TOBACCO 



Cultivation. - - The tobacco fields are plowed early 

 in the spring and made loose and mellow by har- 

 rowing. When the 

 plants in the beds 

 are a few inches 

 high they are taken 

 up and set out 

 in rows by hand 

 or with a planter. 

 After planting, the 

 ground is cultivated 

 until the plants are 

 too large for the 

 horses to pass be- 

 tween the rows. 



Suckers. When 

 the plants reach a 

 height of about 

 two feet, and have 

 a dozen or more 



FIF.LD OF TOBACCO 



leaves, the tops are 



cut off to cause the leaves to grow larger. After the 

 tops are removed, little suckers grow out from the stalks 

 just above the bases of the leaves ; and in order to 

 secure large leaves of good quality, the farmer must 

 remove these suckers, which would take up the food 

 needed by the leaves. The farmer must also go over 

 the tobacco field to remove the large green tobacco 

 worms which feed upon the leaves. 



