28 TOBACCO CULTURE. 



atra leaf, the smoothing harrow fits the soil for the plants. 



In Florida the closeness with which the Cuban and Su- 

 matra plants are set in the rows, (for increased thinness of 

 leaf) prevents the use of the transplanter, which has here- 

 tofore not been gauged more closely than 18 inches. When 

 plants are set as closely as 8 inches in the row, (which is not 

 uncommon among Cuban growers), extremely rapid planting 

 can hardly be done with a machine worked at the speed of 

 walking horses. 



The Cuban grower in Florida plows and cross-plows, 

 the latter working of the soil preceding the transplanting by 

 some three weeks. Just before setting the plants, the har- 

 row is used until the ground is thoroughly pulverized. The 

 "scooter" is then used for running furrows two and one-half 

 feet apart, into which the fertilizer is scattered and then cov- 

 ered by the turn-plow, running back and forth. The plants 

 are then set on the ridge thus made. 



The grower of Cuba leaf in this country has modified 

 this practice by placing his rows from three to three and 

 one-half feet apart for Cuban, and four feet apart for Suma- 

 tra leaf; and this makes horse cultivation possible. How- 

 ever, he grows as many plants to the acre as does the Cuban 

 planter, by placing them nearer together in the row. The 

 most successful way of transplanting tobacco in Florida 

 is, by running furrows with a small Scotch plow about 5 J 

 feet apart, and setting the plant in the bottom of the fur- 

 row. This insures a perfect stand, and the plants being 

 down below the surface are not apt to be destroyed by cut- 



