TOBACCO. 



609 



gether with the tobacco would injure it materially, as the grass cannot be re- 

 moved without disturbing the tobacco plants. In preparing the ground for the 

 nurseries, break it up properly, grub up all the small stumps, dig out the roots, 

 and caref.ill}" remove them with the hand. This being done, make the beds 

 from three to four inches high, of a reasonable length, and from three to three 

 and a-half feet broad, so as to enable the hand, at arm's length, to weed out 

 the tender young plants with the fingers from both sides of the bed, and keep 

 them perfectly clean. 



The months of December and January are the most proper for sowing the 

 seed in Florida. Some persons speak of planting it as early as the month of 

 November, I am, howevt-r, of opinion, that about the latter part of December 

 is the best time to sow tobacco seed ; any sooner would expose the plants to 

 suffer from the inclemency of the most severe part of the winter season. 

 Before the seed is sown take some dry trash and burn it off upon the nursery 

 beds, to destroy insects and grass seeds ; then take one ounce of tobacco seed 

 and mix it with about a quart of dry ashes, so as to separate the seed as much 

 as possible, and sow it broadcast. After the seed has been thus sown, the sur- 

 face of the bed ought to be raked over slightly, and trodden upon by the^foot, 

 carrying the weight of tbe body with it, that the ground may at once adhere 

 closely to the seed, and then water it. Should the nursery-beds apparently 

 become dry from blighting winds or other causes, watering will be absolutely 

 necessary, for the ground ought to be kept in a moist state from the time the 

 seed is planted until the young plants are large enough to be set out. 



The nurseries being made, proceed to prepare the land where the tobacco ia 

 to be set out. If the land is newly cleared — and new land is probably more 

 favorable to the production of this plant than it is to that of any other, both 

 as respects quality and quantity — remove as many of the stumps and roots as 

 possible, and dig up the ground in such a manner as to render the surface per- 

 fectly loose ; then level the ground, and in this state leave it until the nursery 

 plants have acquired about one-half the growth necessary to admit of their 

 being set out ; then break up the ground a second time in the same manner as 

 at first, as in this way all the small fibres of roots and their rooted parts will 

 be more or less separated," and thus obviate much of that degree of sponginess 

 so common to new land, and which is in a great measure the cause of new 

 land seldom producing well the first year, as the soil does not lay close enough 

 to the roots of the plants growing in it, so that a shower of rain produces 

 no other effect than that of removing the earth still more from them. 



The ground having been prepared and properly levelled off, and the plants 

 sufficiently grown to be taken up — say of the size of good cabbage plants — 

 take advantage of the first wet or cloudy weather to commence setting them 

 out. This should be done with great care, and the plants put single at equal 

 distances, that is, about three feet north and south, and tv\-o and a-half, or two 

 and three-fourths feet east and west. They are pla'-'ed thus close to each other 

 to prevent the leaves growing too large. The direction of the rows, however, 

 should alter accor>iing to the situation of the land ; where it has any inclina- 

 tion, the widest space should run across it, as the bed will have to be made so 

 as to prevent the soil from being washed from the roots by rain when bedded ; 

 but where the land is rather level, the three feet rows should be north and 

 south, so as to give to the plants a more full effect on them by passing across 

 the beds, than by crossing them in an oblique direction. To sot the p'ants out 

 regularly, take a task line of 105 feet in length, vrith apointed stick three feet 

 1( ng attached to each end of it, then insert a small piece of raz or something 

 else through the lino at the distance of two feet and three-f airth-i from each 

 other ; place it north and south (or as the land may require), at full length, 

 and then set a plant at every division, carefully keeping the bud of the plant 

 above the surface of the ground. Then remove the line three feet from the 

 first row, and so on, until the planting is completed. Care ought to be taken 

 to prevent the stretching of the line ft-om misplacing the plants. In this way the 

 plants can be easily set out, and a proper direction given to thorn both ways. In 

 taking the plants up from the nursery, the ground should be first loosened with a 

 flat piece of wood or iron, about an inch broad ; then carefully holding the leaves 



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