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of land. Sometimes ants do considerable damage to seed and 

 seedlings, when ashes sprinkled round and over the seed-bed 

 prove efficacious. 



639. Preparation of land. The soil for tobacco planting 

 should be prepared during the months of August and Sep- 

 tember. Eight to ten ploughings are necessary. Deep cul- 

 tivation and thorough pulverisation of the soil are most im- 

 portant. The soil should be liberally manured with well- 

 rotted cowdung and ashes. The soil is then to be levelled 

 with a light harrow. It is needless to say that even poor 

 soil can be made to produce a good crop by proper tillage 

 and heavy manuring. Soils destitute of potash, unmanured 

 soils, or soils manured with flesh, bones, calcium chloride, 

 magnesium chloride, or potassium chloride, produce a bad 

 burning tobacco which is unsuitable for making cigars. The 

 use of cowdung also should be avoided in raising .tobacco for 

 the manufacture of cigars. Potassium carbonate, salt petre, 

 potassium sulphate, and calcium sulphate (gypsum) are the 

 best manures for tobacco, intended for cigars. They give 

 to the leaves a sweet flavour and burning quality. Gypsum 

 is excellent as a top-dresser, and its use is particularly recom- 

 mended to Indian cultivators. Crops manured with it suffer 

 less from the effects of drought and require less irrigation. 

 Gypsum is a bye-product in the manufacture of aerated waters 

 and can be obtained very cheap, at 4 to 8 annas per maund, 

 but it should be used with an equal quantity of lime mixed 

 with it, as the bye-product is liable to be acid. The mineral 

 manures are used generally from 2\ to 4^ maunds per acre 

 Ordinary household ashes also are an excellent manure for 

 tobacco They contain a large amount of potash and lime, 

 and are particularly recommended for clay and humus soils. 



640. Transplanting. When the seedlings are about 3 

 inches high in the nursery, that is, after they have shewn three 

 or four leaves, which takes place within six weeks from sowing 

 time, they are fit for transplantation. The transplantation 



