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186^: 



THE ILLmOIS FARMEK. 



75 



edifice, done in a thorough workmanlike manner. 

 Tobacco growers usually burn and sow their beds 

 in the latter part of January and first half of 

 February, yet some with good success sow as late 

 as first to middle of March. Commence with brush 

 wood and any other combustible material at hand 

 to form your beds. Select a dry rich plat of ground, 

 — new land in timber being best — sloping to the 

 south or east. Commence at one end piling up 

 your brush and wood in such manner that it may 

 burn freely continual on the full size of your bed. 

 On this point great diversity of opinion prevails, 

 some contending for many small beds, while oth- 

 ers prefer larger beds, possibly beds ten steps 

 square if well piled with combustible material will 

 burn the ground most effectually, this being the 

 main point. After all is ready set fire to it on the 

 proper side — the course of the wind being the 

 guide — and burn it until all the material is well 

 burnt. It may be well here to say, that brush 

 well and compactly built ten or twelve feet high 

 will be sufficient ; Dig up the bed with some 

 proper implement from three inches to six inches, 

 according to the depth the ground is burned, pul- 

 verizing it thoroughly, make it smooth, removing 

 all clods or other rough material, lay it off" in lands 

 three feet wide, and you are ready for 



SOWING THE SEED. 



As tobacco seed is very small, mix it with ashes 

 or sand and sow evenly over the beds in the same 

 manner you would cabbage seed. Sow a table 

 spoonful, to ten feet square of ground. Tramp 

 the beds firmly and evenly, have some fine brush 

 ready to cover your beds, say two feet deep — beech 

 or birch is best — for the purpose of protecting the 

 young plants when they first come up from frost, 

 this brush will be removed gradually, at the prop- 

 er time, when all danger of frosts is past. 



VARIETIES OF TOBACCO. 



There are many different varieties of tobacco 

 grown in different States and localities, in Con- 

 necticut, New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio. The 

 Connecticut Seed Leaf is much esteemed and most 

 extensively grown. It is a fine light tobacco, easi- 

 ly cured and much used by cigar manufacturers for 

 wrappers, on fine cigars and always commands a 

 good price. In the great tobacco growing States 

 of Virginia, in part of Kentucky, Missouri and 

 Tennessee, large and heavier kinds are grown, and 

 although not commanding the large prices of the 

 light varieties, yet their great difference in weight 

 more than equals the price of the light kinds°in 

 the aggregate. Among the heavier varieties many 

 local names no doubt exist for the same kind ; in 

 Southern Illinois a kind known as James Eiver is 

 much grown. In Kentucky the Big Pryor and 



Little Pryor have been favorite brands ; at the 

 present time, probably, the Twist Bud is most es- 

 teemed. In a word any of the kinds if properly 

 cured will pay. Probably the Connecticut Seed 

 Leaf and Twist Bud will both prove profitable 

 here, and well worthy of trial. Let me eaution 

 the reader that no good Connecticut Seed Leaf 

 seed is grown at the West ; the Ohio growers inva- 

 riably send to New York city for their seed euery 

 year. 



PREPARING LAND FOR TOBACCO. 



I would here remind the reader that old ground 

 will need much more thorough preparation than 

 new ground, the land should be moderately rich 

 by nature, or with the help of manures. If ma- 

 nures are used they should be well rotted ; the 

 ground should be broken up by two good plowings, 

 well harrowed and laid off one way three feet or 

 more apart ; the smaller kinds may be planted two 

 feet apart in the row ; the larger kinds three feet 

 and a half apart. 



PLANTING. 



Now comes a rather tedious job, and all who 

 have set out cabbage plants by the acre will readi- 

 ly understand why. Select damp, rainy weather 

 for setting out plants, then with a dible or other 

 implement, proceed to set out in same manner as 

 cabbage plants. Only take up as many plants as 

 can be set without wilting. The time for setting 

 will vary from the first of May to first of July, ac- 

 cording to latitude and season. The first set out 

 will be ready for cutting and curing sooner than 

 the last setting an important item in the labor of 

 cutting. 



CULTIVATING. -i-;^ 7 



After your field or plot is all planted the same 

 care in keeping down weeds and the ground loose 

 and in a friable condition will be required as for 

 other hoed crops. Tobacco starts to grow rather 

 slowly, but when it does get a good start it grows 

 very rapidly, needs considerable hoeing and may 

 be hilled up moderately. 



PRIMING AND TOPPING. 



Priming is to speak plainly, taking off the first 

 two to four leaves at the bottom or base of the 

 plant, and on no account must be neglected. Top- 

 ping is pinching out the top bud or stem of the 

 plant, and also is very important to be done at the 

 proper season. Generally we pinch out the top 

 bud when we can have from eight to twelve leaves, 

 after priming, say ten leaves, the remaining ten 

 leaves will now grow very fast, and will soon at- 

 tain full size. 



• SUCKERING. . V'..;^ 



This is a very troublesome part of the labor at 

 this season. Keeping down the suckers that will 



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