October i, 1888.J THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
223 
time it attains a hemp-like smell. The oil has a specific 
gravity of 0923 at IS'O. (5W.); at B'C. (KM U F.) it 
congeals and assumes a couf-istoucy like a palm oil ; 
hoat.d to 150° to 200"0. (302" to 392 U F.) it becomes 
somewhat lighter in color. Sesame oil finds a very 
extensive application as table oil, illuminating oil, and 
espocially lor soap-making. It is used in a similar man- 
ner to Olive oil, and serves frequently for adulter- 
ating it. According to l'ohl, Sesame oil, mixed with 
sulphuric acid, turns quickly to a brownish-red color, 
while Olive oil attaius a greenish-yellow or brownish? 
yellow hue; according to others the presence of 
Si.samo oil in another oil is porceivable by a stronger 
foaming, which becomes visible when the oil is left 
to descend in a thin stream from a height of 1'2 to 
To metres (47 to 59 incites). What influence the 
state of the seed, the age of the seed, and the 
manner of pressing have on the properties of the oil, 
has not yet been ascertained. Soda soap made from 
Sesime oil always remains somewhat soft, and hence it 
is best applied for making soft soap, or added to 
fats making a hard soap. 
Ben oil — Is obtained from the seeds of the Galan- 
digsa morinqa, and is very well adapted for use in 
perfumery, it having the property of resisting ranci- 
dity better than almost all known Oils. For this 
reason it is used in oiliug clocks. The more solid 
parts are extracted by congoaliug the oil, and the 
limpid oil used for this purpose. For soaps this oil 
has no advantages over Sesame and some other oils, 
while it is usually much higher in price. 
HOW To "grow TOBACCO. 
In our May number we referred to the importance 
of pushing the cultivation of tobacco in Ceylon, and 
wc are now ablo to givo below an essay published 
in Tobacco culture, which contains thirteen other 
essays (selected by a committee out of eighty articles 
sout to compete for the prize) by experienced culti- 
vators resident in different parts of the United States, 
including the prize c?say, which originally appeared in the 
American Agriculturist. Four experienced growers attest- 
ed to the corectness of the process described iuth is essay- 
00841 HV MB. JOHN I'L'KSLKY, FRANKLIN COUNTY, MO. 
I have grown this plant for over ten years, aud have 
tried many different modes of cultivating it. There 
are more than twinty distinct varieties, of which I 
will only mention the most valuable. 
The Yellow Prior/BluelPrior, Orinoco, Littlo Frederic 
Big Frederic, Cuba, and Spanish tobacco. These are 
considered the most valuable in thiB State. The 
Yd ow Prior and Orinoco are the most profitable. 
1 prefer the Yellow I'rior, as it is the easist cultivated 
and ts the most tine and smooth of the many varieties. 
Some growers prefer the Orinoco, ou account of it being 
the heaviest. 1 do not for various reasons : it has large 
stiff fibres and milled stalks, which afford hiding-places 
for insects ; it molds easier, is harder to cure, and gener- 
ally docs uol bring as good a price as the Yellow Prior. 
Selecting Seed. — In gathering seed, the largest and 
ripest bolls should be selected and put away in a 
dry place. When procuring seed, at a seed-store, 
always be careful to got new seed. When it is new it 
is oi a dark brown; when old it is lighter in colour. 
'Ihe seed should be sown muj time, from the 1st of 
February till the 10th of March ; but I have known it 
to bo sown as late aa tbo 25th of March and do well. 
Tub Sunn-Han should be made ou n south hill-sid.', 
in now loamy ground, not too dry. Cut otf tho timber, 
and snpurnto the tranh from tho coarse wood : then 
rake off the leaves and brush, leaviug tbo ground per- 
fectly bare fo at to admit the heat of the firo. Then 
put the hru«h on four or live foet thick ; then put on a 
thlok layer of tho coarso wood, and then set firo to it. 
This should be done when the ground is in good work- 
lof order. After tho bod is burnt, the ashes should lie 
on till thn ground is coo| ; th«n tho brnuds should bo 
raked off, and tho ground dug up five or sis inohes doep ; 
i hi. is buit done with a grub-hoe; rako and pick all 
the roots out, making it loose and mellow. Lovol the 
surface of the bed, and it is ready to bo sown. Mix 
tho seed with dry ashes, so as to sow them regularly. 
Ouo table-spoonful of good seed will sow a bod 25 
feet square, and will raise enough plants to set five or 
six acres. Al ter sowing as regularly as possible, the 
bed should he rolled or tramped with the feet until it 
is solid and level ; then cover it up with brush till 
spring opens; then the brush should be removed to 
admit tho rays of the sun, which will soon bring the 
plants; keep the weeds and grass out of the be l till 
the plants aro large enough to transplant. They are 
handiest to transplant when their largest leal is three 
or four inches long. 
Soil and PLANTING. — Tobacco can bo raised on most 
qualities of soil ; but tho best is new first year's 
laud ; white oak, hiokory, hazel, or pawpaw laud is 
preferable. After plowing, the ground should be 
harrowed thoroughly, making it as mellow as possible. 
Checker it off with a shovel-plough, so as to form 
the hills about three feet apart; make up small 
flat mellow hills. This should be done by the time 
the plants are large enough to tran -plant. Trans- 
planting is usually done with a peg, sharp at one 
end, making a hole sufficiently large to admit the 
plant; press the oarth closely around the roots, in 
the same manner that cabbage is transplanted. 
We generally commence setting out tobacco about 
tho 1st of June aud continue till the 25th; if set 
out after this, it is not apt to get ripe before frost. 
CuLTtmK. — As soon as the tobacco is set out there 
is a great destroyer lays hold of the plant, and 
often cutting the stem off, thereby ruining it. It is 
a species of black grouud-worm, usually koowu as 
the cutworm. These must be looked after every 
morning, for they do their mischief iu tho night, 
consequently their sign is easier detected in the 
morning, aud they have not entered deep into the 
ground. When the plant makes a start to grow it 
soon gets out of tho reach of the cut-worm; then 
all the vacant hills should be replanted. 
As soon as the weeds aud grass start to grow, the 
hills should be scraped down with a hoe, not disturb- 
ing the roots of the plant. By the time the grass 
make's it appearauce the second time, the tobacco 
is i i-jjC enough to admit the plough. A narrow 
shovel-plough does the neatest work; run three 
furrows to the row, not close enongh to fracture tho 
tobacco, then work it over thoroughly with the hoe, 
putting a small mellow hill to each plant. 
Woems. — By this time you will observe the work 
of the green tobacco-worms. They must be looked 
after at least once a week. There are two different 
species of this worm — the reil-horned aud the blue- 
horned, each equally destructive. One of these 
worms will soon destroy a plant. Wheu it has finish- 
ed its work, it enters tho grouud to come up next 
spring, in the form of a tly. This fly lays her eggs 
ou the tobacco, which hatch out young worms. The 
egg is hardly as largo as a mustard-seed aud of a 
yellowish colour. Mauy of these flies may be caught 
about Jamestown weeds an 1 destroyed. They may 
bo seen of evenings sucking the Jamestown blooms. 
Keep all destroying insects off of the tobacco whilo 
it stands in tho field. The bud-worm was very des- 
tructive in the years ltiUO — 2 ; it work* in the bud of 
tho plaut, making great havock with tho youug leaves. 
When the tobacco is about a foot-and-a half high, 
it should got its last ploughing and hoeiug, and 
should have a large flat bill put around it. 
Priming and Topping. — When the bu la that con- 
tain the blooms make their app-arauce, it should be 
primed and topped. Priming is done by pulling off 
tho bottom leaves, so that those remaining will not 
roach the ground; then pluck o it the bil ls, leaving 
twelve or fourteen loaves ou a stalk. 
Wo generally go over the fiel 1 three or four times, 
topping and priming. First, topping tint which is 
large enough, aud letting the smaller remain till the 
next week, nod so on till it is time ttiat all should 
bo topped, to osoape the frost. W« generally finish 
topping by the 80u of August. 
if the transplanting is hdished by the J 3th ot 
June, which it should be, the tobacco will be arupl) 
