled 
  out, 
  

   and 
  the 
  leaf 
  grows 
  thin 
  and 
  ])apery. 
  Perhaps 
  the 
  best 
  lule 
  

   given 
  as 
  to 
  priming 
  is 
  to 
  allow 
  the 
  tips 
  of 
  the 
  bottom 
  leaves 
  

   at 
  maturity 
  to 
  hang 
  well 
  clear 
  of 
  the 
  ground. 
  

  

  Suckers 
  are 
  pulled 
  off 
  when 
  too 
  or 
  three 
  inches 
  long, 
  and 
  

   every 
  week, 
  as 
  they 
  appear, 
  until 
  the 
  plant 
  is 
  cut, 
  usually 
  

   from 
  three 
  to 
  four 
  times. 
  There 
  are 
  two 
  weeks 
  between 
  suc- 
  

   cessive 
  crops 
  of 
  suckers. 
  

  

  The 
  usual 
  time 
  between 
  planting 
  and 
  topping 
  is 
  about 
  

   six 
  weeks, 
  but 
  this 
  is 
  so 
  dependent 
  on 
  the 
  season 
  that 
  the 
  

   time 
  may 
  be 
  from 
  forty 
  to 
  sixty 
  days. 
  The 
  time 
  between 
  

   topping 
  and 
  cutting 
  is 
  from 
  six 
  to 
  ten 
  weeks, 
  varying 
  ac- 
  

   cording 
  to 
  season 
  and 
  according 
  to 
  soil, 
  gray 
  lands 
  matu- 
  

   ring 
  the 
  plant 
  earlier 
  than 
  red 
  lands. 
  The 
  variation 
  on 
  

   account 
  of 
  soil 
  is 
  given 
  at 
  as 
  much 
  as 
  four 
  weeks, 
  and 
  the 
  

   plant 
  will 
  stand 
  longer 
  on 
  strong 
  land 
  than 
  on 
  thin 
  land. 
  

   The 
  method 
  of 
  cultivation 
  also 
  has 
  an 
  influence 
  on 
  the 
  time, 
  

   shallow 
  culture 
  ripening 
  the 
  plant 
  earlier 
  than 
  deep 
  cul- 
  

   ture. 
  The 
  time 
  of 
  maturing 
  is 
  also 
  affected 
  by 
  the 
  quality 
  

  

  