vol.. _xju. ao . jy. ( 
Whole No. 1632. \ 
NEW YORK, MAY 7, 1881. 
iPbioh Five Cents. 
82.00 Peb Yhab, 
[Entered according to Act of Congress, In the year 1881, by the Bnral New-Yorker. In the office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington. 
and its resemblance to what I thought was a 
cross of two valuable canes, and alter two 
years’ test of its qualities I am satisfied that 
my conjecture was well founded. It does not 
follow, however, that this is the •ne-plus-uUra 
of cane improvement. If our cultivators will 
carefully cultivate and watch the developments 
consequent upon so vast a country and 
such a great variety of soils and climate as 
well as kinds of cane, and report the results of 
their observations to our Association, we shall 
make still further discoveries. 
Mr. John Bartlett, of Oshawa, Canada, ad¬ 
vises me that he has saved from a field of cane 
Mr. Knllnm, of) Petrie, Kansas, that give great 
promise of excellence. I have in a previous 
letter, I believe, expressed hopes that our State 
Legislature would do something to forward our 
efforts in an educational way by teaching the 
students of the Agricultural College farm, but 
I am sorry to say I am disappointed. 
St. Louis, Mo. 
portant that the tobacco is in good condition 
as regards moisture, when it is taken down, 
otherwise artificial moistening or watering 
will be found necessary, which is not desirable, 
as it is costly and risky except when done by 
the most experienced of workmen. The 
leaves should be 6oft and pliable so that they 
may be doubled up in the hand without dam¬ 
age, or it is not in fit condition for taking 
down. When the tobacco is hung on poles 
with twine, as is the usual custom here, it is 
cut down from the poles and handed down In 
armfuls to a man who places the plants in a 
double “ rank " with the butt ends extending 
outwards and the tips of the plants somewhat 
lapped together. When the other method of 
hanging is followed, the plants are slipped 
from the laths and banded down in armfuls or 
else passed down on the laths from which they 
are removed previous to being “ranked." 
After the stalks have been stripped of their 
leaves by small boys, the hooks are taken out 
and reserved for future use. 
It is advisable for the tobacco grower to take 
down all the tobacco he can, if a good oppor¬ 
tunity comes during the early part of Winter, 
for if the work is delayed and the opportunity 
passes, his tobacco may not become in fit con¬ 
dition for the work again until Spring, which 
will seriously delay him with other Spring 
work In the Winter several warm days are 
usually necessary to make the leaves Boft and 
pliable so that the plants may be taken down. 
As soon as the work of taking down is com¬ 
pleted the ranks should be carefully covered 
with boards or the like to prevent the tobacco 
from drying out. Great care should betaken 
In the different processes of manipulating a 
crop of tobacco to prevent it from drying. All 
the moisture that tobacco takes up from the 
atmosphere of Itself while hanging up should 
be retained, and if this is done no artificial 
dampening will usually be necessary. To this 
end the prudent grower is always careful to 
keep his lobacco covered when exposed to a 
dry atmosphere- 
stripping. 
The next process in the manipulation of a 
crop of tobacco is the stripping. This should 
be done as soon as possible after the tobacco 
has been removed from the poles, at delay In 
the work will endanger loss from the tobacco 
heating in the rank, caused by the fermenta¬ 
tion of the stalk. This healing, however, iu 
the pack does not usually occur except when 
the stalk is still green, as it is likely to be 
when taken down in the Fall or early Winter. 
The process of stripping consists in removing 
the leaves from the stalk. They are then tied 
up in small bundles weighing six or eight 
pounds each, and snugly packed away in a 
double rank, with the butt ends of the bundles 
extending outward and well covered to pre¬ 
ventdrying. The stripping is usually done in 
the open shed, mild weather being chosen for 
the work. Sometimes, however, when the 
work is pressing, the tobacco is carried to the 
stripping and assorting room where there is a 
fire and where the work can be continued 
during cold weather. 
When the tobacco is stripped it is ready 
for the assorting room, which has been de¬ 
scribed in a previous article. A considerable 
quantity of tobacco should be kept iu the as¬ 
sorting room all the time, as it is essential 
to have it warm when it is assorted, as cold 
tobacco is always harsh and brittle. 
Assorting Tobacco. 
We now come to a part of tobacco work 
which requires more mind than muscle. 
Every tobacco grower who takes an interest 
in the business enjoyB sorting tobacco. With 
a comfortable room provided with a good 
stove, the tobacco grower can sit at his bench 
and carry on the work during the most in¬ 
clement weather of Winter. There is much to 
say relative to the necessity of assorting to¬ 
bacco well. Ihe work comes at a season 
SORGHUM SUGAR-CANES 
TOBACCO CULTURE.-NO. 9 
Taking Down Tobacco. 
As soon as the tobacco has become thorough- 
some few tufts that had superior qualities. lie 
is sending them to me for inspection. I shall 
despatch them far down 8outh for early plant¬ 
ing in order to get a second crop from the 
same this season. He informed me that it was 
still earlier than the Amber and richer iu sac¬ 
charine matter. In like manner I have a seed 
tuft and samples of sugar and sirup sent from 
ly cured in the curing barn it is ready for 
taking down. About three months are usually 
required for the tobacco to become perfectly 
cured—a condition which is known by the 
stems of the leaves having become free from 
their natural juices. Warm, damp weather is 
required to soften the tobacco so that it can 
be taken down from the poles. It is very im- 
