(jffidd Cfro^s. 
TOBACCO CULTURE IN CONNECTICUT. 
One of the sessions of the Connecticut 
Board of Agriculture, held at Davldaonville 
recently, was devoted to a consideration of 
the best modes of raising tobacco. The 
principal speakers were T)r. Rmos of Hart¬ 
ford, and M. Allen of Windsor, although 
many other skillful cultivators participated 
in the discussion. We summarise t heir sev¬ 
eral statements as follows: 
The Soils best suited for the growth of 
tobacco are light, fertile, sandy loams. The 
next best quality is upland, alluvious, that 
is, alluvial deposits that are not overflowed 
in the time of fresheta. Stiff clays are the 
most objectionable of all; it Is Impossible to 
produce a fine leaf suitable for covers from 
such a soil. 
Preparation. — The laud for tobacco 
shoidd bo plowed deeply in the fall and 
sowed with rye, which should be manured 
with 200 pounds of Peruvian guano. The 
first thing to be done in the ensuing spring 
is to plant a seed bed. This is a tropical 
plant, and requires all the warm weather 
which can be afforded to it by the climate 
of Connecticut. The preparation of the 
seed bed should, therefore, be made as soon 
as the ground is fit to plow. It is much bet¬ 
ter to plow it the preceding fall, and ma¬ 
nure it heavily; select manure n> free from 
the seeds of weeds as possible, as nothing is 
so injurious to scud beds. It should be 
again manured In the spring with fish guano, 
Peruvian guano and superphosphate of lime. 
It is very essential to start, the plants early 
and keep them growing rapidly; if anything 
checks their growth fit any time, the quality 
of the tobacco is injured. 
The Seed sown should be used at the 
rate of a thimble full to a square rod. A 
seed bed 70 feet long and 8 feet wide, will 
give plants enough to cover five acres. The 
best wav tu sow the seed is to put it in a com¬ 
mon watering-pot which should then bo half 
filled with water, the holes in the rose 
should not be /<#« than the ordinary size; 
it must first bo shaken vert ically to diffuse 
the seed t hrough the water, and swung cir¬ 
cularly to distribute the seed upon the 
ground; this vert ical and swinging motion 
must be kept up alternately until all the 
seeds are sown. 
Spring Plowing.—As soou as the rye 
that was sown in the fall is high enough, It 
is plowed under. The object of this is to 
furnish food for the cut worms; when thoy 
are well supplied with this they do not 
trouble the tobacco plant; but if not sup¬ 
plied with it they often destroy the crop. 
After n few days it is covered with barn¬ 
yard manure; the amount, of this is gradu¬ 
ated to the rieliuess of the soil. If it lias I 
not been previously cultivated for tobacco 
it will require about 80 cords to the acre; 
add 100 pounds of Peruvian guano, and 
smooth over the surface with a stone boat; 
let it remain in this condition for a few 
days, and then throw it into ridges 2.M feet 
apart by t urning a back furrow for each. 
The topRof these ridges are then hc raped off 
by passing a wooden scraper over them. 
Setting the Plants.—It is bettor to 
select a cloudy day, if possible, for setting 
the plants; but if this cannot bo done so as 
to get the plants set in season, if is not 
wortb while to wait for it, as all the plants 
should bo sot by the tenth of June. Great 
care should be taken not to break oft' nny 
of the roots in pulling them. In setting 
them, let all the roots be put straight in the 
ground; if allowed to fall into loops, the 
plants will be much impaired. The earth 
should be carefully pi-ussed around tho 
roots by tho fingers, leaving a cup-shaped 
depression around llie stein; and if the 
weather be dry, about a gill of water should 
bo poured over each plant. If it continues 
dry, chop up some green grass in a cutting 
machine and mulch each plant with it, and 
water from time to time with a solution of 
Peruvian guauo. The plants, when trans¬ 
planted, should have loaves about as large 
as the palm of the hand. 
Cultivation,—No pains must bo spared 
to keep the plants growing vigorously all 
the time; if they are once seriously check¬ 
ed in their growth, their quality is very 
greatly impaired. Break off the suckers as 
fast as they appear Never atfow the sur¬ 
face of the ground to form a crust; this 
must be broken by plowing as fast as it 
is formed. Two men should always do tho 
hoeing; if one does it he will break off many 
of the leaves by crossing from one side to 
the other. After a time tho lower leaves 
will begin to turn yellow; they should then 
be broken off. The plants should be about 
three feet apart in the row. When the 
blossom buds ai'e fully formed and the 
flowers begin to disclose themselves, the 
tops must bo broken off; if any of the upper 
leaves are decayed, they must be broken off 
down to the healthy leaves; if this is not 
done the decay will be communicated to all 
the rest. Only eight or ten leaves should 
ever be left ou the plant. 
When to Gather.—You may know when 
the plants are fit to gather by going throueh 
them in a sunshiny day, about 11 o’clock, 
A. M. If, on bending them, they crack 
with an audible snap, they are quite fit for 
gat hering. After this condition is assumed, 
the sooner they are gathered the better. 
The Gathering should bo done in cloudy 
weather. The great thing to be kept in 
view in the process, is to avoid breaking off 
the leaves; this requires a good deal of 
manual dexterity to accomplish. It should 
not be cut but severed from tho ground by 
one stroke of a fine saw, held in the right 
hand. The plant is then brought down to 
the ground by a sweeping motion of the 
hand which does not agitate the leaves, it 
was formerly left to wilt for a time; but 
experience shows that this is not only un¬ 
necessary but injurious; it is, therefore, 
conveyed to the tobacco barn as soon as 
possible. 
In order to do this a needle is provided 
like the figure 1, in which a is the socket, 
Figure 1. 
and h is the blade. The socket is slipped 
over one end of a lath, four feet in length; 
the needle is then thrust through the lower 
end of the stalk and carried forward to the 
opposite end of the lath; about five plants 
are thus put upon each lath. A wagon is 
fitted up with a frame, Wie upper part of 
which ia about four and a half feet above 
the floor of the wagon and each end of the 
lath is rested upon It, the laths being about 
four inches apart; the plants are then con¬ 
vey (id to the tobacco barn. 
The Tobacco Barn is about 52 feet long 
and 88 feet wide; side strips 4 feet apart 
laterally, and 4)£ feet vertically, are dis¬ 
tributed through tho entire building, and 
over these the laths bearing the plants are 
hung about eight Inches apart, beginning 
with tho upper tier and working downward. 
The building is set from two to three feet 
from the ground, and the lower part is left 
open to allow the air from the bottom to 
rise up through it. all the time. There is a 
ventilator at the top, as shown in Fig. 
m 
III 
11® 
g 
ip ™ 
rj 
F/ounE 2. 
2, the hoards, cl, d, swing on a hinge at 
their upper edge; they are 1G feet lung and 
12 inches wide, and are supported in the po¬ 
sition seen in the figure by props placed 
under tbe middle of them from the inside. 
If a high wind arises, these props arc gener¬ 
ally displaced and the Shutters full, aud can 
be readily opened again when the storm is 
over. This is ft great improvement oil the 
old method, which consisted wholly in lat¬ 
eral ventilation, and tho ruin often beat, in 
and the outside rows were spoiled, Pole 
sweating was also very common, and the 
upper tier was almost always blackened 
with the vapor of the lower tiers, so as to 
diminish its eommorolal value very materi¬ 
ally. In this modern way, the rain is wholly 
excluded, and thevertical ventilation colors 
all the tiers alike. There is very little pole 
sweating, and in all respects the tobacco 
thus cured is of a superior quality. 
How Long it should Remain Stored. 
The tobacco should be kept in the barn un¬ 
til tbe lower end of tbe mid-rib of the leaf 
is thoroughly dried. If the tobacco is 
packed while any moisture remains in this 
part, tbe leaves all around it are much im¬ 
paired. 
It is usual to plant tobacco three years in 
succession, and then lay it down to grass for 
three years more. Tobacco has been raised 
as a market crop in Connecticut for seven¬ 
ty-live years, and the lauds subjected to 
this rotat ion have Increased In their fertili¬ 
ty rather than diminished. It was the 
unanimous opinion of the growers that if 
treated in this way tobacco is not an ex¬ 
hausting crop. 
The Excellence of Tobacco is judged 
of by its texture andcolgr; when stretched 
out a finger is rubbed under the leaf; if 
when t hus rubbed, the finger is seen through 
the leaf and its color is like that of a bat’s 
wing it will class with the best. It must 
have the characteristic odor of the best to¬ 
bacco and must feel to t he finger like a kid 
glove. Other things being equal, the thin¬ 
nest leaves are considered the most valu¬ 
able. 
Scoda are Collected from plants hav¬ 
ing leaves near to each other on the stem 
and which are characterized more by 
breadth than tho length of their leaves. Of 
course the thinner they are the better. 
Tho Whole Cost of Cultivating an 
acre of tobacco will not exceed £250 per 
acre and about 2.000 lbs. acre is considered 
n good crop. The profil ou an acre often 
amounts to 81,000 per acre and sometimes 
very much exceeds it. Some farmers, in¬ 
stead of making a ridge by plowing a back 
furrow, draw over the ground an instru¬ 
ment like a reversed triangular harrow, 
which draws the earth into a ridge, and a 
scraper is attached to the rear end, which 
flattens the surface. 
Tobacco Worms.—Great pains is taken 
to pick off aud kill the tobacco worms as 
fast, as they make their appearance. Con¬ 
trary to the general belief, the tobacoo 
worm is specifically different from that of 
the potato or tomato worm. x. 
Ik ®incp;il. 
VINEYARD NOTES. 
Temperature for Vines,—Can you in¬ 
form me how low a temperature the Concord, 
Salem, Delaware and Creveling grape vine 
will bear without injury to t he fruit buds? 
Thoy were trimmed in November, but not 
covered; some are still ou the trellis; the 
ground is covered with about, eight luohes 
of snow. Tjio mercury has been 8,10 , 16% 
and, for a few hours, $4 below zero. 1 had 
a fine crop last year.—u. T. 
We should not expect much fruit from 
unprotected vines in a locality where the 
mercury sinks to 21’ below zero. Your vines, 
however, may not be injured, because it. ia 
not always the degree of cold that kills; for 
the. hygromet vicnl st ate of t he atmosphere at 
t he time of severe cold has great influence 
upon vegetation. We have known plants to 
be killed at 10 below zero, and at another 
time not injured at 20". Much, also, de¬ 
pends upon the length of time which plants 
are exposed to severe odd, as well as the 
rapidity with which they are thawed. With 
hardy plants it, is difficult to determine what 
degree of temperature is certain death. 
Grape Vino Cuttings.—Will you please 
inform mo how to raise grapes from cut¬ 
tings?—J. D. K. 
Take off the cuttings Immediately, and 
make in length of eight to twelve inches, 
according to varieties and growth. We usu¬ 
ally leave t wo or t hree buds on each cutting. 
Tie the cuttings up into handles of fifty to 
one hundred, and then bury in soil in a cel¬ 
lar, where they can be kept moist and not 
freeze. In spring, plant. In rows, covering 
all but the uppermost bud, packing the soil 
firmly about them. We supposed every¬ 
body knew how to grow grape cuttings, but 
it appears that we were mistaken. A book 
that you can purchase for $1.50 will give 
you information worth ten times its cost. 
See our book list. 
Iloney Been and Grapes.—” Porte Cray¬ 
on” in Horticulturist says as soon as his 
Concord grapes begau to color, “ tin 1 }* were 
attacked by insects (chiefly honey" bees), 
and before they were lit to eat three-fifth? 
of them wore destroyed.” This is the first 
time wo ever heard the honey bee charged 
With destroying grapes. Aud we are in¬ 
clined to doubt “Porte. Crayon’s” theory 
or accuracy of his observation—certainly 
shall doubt it until somebody confirms It. 
CULTURE OF THE AMARYLLIS. 
Will some one please inform me through 
the Rural New-Yorker how to cultivate 
the Amaryllis in pets, to have them bloom ? 
What kind of soil is best suited to them— 
I mean the finer kinds, a$ 1 have no trouble 
in succeeding with the cheaper kinds? — 
Mrs. M. A. \V., Petersburg, ill. 
Your question ia a difficult one to answer, 
because w*e do not know to what species of 
plant you refer under the name of Amaryl¬ 
lis. There are really but few species and 
varieties of this plant, but hundreds that 
are near relatives but natives of different 
countries, therefore requiring peculiar 
treatment to insure success. We can only 
give you general directions, S3 follows:—Pot 
In rich vegetable soils, with some sand, and 
give water sufficient to keep up a vigorous 
growth throughout the season; but when 
the plants show signs of rest, gradually 
withhold water until the bulbs arc fully 
ripeued. Then allow several weeks or 
months of rest, leaving the bulbs in the 
pots of soifc but give none, or very little 
water. After a reasonable period of rest 
tbe plants may be again started by giving 
beat and moisture. Amateurs, as a ride, try 
to keep their Amaryllis bulb 9 constantly 
growiug. which is unnatural, and the results, 
as might, be expectsd, are unsatisfactory. 
FLORICULTURAL N0TE8. 
Is Ei'iauthus Ravenna Hardy? —I 
sent for a pluut of Aruuda Donax (an orna¬ 
mental grass), and they sent Ravenna in¬ 
stead. Will you please Inform me if tho 
llaveuna grass is hardy ?— Mrs. Jane E. S., 
Coral Muj), Pa. 
Yes, wo have found the Erianthua Ra¬ 
venna not only perfectly hardy, but a beau¬ 
tiful and valuable ornamental grass. 
Euonymus Japonlca.—“Lady G.” The 
sprig scut arrived safely, and the foregoing 
is the name of the shrub from which it was 
taken. The plant makes a beautiful hedge 
anywhere south of Philadelphia, It is lia¬ 
ble to winter-kill north of that point. We 
shall be glad to answer your questions at 
any time. Thanks. 
Mildew on Roses. —My roses, cultiva¬ 
ted in the greenhouse, are badly affected 
with mildew. Can you give me a remedy ? 
—X. Y. 
There are various recipes given in books 
on gardening for destroying mildew. Sul¬ 
phur Is largely used by somo of our florists, 
but is objectionable on account of the odor. 
Syringing tho plants with a solution of soap 
aud soft water is a bettor remedy, and uot 
at all objectionable even in a conservatory 
where choice show plants are grown. One 
pound of soft soap in a gallon of water will 
give about the requisite strength. Soot is 
also excellent for this purpose, dusted over 
the plants when wet. The next day the 
plants should be syringed with clean water. 
Liliuiu Atiratum. — I planted one last 
spring; it bad three blossoms; the lower 
blossouiB had six petals each; the upper one 
twelve perfect petals. Will it have as many 
next year?— Lily, Batavia , 111. 
It would be merely guesswork to say what 
your IJliiun auratum will do next year; 
but if it should remain healthy the flowers 
may continue to be double, if you had 
saved seed from those semi-double flowers 
there would have been a good chance of ob¬ 
taining permanent double sorts therefrom. 
High oulturo tends to increase tho number 
of petals in flowers; aud by being careful to 
save seeds from those that first show sucli a 
change, we are enabled to produce varieties 
with double flowers. There are a number 
of double lilies now in cultivation, and we 
presume ere long a double auratum will be 
produced. _ 
Lillies in Shallow Water.—Some time 
ago the Rural .S’ ew-Yorkek replied to a 
lady floral amateur that ** she cau raise per¬ 
fect water 1 lilies when the water is but two 
or three feet deep.” I never saw any Lillies 
of full size aud beauty grown in such shal¬ 
low water; they will not compare in size, 
beauty and fragrance with the wild Nym- 
pldv, which grows, up from the cosy bed of 
deep water in the stilly bends of the Seneca 
river, beyond tbe Montezuma marshes. 
They attain the size of a large coffee cup and 
are exquisitely delicate aud very fragrant. 
I have heard that great lover of flowers, thu 
late David Thomas, dilate ou the matchless* 
beauty and fragrance of those Lillies, which 
he said surpassed everything In floral ex¬ 
cellence that art had yet attained,and he had 
at that time nearly an acre in well-kept 
shrutis and flowers on his farm at Gi cat- 
field.—s. w. 
M © © B E B BUBAL NEW-YOF.HER 
