THE CCLrURE OF TOBACCO. 45 



distributer there fdllow.s a man or lioy, ■wlio, with a round stick about 

 ten inches in length, makes a hole, and then inseits the plant intn the 

 hole, and, while holding it firmly with one hand, pi esses the earth 

 (irmly around the roots with the stick. The surface of the soil is their 

 rapidly smoothed over and left in as loose a condition as possible. 

 When the soil is dry or the weather unfavom-able, one person carries a 

 pail of water, and either goes just before the planter and pours a little 

 water into the hole or follows chjse after, and places the watei' in a 

 small hole made beside the plant. If this additional hole is made, it 

 must be covered up as soon as the water soaks in to prevent evapora- 

 tion. Even if the soil appear to be sufhciently moist the use oi water 

 in planting will give good results, for the reason that it settles the 

 earth firndy aiound the roots of the young )jlant, and thus permits it 

 to start growth at once. A man and a boy will plant aljout five 

 thousand plants a day, and one extra person can do the watering for 

 that number of plants, while a fourth person with a wagon can haul 

 the water for a large number of pjlanters. 



In some sections transplanting machines alone are used. These 

 machines set the plants at the desired distances and waters them at 

 the one opeiation. The machine will also, if desired, jjlace a small 

 quantity of fertilizer with each plant. Three persons are lequired to 

 handle such a machine, one to drive the two horses, and the others to 

 feed the machine with the plant-:. Five acies of ordinary toljacco may 

 be tlius planted in a day. 



In Cuba the plants are not set in holes, but a small furrow is 

 made with a shovel cultivator oi' a small plough. The plants are then 

 rapidly set by being placed in this furiow and a handful lA earth drawn 

 to each. The soil is then levelled up with a hoe. This proves to be a 

 speedy method. The furrows should not be made much ahead of the 

 planter and must lie filled up at once so as t(j avoid evapoi'ation. 



CULTIVATION. 



The soil is supposedly in fice condition and tilth when the 

 plants are set, and the aim of cultivation should be to keep it in that 

 condition. The tobacco plant is largely a surface feeder, and its roots 

 do not penetrate deeply in the soil. For this reason, shallow cultivation 

 only shc:)ul<i be used, so as not to cut off the roots and check the 

 growth of the plant. Cultivation is not merely for the purpose of 

 killing the grass and -n-eeds, but also for the admission of the aii 

 necessary to the roots of the plants, as well as to the nitrifying 

 bacteria. After wet weather, cultivation hastens the drying out of 

 the soil, and, in dry weather, cultivation \>y the creation of an earth 

 mulch prevents excessive evapoiation iif moisture. No set number of 

 times can be given for the cultivation of the field, but it should be 

 done whenever the soil begins to harden or crust over. The best 

 implement for the purpose is an adjustable hoise cultivator, or horse 

 hoe, as it is sometimes called. 'I'his implement is easy to handle and 

 can be adjusted so as to throw the earth to, or away from the plant as 

 it may be desired. When the plants ai-e small, a wheeled riding culti- 

 vator mav be used that will cultivate both sides of the row at the same 

 time ; two horses are required for this implement. As the plant grows 

 larger the earth near the plant should be stirred with a hoe, and later 

 when the leaves of the plant have liecome so large that there is 



