TOBACCO 535 



the main or central flower bud together with such a num- 

 ber of the upper leaves as will save, to mature on the 

 plant, only the number of leaves found best for each va- 

 riety of tobacco and for each class of soil. 



The object of topping is (1) to increase the size of the 

 remaining leaves, by concentrating in them more of the 

 elaborated plant -food ; (2) to make the leaves thicker and 

 of stronger quality; and (3) to make the crop mature as 

 uniformly as possible. The general rule is that the fewer 

 the leaves left, the larger, thicker, and stronger in quality 

 ■will they be. On the other hand, high topping results 

 in leaves of reduced size, but having the thinness that is 

 prized in cigar wrappers. 



The number of leaves left varies greatlj^ among the different 

 types. In hea^-j' tobacco, it is usualh' 8 to 10, in Burley at least 

 14, in Cuban at least 16 ; in shade-grown Sumatra 2.5 or more 

 leaves may be permitted to mature. With Sumatra tobacco, 

 grown under shade, topping is sometimes omitted if the land is 

 very rich, the aim in this case being to make the leaves thinner 

 than if the plants were topped. 



524. Suckering. — Soon after the plants are topped, 

 branches or suckers grow from the axils of the leaves. 

 These should be pinched or broken off before they have 

 received much of the plant's supply of nourishment. This 

 process of suckering, or remo\'ing of suckers, should be 

 done at such frequent intervals as to prevent their reach- 

 ing a length of much more than 2 inches. The object in 

 suckeririg is to prevent the diversion of plant-food and 

 gro-nd^h into these branches and to concentrate growth 

 in the best or middle leaves. 



525. Growing tobacco under shade. — It has been 



