EXPERIENCE OF PRACTICAL GROWERS. 



29 



upon each hill formed at the cross-sections of the 

 markings ; the " setter " following, takes the plant 

 dropped upon the hill in his left hand, while with the 

 forefinger of his right hand he makes a hole in the 

 ground ; he then places the root in the hole with his 

 left, pinching up the dirt to it on each side with the 

 fingers of the right hand, taking care to close the dirt 

 well about the bottom of the root, also being careful 

 that the roots are not bent up, nor set too deep. A 

 stick or dibble is sometimes used instead of the finger 

 for making the holes ; in that case care must be taken 

 lest the holes be too deep. A good hand will set ten 

 thousand plants per Jay. 



CULTIVATION. Within a week after setting, the 

 hoe should be passed through the rows, the hard 

 crust next the plants removed, and the weeds cut ; 

 a little plaster and ashes mixed in equal proportions 

 may also be put upon each hill, say a gill to each. 

 From this time until the plants get so large that a cul- 

 tivator can not pass between the rows without injur- 

 ing the plants, the ground should be cultivated often 

 enough to keep the ground mellow and free from 

 weeds. Cultivating is a delicate operation, requiring 

 a skillful plowman and a steady horse, else many 

 of the plants will be knocked over or killed by the 

 operation. After the plants are become too large to 

 be cultivated without injury, they should be well hoed, 

 cutting the weeds, leveling the furrows made by the 

 ultivator, and drawing a little earth to the plants 

 /rhen required, and it will need no more working. 



SAVING SEED. When the plants blossom, the best 

 should be saved for seed, fifty plants being enough 

 for seed to sow a crop of thirty thousand pounds, 

 or a gill being enough to set four acres of land. All 

 the rest should be topped when the bud is fairlj formed. 



TOPPING. Great judgment is required in this ope- 

 ration. If the plant is sturdy and strong, the top may 

 be taken off ui, the eighth leaf from the root ; if not 

 BO strong, the top must be taken off lower down ; 

 with new beginners the leaves look too good, and do 

 not top low enough, and as a consequence have 

 poor tobacco ; the top when broken off should be 

 thrown between the rows, and suffered to decay. 



Within about two weeks from topping, the crop is 

 generally fit for cutting, yet it is not hurt by standing 

 longer in the field. From this time until the tobacco 

 is housed, the grower experiences much vexation ; 

 storms and frosts may came and destroy the crop. 



WORMS, the worst enemy of the planter, come in 

 crowds ; as fast as they come they should be pulled 

 off, and killed, else they will ruin the crop. A flock 

 of turkeys are of invaluable assistance in destroying 

 ihese insects, which they seem to do for the "fun of 

 It ;" twice in the season these worms appear, and the 

 only proper way to get rid of them is to begin in 

 time, and with plenty of help go over the whole field, 

 nlaiit by p'ant, breaking up nesta, killing s^ch worms 



as may oe found, and doing so morning u.d evening 

 until they finally disappear. 



SDCKERINU. The plants should also be " suckered.* 

 Suckers spring out in great numbers just where th 

 leaves join with the stalk. "Suckering" is done bj 

 pinching theso off close to the stalk when they reacb 

 about the enth of three or four inches ; just before 

 cutting it would be well to sucker again, for if any 

 are left on the stalk they will grow to great lengths, 

 even after the plant has been hurg up for curing. 



CUTTING AND HANGING. When the plant begins to 

 yellow or turn spotted, it is time to put it away. It is 

 cut off close to the ground, turning up the leaves, 

 and cutting off close to the roots, by a single stroke 

 of a hatchet, or tobacco-knife, made of an old scythe, 

 such as are used in cutting up corn. After cutting, 

 let it lie on the ground a short time to wilt, when it 

 may be handled without danger of tearing the leaves ; 

 it is then to be taken to the house to be " hung." 



The hanging should be begun on the upper tier of 

 poles, to where the tobacco is elevated by means of 

 a platform and pulley, or it may be passed by boys 

 from tier to tier, to its locality for hanging. 



Hanging is done in the following manner: the 

 " hanger" stands in an erect position, having for a 

 a foothold the poles on the tier below the one which 

 he is hanging ; he has a ball of tobacco-twine (a twine 

 made of flax, procurable at any seed-store) which for 

 convenience is carried in the bosom of the loose blouse 

 generally worn ; he stands with the left side to the 

 pole on which the tobacco is to be hung, left arm 

 over it ; the stalk of tobacco is handed to him by a 

 boy whose duty it is to pass it to him ; the stalk is 

 then taken in the left hand and placed against th* 

 side of the pole, the but projecting an inch or two, 

 around which projection the twine is wound from left 

 to right, (the twine having previously been fastened 

 to the pole ;) the next stalk is placed on the other side 

 of the pole, just far enough along so that the leaves 

 of the two stalks will not touch and pole-burn, and 

 so continue, the stalks being hung alternately on the 

 sides of the pole, as seen in the above cut. 



After the house is filled, some put fires under the 

 crop to hasten its drying, but it is found by experi- 

 ence that the practice is not a good one. 



STRIPPING. After the tobacco has become dry and 

 well cured, the stem of the leaf being tree from sap, 

 the fir^t damp spell of weather it will become sr\ft 



