PRIZE E S SAY S. 



PUBLISHERS' NOTE. The AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST several years ago offered Prizes for the best 

 practical essays ou the Culture of Tobacco, to be written by experienced growers, and to embrace full particulars 

 concerning the crop all to be written out so plainly as to be serviceable to the inexperienced cultivator. Quite un- 

 expectedly, the response was so general that over eighty essays were sent in from different parts of the country. 

 These were handed over to a competent committee of three, who devoted most of their time for ten days to a careful 

 examination of the essays. They were puzzled to decide upon the respective merits of several articles, as each wri- 

 ter embraced some items not referred to by others. After mature deliberation, they decided that, according to the 

 terms of the offer, the essay first given below was entitled to the first prize ; the second in order to the second prize, 

 while the next three were so nearly equal in merit that they could not make a distinction, and they recommended an 

 award equal to the third prize to eacli of these three writers. As but one of the articles could be published in the 

 AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST, a considerable number of the best essays were selected and published in the present 

 form. The sale of the work has been something remarkable, and though modest in its pretensions, it became the 

 standard authority on Tobacco Culture. A book made up in this manner has an advantage over one by a single wri- 

 ter, as it gives the methods and details peculiar to different parts of the country. The continued demand for the work 

 is met by a new edition, which is enlarged by a chapter giving something of the history of the Tobacco plant, and an 

 outline of the processes employed in its manufacture. 



No. I.-BY JUDSON POPENOE, OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY, OHIO. 



I COMMENCED the cultivation of tobacco about fifteen 

 years ago ; I therefore write from experience, and shall 

 try to give that experience, in a short -and, plain way. 



VARIETIES. I have cultivated various kinds of to- 

 bacco, but have come to the conclusion that what we 

 jail the Ohio seed-leaf is the best and most profitable 

 kind for general cultivation. There are other kinds of 

 tobacco that sometimes are profitable, and do well, 

 but most of these do not cure out so well, nor color so 

 evenly, nor are they so fine and salable as the seed- 

 leaf. The Havana tobacco is too small and has not 

 the fine flavor of the imported. The Connecticut seed- 

 leaf I believe to be identical with our Ohio seed-leaf; 

 the difference in the climate may make a slight varia- 

 tion in the quality, but we plant the Connecticut seed- 

 leaf here in Ohio, and I don't think they can be told 

 apart. The most of the tobacco raised in this dis- 

 trict is the seed-leaf, which is strong evidence that it 

 is the best and most profitable kind to raise here. 



SEED. At topping-time a few of the most thrifty 

 stalks should be left to grow without topping, for 

 seed. When the crop is cut, let the seed-stalks stand, 

 stripping off the leaves and suckers. As soon as the 

 seed-pods are black, the seed is matured ; then cut off 

 the seed -heads below the forks of the plant, and hang 

 them in a dry place, out of the reach of mice, to cure. 

 At leisure time, during the winter, strip the seed-pods 

 .from off the stalk, rub them in the hands until the 

 Reed is rubbed out, sift through a fine sifter, put in a 

 dry place, secure from vermin of all kinds, and it is 

 icady to sow. I have sowed seed six years old which 

 $rew as well as new seed. I think it is a good plan to 

 raise seed enough at any time to sow for ten years, as 

 it is thought to deteriorate by constant raising without 

 changing. If seed snaps or pops when it ia thrown 

 on a hot stove, it wfli grow. 



PREPARING SEED BEDS. There are two plans of pro. 

 paring beds for sowing seed ; the first, and best, U to 

 spade or plow a bed in rich, dry ground, with a south- 

 ern exposure; the south end of a barn is a good 

 place, as the reflection helps to warm the ground. 

 Where you have tobacco-stalks, as you make a fur- 

 row with the plow or spade, fill one third full with 

 the stalks and turn the next furrow over them, and so 

 continue until the bed is broken up. The stalks hold 

 moisture, make the bed warm, and help to drain it 

 Take well-rotted hog manure and spread over the bed, 

 to the depth of about two inches, then harrow or 

 rake until the manure is thoroughly mixed with the 

 surface of the bed, and all is well pulverized, and aa 

 fine as garden mold. For a bed one rod wide and four 

 rods long take two common-sized table-spoonfuls (as 

 much as will lie on conveniently) of seed and mix it 

 with four quarts of ashes, or slacked lime, and sow 

 broadcast ; the ashes will enable the seed to be sowed 

 evenly ; then take a hand-roller and roll the bed even- 

 ly, or place a board on one end of the bed, walk on 

 it to press the ground to the seed, move it over, and 

 repeat this until the bed is all pressed over. Another 

 plan is to burn a large brush-heap in a clearing, or on 

 any new ground, in the evening ; in the morning dig 

 the ground up with the ashes on ; while warm, rake 

 the bed fine and sow the seed as above directed. Very 

 little weeding is required where the ground is burned, 

 as the fire destroys the weed and grass-seeds. 



If the weather is dry, the plants will need watering 

 after they are sprouted, (which will be in about three 

 weeks ;) in fact, the surface of the bed should be kept 

 constantly moist ; the beds snouid be kept clear of 

 weeds ; do not let the weeds get a start of your plants, 

 or they will soon choke them out. If the plants grow 

 well and evenly, the above-sized bed will plant four w 



