46 



THE CULTURE OF TOBACCO. 



daiigei- of injury to the plant by the use of the horse, the hoe and hand 

 labour can alone be used. No other plant will respond so readily to 

 culiivation, nor will the value of any plant be so easily affected by neg- 



lect as the toljacco plant. A rajjid growth from the time of planting 

 until the ripening ])eriod will give tbat fine even texture so desirable in 

 high class tobacco. When the jJant has commenced to ripen, culti- 

 vation should cease, for any further stiri'ing of the soil will tend to 

 induce an injui'ious sec. .nd growth. 



TorPiNu. 



The tobarx'o plant has a tendency to the production of seed, 

 and for the reason that the seed is foiiued at the expense of the leaf, 

 the blossom or tei-minal Imd must lie removed, and with the blossom 

 must be removed all the leaves in exce.ss of those that the plant can 

 properly develop and ripen. The time at which this operation of top- 

 ping should be peiformed depends on the use to which the cured tobacco 

 is to be ])ut, as well as to conditions of soil and climate and the 

 individual characteristics of the plant. Strong, vigorous plants are 

 topped high and given more leaves to develop than the less vigorous 

 plants. Expei't tobacco men do not count the number of leaves to be 

 left on a plant, Ijut thi'ough long pi'actice are alile to top the plant to 

 the right number of leaves for its capacity. The nundter of leaves 

 that a crop will average will depend largely on the season : one year 

 but ten leaves may lie left to a plant, and the following season an 

 average of sixteen leaves may be left and the product be of equal value 

 111. th seasons. The removal of the terminal bud ]irodui'es a great change 

 in the ])lant by increasing the surface, and thickening the leaf. Thi- 

 .iperation als.". causes an inci'case of the pi'..tciii c..m])..unds ami 

 nicotine in the leaf as ^\^^\ as hastening the pri..-css ..f ripening. If 



