146 
THE SOUTHERN CULTIVATOR. 
this a second row is laid, so that the butts are 
placed about eiffht inches or a tool in advance 
ol those ol the first row. Upon the second row 
a third is placed in like manner, and so on. By 
this arrangement the lower part of the stalk is 
preserved from the cold, by the tops; except in 
two or three layers across that portion of the 
mattress last formed, where the protection is af- 
forded by tour or five inches of earth, 
A great part of the planting may be done 
with about three feet of the rejected cane tops, 
to which a greater portion of the green leaves 
are attached at the time of gathering the crop. 
These, when not reserved for planting, should 
be lelton the field tor the protection ol the stub- 
bles; but when cut for planting, it is better to 
cm them one or tw'o joints longer than usual, 
and to form them into v inrows across the field. 
In this case, from two to four rows should be 
thrown into one, and arranged as respects the 
over-lapping, like the mattresses above descri- 
bed. The fields from which these tops are ob 
tained, are often those that were planted the 
previous year, and in which the cane is high, 
and somewhat prostrated at the beginning ol 
the grinding season. Hence it is necessary to 
cat this earlier to prevent it from rooting at the 
lower joints. When the force of the plantation 
will permit, the land should be planted as fast 
as the seed-cane is cut. Canes planted at this 
season should be in the driest fields, and cover- 
ed to the depth of three or four inches, in order 
that they may take an earlier start next spring, 
than if they remain in the mattresses during the 
winter. The remainder, and by far the greatest 
part of the planting, may be deferred until the 
grinding season is over, which varies from the 
^th of December to the middle of January; 
and often it is not completed before the first of 
March. The covering given to the canes is 
more and more shallow as the season advances, 
until the close ol February, when it rarely ex- 
ceeds two inches. 
In preparing the ground for planting cane, it 
should be first thoroughly ditched or drained, 
and then plowed and harrowed; after which, it 
should be drilled, at distances varying from 33 
inches to six feet apart, according to the new- 
aess and strength of the soil. Into ihese drills 
orfu.rrows there should belaid, three or four 
inches apart, two parallel rows of cane tops, 
Irora two and a half to lour feet in length, and 
covered with earth at a depth corresponding to 
the season of the year in which the planting is 
d«ae. 
Housing and Curii.g Tobacco. 
From the Louisville Journal. 
Having bad trequent applications for in- 
formation as to the mode of housing and curing 
the celebrated Mason county cigar leal tobacco, 
1 have thought that 1 could best fulfil the wishes 
of ray friends by giving the information desired 
through the medium ofthe Louisville Journal 
and Dollar Farm^. 
The tobacco planters of Mason county in- 
variably cure their tobacco without the applica- 
tion of artificial heat, except occasionally during 
damp and rainy weather; it is, t' erefore, of 
great importance to construct their houses so as 
to afford a free circulation of the air when bung 
up. But as it is very injurious to tobacco to be 
exposed to dews and driving rains, while curing, 
it is necessary that tobacco houses should be 
tight enongh to guard against any injury from 
this source. The great desideratum, then, is, 
so to construct tobacco houses as to protect the 
tobacco from the effects of rains and dews; and 
at the same time afford a free circulation of air 
through every part of the tobacco house. 
To accomplish both these objects, and at the 
same time afford the greatest facilities and sav- 
ing of labor in hanging tobacco, I recommend 
the following plan for a tobacco house, sixty by 
forty-five feet. The same plan will suit fora 
house of greater or less length than sixty feet, 
though in general, it would be better to increase 
the number, rather than the size of tobacco- 
houses, as they eould thus be placed in situa- 
( (ions more con venient to the ground in which 
it is intended to cultivate tobacco. 
Plan of a Tobacco House QO by 45 feci, 
Le( a piece ot ground be selected, as conve- 
nient as may be to the place where tobacco is 
intended to be cultivated, at least sixty teetlong, 
without any inclination either way, or as little 
as pos.sible; and forty-five teet in the other di- 
rection, with barely sufficient fall onthesurface 
each way, to carry off the water dripping from 
the root on each side. Along the lengihway of 
this ridge, let two rows ot posts be set, parallel 
to each other, and twenty-one feel apart. The 
posts may be set in rows ten or twelve tee4 dis- 
tant from each other If the former dis ance be 
preferred, seven, it the latter, six posts will be 
required in each row These posts should be 
eighteen teet long, measuring from the surlace 
ot the ground (it the grounii is not perlecily 
level, the length cf the posts must be so arranged 
as to bring all their tops to a horizontal level,) 
and tenanted on the top. Plates must be lun 
Irom end to end on the top ot these posts, 
(splicing the plates to make them longenoush) 
The posts on the other side must be connected 
together by cross-ties, (strong enough to hang 
tobacco on ) The upper lies to be morticed in 
the plates, and secured by stout locust or oak 
pins. Another set of ties should be insei ted so 
as to leave a space ol four feet tour inches, mea 
suring trom top to top. A third set of ties still 
four teet lour inches lower. Each of ttiese, like 
the lies morticed in the plates, should be firmly 
secured to the side posts by mortices and stout 
pins. 'I'hese last ties will be about nine feet 
from the ground, and sufficiently high tor a 
wagon and team to drive under them with con- 
venience. Afourihseiot ties should be inserted 
about five teet trom the ground, one end let into 
the post by a mortice ot the usual kind, and the 
other by a side mortice. These ties should not 
be pinned, but left nnlastened, so that they may 
easily be taken out and laid aside when housing 
tobacco, so as to admit a wagon and team to pass 
through the house trom end to end The two 
ends of the building should be so framed as to 
admit ot a douDle doorateach end, wide enough 
tor a wagon and team to pass entirely through. 
These doors must open outwardly, and in clear 
weathershould be kept open, when tobacco is 
hanging in the house, so as to admit a free circu- 
lation of air. The rafters should be set on the 
plates, lour feet from centre to centre, and by 
making them pretty taut will admit ot two 
cross ties each, tor hanging tobacco on; and 
thus the root will hold as much tobacco as one 
tier in the body ot the house. To afford an 
abundance of air to the tobacco in the roof, 
there should be adoor in each gable end, which 
should be kept open all dry days till the tobacco 
is perfectly cured. On the cross ties, connect- 
ing the two sides of the house, rails or sawed 
scantling should be laid, so as to admit four 
ranges of tobacco sticks, four feet two inches 
long. When tobacco is first hung, ttiese sticks 
should be one foot apart from centre to centre. 
When the tobacco completely wilts, which it 
will do in a day or two alter it is hung up, there 
will be open spaces left betwef'n the different 
ranges of sticks, and thus the air may freely 
circulate trom end to end, partly through the 
folding doors, and partly through those in the 
gable ends. Allowing the sticks to be one foot 
apart, and admitting the roof to hold one-fourtn 
as much as the body of the house, the contents 
ot the whole will beone thousand five hundred 
sticks, or twelve thousand plants, supposing 
each slick to hold eight. 
The above is a description of the main build- 
ing, twenty-one by sixty test. On each side 
of the main building should be a range ol posts 
corresponding with those in the main building, 
and twelve feet therefrom. These should be 
tenanted and have plates thereon, the tops of 
which should be about twelve and a half feet 
from the ground. These plates should be con- 
nected with the plates of the main building by 
rafters spiked on each plate, and also by three 
tiers ot cross-ties, the first ranging with the top 
of the side plates, and connecting wiih the posts 
ot the mam building; and the other two trom 
posts, each set tour feet apart, measuring from 
lopto top. J he whole should be firmly con- 
nected by tenants and stout pins. These three 
ranges of cross-ties will admit of hanging three 
tiers ot tobacco on each side ot I'ne main build- 
ing, and will hold one thousand and eighty 
sticks, and eight thousand six hundred and 
tony plants. It will be seen from the forego- 
ing calculations, that the house will easily hold 
at the first hanging, twenty thousand six hun- 
dred and forty plants. As the tobacco when 
partially cured may be closed up, so as to 
leave the sticks about eight inches from centre 
to centre, the house, by re hanging, will hold 
one-third more than the above number ol plants, 
say about twenty-seven thousand five hundred. 
The house should be enclosed with plank, 
erect, and placed side by side, without lapping; 
pine plank, and that not seasoned, will answer 
best. This mode ot covering the sides and end 
ot the house will sufficiently secure the tobacco 
from the weather, and by the shrinking of the 
plank will admit someair through the cracks. 
In planking up the sides it will be necessary to 
hew the outsides ol the posts, and ship-lap 
pieces ot scantling for nailing the planks to. — 
The top pieces thus ship-lappeci, should be in- 
serted about twenty inches below the side plates, 
and the plankson the twosidesshould extend no 
higher than to cover the pieces to which they are 
nailed. Thus there will be the space of twenty 
inches under each ol the eaves, lor the admis- 
sion ot air. To prevent rain from driving in 
at these apertures, broad plank should be ells'* 
pended to the plates by hinges, so as to raise 
and let them down according to circu "stances. 
Thus, on each side, as well as at the two gable 
ends, air may be freely admiiied. 
The outsi(ie posts all around should be of 
locust or cedar, and firmly set in the ground. 
The inside ones may be set on broad rocks hav- 
ing a firm foundation. For these, shorter posts, 
therefore, will answer. 
I have been assured that a house thus built, 
if well braced at the corners, will stand perfectly 
secure, without setting any ot the posts in the 
ground. As, however, posts set on ror-ks, lying 
on the surface would be liable to settle more at 
one place than another, I would prefer having 
all the outside posts planted about three teet 
iu the ground. If locust or cedar posts are not 
to be had, I would recommend white oak posts 
well charred at the ends, as tar as they are to 
be inserted in the ground. 
Having completed the description ot the 
house, 1 will adtl a lew words as to the most 
economical plan of housing tobacce. 
It should be placed on sticks in the field 
where it grew and hauled to the tobacco house 
by hanging it across a long frame, say twenty- 
five teet, fitted up as a wagon be(i. and placed 
on wheels coupled at a suitable distance. The 
frame should be about three and a half teet 
high, and the same width On this frame the 
sticks may be crowded as close as can be done 
without bruising the tobacco,. The wagon 
thus loaded, should be driven through the 
centre of the house ; and the sticks having each 
the propernumber of plants, should be trans- 
ferred to the pi. ces to be occupied by them. — 
When the two c.heds and the main building are 
all filled except the two lower tiers ol the latter, 
then the tier next above the ground tier should 
be fil ed on each side, with one range of sticks, 
leaving the middle still open lor the wagon to 
passthrough. When thisiscomideted.so much 
tobacco should be hauled and unloaded as will 
be sufficientlo fill up the second tier, and the 
whole of the ground tier. The second tier 
should now be completed, and the cro-s-ties of 
the lower tier should be replaced and filled with 
tobacco. A house thus constructed and filled 
with tobacco as herein directed, will not require 
the application ot artificial heat, anii, therefore, 
nothing need be said on that subject. 
A. Beatty. 
Wealth is desirable only when honestly ac 
quired and blessed by contentment. 
