AmNoT*i87trm* }    Cultivation  of  Tobacco  in  Kentucky.  537 
pally  produced  in  about  twenty  counties,  the  reader  can  gain  a  slight 
idea  of  the  extent  and  amount  of  culture  this  important  staple  requires. 
The  first  and  most  important  step  is  the  selection  of  suitable  soil  for 
seed-beds.  A  rich  loam  is  the  soil  for  tobacco  plants.  The  spot  for  a 
bed  should  be  the  south  side  of  a  gentle  elevation,  as  well  protected  as 
possible  by  woods  or  shrubbery.  After  a  thorough  burning  of  brush 
dig  deep,  and  continue  to  dig,  rake  and  chop  until  every  clod,  root  and 
stone  be  removed;  then  level  and  pulverize  nicely  with  a  rake.  As  to 
the  variety  for  planting,  the  blue  prior  and  yellow  prior  are  very  good, 
but  the  variety  known  as  little  hill  is  considered  the  best.  However, 
we  must  not  fail  to  remember  that  culture  has  more  that  anything  else 
to  do  with  successful  tobacco  raising.  Mix  about  one  gill  of  seed,  for 
every  ten  square  yards,  with  a  quart  of  sifted  ashes,  and  sow  it  regu- 
larly the  same  as  gardeners  sow  small  seed,  only  with  a  heavier  hand; 
roll  with  a  hard  roller  or  tramp  with  the  feet.  If  the  bed  is  sown  early 
it  ought  to  be  covered  with  brush  free  from  leaves,  but  it  is  not  neces- 
to  cover  it  after  the  1st  of  March.  Tobacco  beds  may  be  sown  at 
any  time  during  the  winter,  if  the  ground  be  not  too  wet  or  frozen. 
The  best  time  for  sowing  is  from  the  10th  to  the  20th  of  March, 
though  it  is  well  to  sow  at  intervals  when  the  ground  is  in  fine  order. 
Never  sow  when  the  ground  is  in  poor  order,  for  the  work  will  be 
wasted.    The  beds  must  be  kept  free  from  grass  and  weeds. 
From  the  time  the  plants  present  themselves  until  replanted,  they 
should  be  lightly  manured  occasionally.  If  possible,  the  plants  should 
stand  in  the  bed  from  half  an  inch  to  an  inch  apart,  and,  if  too  thick, 
must  be  raked  out  with  an  ordinary  iron  rake. 
The  soil  best  adapted  to  the  growth  of  tobacco  is  a  light  fiiable  soil, 
not  too  flat,  but  rolling,  undulating  land,  not  liable  to  drown  in  exces- 
sive rains;  new  land  is  far  better  than  old.  Ashes  are  decidedly  the  best 
fertilizer  for  tobacco. 
The  tobacco  land  should  be  well  plowed  in  April,  taking  care  to 
turn  the  turf  completely  under,  and  let  the  land  be  well  harrowed 
directly  after  breaking  up,  so  as  not  to  disturb  the  turf  beneath  the  sur- 
face. When  the  plants  are  of  good  size  for  transplanting  and  the 
ground  is  in  good  order  for  the  reception,  the  land,  or  so  much  as  can 
be  planted  in  a  u season,"  should  be  u scraped,"  which  is  done  by  run- 
ning parallel  furrows  with  the  seeding-plow  two-and-a-half  feet  apart, 
and  then  crossing  these  again  at  right  angles,  preserving  the  same  dis- 
