THE CULTURE OF FLUE-CURED TOBACCO. OFT: 
Belt section, generally will be decidedly better in quality, particu- 
larly in respect to color, than the later cuttings. In the New Belt 
and the eastern part of the Old Belt the harvest season, running 
through July and August, naturally comes in warm weather, and 
this is a distinct advantage, but even there the earlier curings are 
hkely to be best in quality. Fairly early planting is to be preferred, 
therefore, even in that section, and the plants live better if trans- 
planted before the weather becomes too hot and dry. But in the 
western part of the Old Belt the grower should make a strenuous 
effort to have an early crop by planting early and by choosing land 
on which the plants will grow quickly. 
Fie. 38.—A bed of tobacco plants, with the cloth cover removed, ready for trans- 
planting. 
PREPARATION OF THE SOIL FOR TRANSPLANTING. 
As already indicated, the best system of tobacco farming, particu- 
larly in the Old Belt, will provide for the fall or winter plowing of 
the tobacco land. The winter freezing will mellow the soil and the 
winter and spring rains will be better held for the use of the growing 
erop during the summer. Little faith should be placed in the oft-— 
heard assertion that shallow plowing (3 or 4 inches) is best for 
tobacco, although in the Old Belt it probably would be unwise to 
turn up any considerable quantity of a stiff clay, but unless a fie!d 
can be plowed as much as 6 inches deep without so doing, it 1s prob- 
ably not well suited to bright tobacco. 
If the field has been fall or winter plowed no further preparation 
will be necessary in the spring until it is time to fit the land for 
transplanting. The disk harrow is the best implement for working 
the soil into a good tilth, if followed by a drag harrow just before 
laying off the rows. 
