298 CULTURE, MANUFACTURE, ETC., OF TOBACCO. 



of the herb, the result ensuring large well-grown 

 leaves ; upon the same principle adopted by the 

 growers of fine wines, who are usually careful to 

 restrain the fruit to a few bunches, and the vine to a 

 small plant. The next operation performed on the 

 tobacco-plant is equally important, and is done in a 

 few weeks after the preceding one. It is termed 

 " suckering ; " and consists of removing the suckers 

 or shoots which now make their appearance at the junc- 

 tion of the leaves and about the roots of the plants, 

 the result of that vigorous growth retarded by the top- 

 ping process, and which if allowed to continue, would 

 injure the proper development of the tobacco-leaves, 

 the great end the planter has in view ; he therefore 

 removes all these off- shoots with the thumb-nail as in 

 the previous process. The older planters of Virginia 

 were so particular in attending to all these duties, and 

 so anxious that the character widely established of 

 the quality of their tobacco should be preserved, that 

 they were enforced by law ; and as it was sometimes 

 the custom with planters to reset the suckers, and thus 

 grow a double crop on one field, such conduct was 

 disallowed ; for the reason that the crop was inferior, 

 and the more honest grower, who conscientiously 

 cleared his plants, and gave them abundance of room 

 to grow, was dishonestly competed with ; and the first- 

 rate character of the Virginian crop prejudiced by the 

 action. The constables were therefore strictly en- 

 joined ex officio, to make diligent search for such 

 crops, and to employ the posse commitatus in destroy- 



