﻿THE CULTURE OF FLUE-CURED TOBACCO. 15 



manure to he found desirable and advantageous. The way in which 

 the manure is used is also an important factor in determining its 

 effect on the quality of the crop. If well rotted and applied some 

 months before the tobacco is planted, it can generally be used in mod- 

 erate quantities with decided benefit, except, as already indicated, on 

 lands already abnormally rich in ammonia. Where possible, it 

 should be applied the fall before planting the tobacco, and certainly 

 not later than the first of March. When used at the rate of 2 or 3 

 tons to the acre.it can be applied in the row. When used in larger 

 quantities (5 or G tons per acre is about as heavy as it is generally 

 advisable to use manure for bright tobacco as a direct application), 

 it should be broadcasted over the land and either harrowed or plow T ed 

 in. Only fine, well-rotted manure should be used in the row, and 

 it should be applied as much as two months before planting if pos- 

 sible. In using manure in this way the rows may be laid off in 

 February or early in March and the manure put out and covered with 

 the turning plow 7 . Just before planting time these row T s may be 

 reopened with a single-shovel plow, the additional fertilizer applied, 

 and the land rebedded in preparation for setting the tobacco. 



Where tobacco succeeds herd's-grass in the rotation, an excellent 

 method is to apply the manure to the grass during the winter before 

 the last season the field is to stand in grass. This would greatly help 

 the hay crop and give the manure time to become thoroughly decom- 

 posed and incorporated with the soil. 



THE USE OF LIME ON FLUE-CURED TOBACCO SOILS. 



Most flue-cured tobacco soils contain sufficient lime to fill direct 

 plant-food requirements, but not enough generally to keep them from 

 becoming rather acid. Their general crop-producing power through 

 enhanced bacterial efficiency w T ould usually be improved if they 

 were occasionally limed. The grass especially would yield much 

 better if lime were occasionally used. The direct effect of lime on the 

 tobacco, however, may be somewdiat injurious to the quality. By 

 hastening the decay of the vegetable matter in the soil it increases 

 the ammonia supply, and on soils already tending to be overrich the 

 lime will tend still further to make the tobacco dark and coarse, the 

 same as if an increased supply of ammonia were rendered available 

 in any other way. 



On some very poor soils, however, lime might result in both a 

 larger yield and better quality because of the increased food supply 

 rendered available. 



It is somew T hat a matter of controversy, also, whether lime does 

 not tend to injure the burning quality of tobacco. When lime is 

 used in the tobacco rotation it seems wisest, therefore, to use it imme- 

 diately after the tobacco comes off and before the wheat or oats are 



