430 



NEW ENGLAND FAR]\IER. 



Sept. 



clination is sought for, in order to bring for- 

 ward as early as possible the plants for setting. 

 A failure to do this often results in a failure 

 at the end of the season, by reason of frost. 

 The seed bed is highly manured, and weeds 

 are sure to be on hand as soon or sooner than 

 the tobacco, and must be; picked out when 

 large enough to be laid hold of with the fin- 

 gers, or they will overtop and destroy the 

 plants. In preparing the field for setting, no 

 great diversity of practice prevails. Some, 

 and 1 think most, plow in their manure the 

 first time plowing, two or three weeks previous 

 to the last plowing, which is usually just before 

 time to set the plants. This method ensures 

 the destruction of many weeds as well as the 

 thorough incorporation of the manure with the 

 soil, wfiich is very desirable not only for to- 

 bacco but all other crops. 



The harrowing comes next in order, then 

 the laying out in rows. Some prefer the flat 

 culture, others ridge up. The hills are pre- 

 pared with the hoe. Many, of late, use some 

 fertilizer in the hill. Phosphates are preferred. 

 Fish guano is also extensively used for this 

 purpose, and is also spread on, either with or 

 without composting with muck or loam. I 

 used the past season several tons of it, com- 

 posted with plaster, to fix the ammonia, with 

 satisfactory results. 



As soon as the plants are set it is necessary 

 to be on the constant watch for worms. The 

 cut-worms are often very troublesome. A 

 single night'' s work of theirs as revealed b_v 

 morning light is sometimes really surprising. 

 Resetting must be persistently kept up until 

 too late to hope lor the maturity of the plant. 

 As soon as, and even before the cut-worm is out 

 of the way, the large, green worm, that some 

 call the tobacco worm, comes upon the scene 

 of action, and if allowed to have his own way, 

 would soon relieve the cultivator of all farther 

 trouble with his crop, by rendering it worthhiss 

 ibr market. The leaf, being used for wrappers 

 tor cigars, must be fved from lioles and frac- 

 tures. A single worm will, in a very short 

 time, destroy several ilollars' worth of ])lants. 

 Each day, if plenty, they nuist be looked uj). 

 All other work nuist give ])lace to this. 'J'he 

 weeds also must be kept down and clean cul- 

 ture secured. All cultivators seem to recog- 

 nize the tyrannical beiiests of this croj) and pa- 

 tiently submit to them. 



Two to three weeks previous to cutting, the 

 topping is done, and the suckering attended 

 to. Ex|)erience is necessary lor doing the for- 

 mer. There is said to be a leaf that indicatcis 

 where the top should be severed. Care is 

 requisitf; in handling when jxitting in and hang- 

 ing up for curing, lest the leaf should get torn. 

 It nmst remain on the poles a longer or shorter 

 time according to the weallutr before it 

 is Sdj'ti to strip. If propt'rl)- housed, many 

 leave it until spring Ijefbre doing it. A damp 

 spell or a rain storm is rt!(|iiii('d to limber the 

 leaf so as not to break in handlinjr. Often 



delays of several weeks occur from the absence 

 of such weather. 



For a few years prices were very remunera- 

 tive, and a ready market at hand. A great de- 

 pression in the market exists at present, and a 

 feeling of discouragement now prevails. A 

 prominent farmer here told me to-day that he 

 would not give ten dollars an acre for farms, 

 if the tobacco crop was to be a failure in fu- 

 ture. This feeling is (|uite common. The 

 South and West are regarded as a refuge 

 from hard work and small returns. It is well 

 to remember the adage respecting getting out 

 of the frying pan into the fire. K. o. 



East Windsor, Conn., 1S67. 



GROWING RYE STRAW. 



The making of white print paper from rye 

 straw was conmienced at Fort Edward N. Y., 

 in 1857. At that time, rye straw could not 

 be procured in sufficient quantities to keep one 

 mill running. It takes two tons of straw for 

 a ton of paper. The farmers began to grow 

 the crop in W^ashington and Saratoga counties, 

 and now ten large mills are in operation, using 

 in the aggregate 15,UU0 tons annually. The 

 straw at these mills, for the past five years has 

 averaged less than $15 per ton, and $225,000 

 are brought into these counties for straw 

 alone. Then there is the value of the grain. 

 It was a ])oor farming district before the intro- 

 duction ol" rye growing, and now the farmers 

 were making good incomes. The mills at Her- 

 kimer are now using six tons of rye straw per 

 day. Matthew Smith, ot'Franklbrt, grew last 

 year on an aire of land and from two bushels 

 of sowing, 47 bushels of rye, for which he got 

 $1.20 per bushel, and two tons of straw which 

 were sold at $24. This makes $80.40 as the 

 yield from one acre, which may be con^idered 

 a very profitable crop. Probaldy the farmers 

 of Ilerkuuer would find it to their advantage 

 to grow r}e in connection with the dairy. The 

 llei»lvin)cr mills are using 2,000 tons of straw 

 annually, and are forced to get their supply 

 li'om fcjclieneetady. It comes in bales. Kye 

 .-traw is worth from $24 to $.")0 per ton in 

 Xew York city, and is of ready sale. At the 

 mills East they l)ay $20 per ton for it. The 

 business is conlined to the States of New 

 York, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Maryland, 

 Delaware and Illinois. Nine-tenths of the 

 printing paper made of straw is produced in 

 New York. — Utica Herald. 



— G. R. Ratlibm-ii, Vinchuul, Mo., 47 miles south 

 of St. Louis, on tlic Iron Motuitain Railroad, writes 

 to the New Yorlv Farmers' Chil) tliat those wlio are 

 acquainted ia California, tliink the climate and 

 soil of his section otiual to the Pacific coast for 

 tlie i)roiluction of grapes. Five hundred gallons 

 jier acre is not considered an unusual crop, and so 

 thoroughly do grapes ripen, that no sugar is used 

 in manuf'aeturinij the wine. 



