13(53.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
Americans so far as heard from to August 5tli: 
LIST OF AMERICAN PRIZES. 
George Campbell, Vermont, fifty thalers for largest 
quantity of wool.—1st prize. 
George Campbell, Vermont, fifty thalers for largest 
staple.—1st prize. 
George Campbell, Vermont, twenty five thalers for 
combination of quantity and quality.—2nd prize. 
Cyrus B. McCormick, Illinois, gold medal for the in¬ 
troduction and perfection of practical mowing machines. 
Seymour, Morgan & Co., New-York, large Silver Med¬ 
al -for first-class Reaping and Mow'ing Machine. 
Thornton & Avery, Pa., Silver Medal—Horse-Power. 
James A. Saxton, Ohio, large bronze Medal—for im¬ 
proved Harrow and Cultivator. 
Whittemore, Belcher & Co., Mass,, large bronze Medal 
—assortment of Agricultural Implements and Machinery. 
L. P. Rose, Michigan, large bronze Medal—for elegant¬ 
ly finished implements. 
E. C. Tainter, Massachusetts, large bronze Medal— 
for planing and tenoning Machine. 
George Campbell, Vermont, large bronze Medal—for 
Willard’s patent Root Cutter. 
John Vanderbilt, New-York, large bronze Medal—for 
Agricultural Implements and Machinery. * 
J. VV. Free, Ind., large bronze Medal—Fanning Mill. 
Hall & Spear, Penn., bronze Medal—splendid Plough. 
S. P. Hubbel, N. Y., large bronze Medal—Seed Sower. 
-* . --- 
Cultivation of Tobacco. 
The Essays on this subject which were re¬ 
ceived at the Agriculturist Office in response to 
onr offer for premiums, and which have been 
published in pamphlet form, undoubtedly form 
the most valuable practical work upon the sub¬ 
ject ever issued. Each of the different writers 
contributes some items from his own experience. 
The book costs onty 25 cents, post-paid, and 
should be in the hands of every grower of to¬ 
bacco. As a partial help to those not having 
the complete work, we.give here some season¬ 
able extracts from the essay of Mr. Oliver T. 
Bishop, Hartford County, Connecticut. 
Topping —Cultivators do not agree as to the time and 
where to top the plants. Some favor the plan of top¬ 
ping as soon as the blossom-buds appear, others prefer to 
wait until in blossoms. I think there is no harm in letting 
the earliest plants bloom bpfore being topped, but after 
once beginning, they should be broken off as soon as the 
buds begin to look yellow, and the latest plants as soon 
as the buds appear. A beginner will be apt to top 
the plants too high. The object is to ripen and develop 
as many leaves as the plant can support; if topped too 
high, the lop leaves are small, and when cured are near¬ 
ly worthless, and the other leaves are not as large or 
heavy ; whereas, if topped too low, then you lose one, 
two, or three leaves, which ihe plant mightliave support¬ 
ed. As a general rule, a plant just in blossom should be 
topped down to where the Leaves are full seven inches wide, 
leaving on the stalk from fifteen to eighteen leaves. This 
will leave the stalks about two and a half feet high in 
good tobacco. Later in the season, top the plants sooner 
and lower. Let as many of the earliest plants as will be 
wanted remain for seed. One plant will furnish seed 
enough to put out five acres, at least. These should be 
wormed and snekered like the rest, only leaving the 
suckers above where you would ordinarily break it off, 
were you to top it. The plant should now be looked 
over every other day. to break off the suckers and catch 
the worms. Tills should be done as soon as the dew is off 
in the morning, and towards night, as the worms are 
ealing then, ami can be found more readily, while in the 
heat of the day they remain hid. Great care should be 
taken not to break off the leaves while going through ; 
if broken they are mostly wasted before the crop is ripe. 
Suckering. —As soon as the top is broken off, the sap is 
thrown into the leaves, causing them to expand rapidly. 
In the mean time suckers will start out just above where 
each leaf joins the stalk ; these must be broken off, or the 
growth of the leaf will be checked, as the sap will be 
thrown into these young sprouts. Those nearest the top 
will start soonest, and will require breaking off twice be¬ 
fore the plant is ripe ; those at the bottom must all be 
broken off. This is the hardest and slowest work of all. 
Not only will these suckers check the growth of the 
plants, but if allowed to grow, will soon break or pry off 
the leaves, or cause them to grow out at right angles from 
the stalk, rendering them more liable to be broken off. 
It is a good plan to have a piece of corn on the north side 
of a piece of tobacco, or, at least, two or three rows, to 
shield the growing plants from winds. 
Cutting and Hanging. —The plants grow rapidly and 
require less than three months from the time of setting, 
before tiiey are ready to cut. Any one used to the culti¬ 
vation of the crop knows when it is ripe ; the veins of the 
leaves are swollen, the leaves begin to look spotted, and 
feel thick and gummy. The ends of the leaves will crack 
on being doubled up. After it is ripe, the sooner it is cut 
the better, as it is liable to injury by frost or hail, and will 
not increase in weight as fast as the worms eat it, and the 
leaves get broken in catching worms. The plants will 
generally ripen from the first to the fifteenth of Septem¬ 
ber ; they should not be cut immediately after a heavy 
rain unless in danger of frost, as a portion of the gum 
washes out, but should be allowed to stand two or three 
days. The cutting should not begin until the dew is off; 
a cloudy day is best, for when the sun shines hot, they 
will not have time to wilt sufficiently before they will 
sunburn, which may be known by the leaves turning 
white and looking puckered. Commence on one side of 
the piece, laying the plants all one way, in order to 
facilitate loading. Most of the plants may be broken 
off easily, by gently bending them over one way and 
another. Small plants, which will not break, may be 
sawed off with an old saw- or cut with a hatchet. If the 
sun shines too hot, the plants should be turned over care¬ 
fully to prevent burning. After lying an hour or two, to 
wilt sufficiently, so as not to break by handling, they may 
be carted to the barn or shed. Ample room for curing 
should be provided, and if any one expects to raise tobac¬ 
co for any length of time, it is best to have a building 
erected expressly for it. 
Buildings. —In the first place one wants to know about 
how much room he will need, and then build accord¬ 
ingly. To hang an acre of good tobacco requires a 
building about thirty by tvvenly-four feet, with fifleen-feet 
posts. Two girths should be framed into the posts on all 
sides of the building; one five feet above the sill, and the 
other ten feet above, to rest the poles on, also to nail ihe 
covering boards to. This gives a space of five feet for 
each tier of plants. Have a beam run across the center 
of the building, with a post in the middle with girths to 
correspond with those on the side, extending lengthwise 
through tlie middle of the building for the poles or rails, 
each twelve feet in length, to be laid upon ; or if sticks 
are to be used (as hereafter described) lay rails or poles 
once in four feet for the sticks to rest upon. Place a ven¬ 
tilator upon the center of the roof, and have one board in 
every four feet hung on hinges, to be opened or closed at 
pleasure. If made with a floor and a cellar underneath, 
to let down the tobacco into when ready to strip, all the 
belter.—We will now return to the crop, and commence 
hanging it. A common way of doing it is by lying with 
common twine. Tie the end of the string tightly around 
the but of one plant, and by placing it against the side of 
the pole nearest you, put another plant on the opposite 
side and carry the string over and around it, placing the 
plants alternately on each side of the pole until filled , 
then fasten the string, place Ihe pole in the right place, 
(it should be nearly right before it is filled,) and com¬ 
mence on the next one in like manner, having some one 
to hand the plants as wanted. As to how thick to hang, 
it depends upon the size of the plants, but in good-sized 
tobacco about nine inches on each side is close enough ; 
that will be from thirty to thirty-two on each pole of 
twelve feet ; place lire poles from fifteen to eighteen 
inches apart. Another method of hanging, much prac¬ 
ticed and approved by many, is to hang on slats or sticks 
sawed out four feet long,one and a quarter inches wide and 
five eighths of an inch thick. Chestnut timber is gener¬ 
ally used here. The common la:h answers very well. 
An iron needle made something like a chisel is used 
to slip on to one end of the sticks, which are sharp¬ 
ened a little at one end to receive it. It is made about 
eight inches long, wedge-shaped at the small end, and a 
socket one half by one inch to slip on to the slicks. When 
ready for use. have a place fixed near where you unload, 
to hold one of these sticks out at right angles from a post, 
and about four feet from the ground. Let the plants be 
handed you from the load and slip them on the stick, pierc¬ 
ing the stalk about six inches from the but; put six or seven 
plants of medium size on each stick—more if smaller. As 
each stick is filled, it may be carried to its place in the 
barn. In getting them to the top of the barn they may be 
handed up with a pitchfork, lifting them by the middle of 
the sticks. These sticks should be about eight inches 
apart. I think a greater amount can be put into a given 
space by this method without danger of sweating, as it is 
more evenly distributed. The loose leaves that have 
been broken off while handling, may be cured by placing 
four or five together and securing to a small pole, in the 
same way as plants are bung with twine. 
Savins Seed. —Strip the leaves off from the seed-stalks, 
and tie up the stalks to a stake driven into Hie ground by 
GG7 
them, else they may be blown over. The seed should be 
gathered before hard frosls destroy its vitality ; when 
fully ripe the pods or seed-vessels may be picked off and 
dried, then crush or roll them between tiie hands umii 
the seeds are all out; the seeds may then be separated 
from the chaff by passing it through a fine sieve. 
Curing. —After the crop is all housed, the building 
should be well ventilated by opening doors, and the boards 
on hinges, to secure a free circulation of air throughout 
the building. On rainy, damp, or very windy days, the 
building should be shut up as tightly as possible, and 
opened again on return of fair weather. After hanging 
several weeks, until the leaves are mostly dried, Ihe build¬ 
ing should be closed to prevent the dry leaves from being 
broken by the winds. It usually requires about twelve 
weeks to cure the plants thoroughly, that is, so that there 
is no more juice in the leaves or leaf-slems; it matters 
not if Ihe main stalk is not dry, you need not expect it, 
and there will be green leaves that will not cure but freeze 
while green, and are worthless. It will then be ready for 
Stripping. —This must be done only after a damp, 
rainy spell has softened the leaves, so that they may be 
handled without breaking ; it may then be taken from the 
poles and stripped as fast as taken down, or it may be 
carried into a cellar and be piled in heaps to be stripped 
at leisure ; care must be taken, however, not to let it re¬ 
main too long in this condition, as Ihe green stalks would 
soon heat and injure it. To strip a plant, hold it in the 
left hand by the but, and with the other pull off ail the 
bottom leaves and drop them on the ground in a pile for 
“ fillers,” or the poorest quality ; next, take off three or 
four more, or until you come to the best leaves, these put 
in another heap for ihe “seconds now strip off Ihe re¬ 
mainder for wrappers, except such as are badly worm- 
eaten or otherwise injured—such go into a poorerquality ; 
throw the stalk away and put the handful of wrappers 
under the left arm to hold while stripping another plant 
in like manner, put the two handfuls of wrappers togeth¬ 
er, taking pains to keep the buls even, and bind them by 
firmly winding a leaf aiound them at the but. commenc- 
ingwithin a half or three quarters of an inch from Hie 
end, and winding down smoothly about two inches, part 
the “hand” and put the end of the band between the parts, 
then close it again, thus securing Hie end and holding it 
tight. If the plants are very large, the leaves from each 
may be tied up separately instead of puttingtwo together. 
Hands that will weigh half a pound are about large 
enough. The seconds and fillers are afterward pieked 
up and tied in the same manner. Much of the value of 
tobacco in market depends upon the manner in which it 
is assorted and done up, as a few poor leaves in a hand 
would make a difference of several cents per pound in the 
price. None but good sound leaves, free from l ust, pole- 
sweat, frost, or large holes should go into the best quality. 
Small plants rarely contain any first quality, but should 
go into the seconds and fillers. A little practice w ill ena¬ 
ble any one to sort it properly, belter than any rules that 
can be laid down on paper. There is much difference in 
the color and fineness of the leaf, a darkish red or cinna¬ 
mon color is preferred to that of a darker shade; the 
veins should be smail and far apart, and dark as the leaf, 
as “ while stems” are objectionable by reason of Hieir 
growing lighter still wdien going through the sweat after 
it is cased. After it is stripped, it should be packed down 
in a cool dry place. Lay some boards flat on Hie ground 
about four feet wide, and as long as you wish the pile to 
be, and commence by laying a row on one side of the 
platform wiih Hie buts out, then on the other side in the 
same way, letting the tips lap about six inches, or just 
enough to keep the pile level: proceed in this way, laying 
on each side alternately until all is packed. Lay the hands 
as close to each other as possible, not sprawled out like 
an open fan, but compactly. Lay some boards on top of 
the pile, and put on just weight enough lo keep Ihein snug. 
Some boards or blankets should be put at the ends of the 
pile to keep it from drying up. The seconds and fillers 
are packed in the same way; they may be packed in a 
separate pile or on top, or at the ends of the w rappers. 
It is now ready for market. If it should remain long 
in pile it should be examined occasionally to see that It 
does not hurt, as it sometimes happens that when taken 
down, stripped and packed when it is loo damp, it will 
grow' damper aaid perhaps rot. If loo damp, it should be 
repacked on some windy day to give it an airing, shaking 
out the dampest hands and letting them remain exposed 
until sufficiently dry to be repacked, The stalks, afler 
being stripped, should either be spread on grass land and 
remain until Spring, when they may be raked up and 
carted on to the land designed for the next crop of tobac¬ 
co, and burnt, or let them remain in the barn until Spring, 
when they may be cut up fine and dropped into potato or 
corn-hills, using a good-sized handful to each hill. 
I have raised the past season on a little more than three 
fourths of an acre, 1,427 pounds wrappers, worth at the 
present time 25 cents per .: 221 pounds seconds, worth 
12 cents ; and 148 pounds filers, worth 10 cents ; amount¬ 
ing to 1,794 pounds, worth $397.87. 
