53  8  Cultivation  of  Tobacco  in  Kentucky.    { ^{T;^™' 
tance,  which  leaves  the  ground  divided  in  checks  or  squares  of  two-and- 
one-half  or  three  feet  each  way.  The  hoes  are  put  to  work,  and  the 
hill  is  formed  by  drawing  the  two  front  angles  of  the  square  into  the 
middle,  and  then  patted  to  smooth  the  top.  The  furrows  should  run 
shallow,  for  the  hill  should  be  low  and  well  leveled  off  on  the  top,  and, 
if  possible,  a  slight  depression  so  as  to  collect  the  water  near  the  plant. 
The  first  fine  rain  thereafter  the  plants  should  be  removed  from  the 
beds  and  one  carefully  planted  in  each  hill.  A  brisk  man  can  plant 
7,000  or  8,000  plants  per  day;  the  smaller  or  weaker  hands  precede 
the  planters  and  drop  the  plants.  In  drawing  the  plants  from  the  bed 
great  care  is  necessary  to  prevent  bruising.  The  plants  should  never 
be  planted  deeper  than  they  stood  in  the  bed.  The  planting  is  done 
thus:  Seize  the  plant  dropped  on  the  hill  with  the  left  hand,  with  one 
finger  of  the  right  hand  make  a  hole  in  the  centre  of  the  hill,  and  with 
the  left  put  in  the  root  of  the  plant.  The  dirt  is  then  well-closed 
around  the  plant  by  pressure  with  the  hands.  If  sticks  are  used  in 
making  the  holes  they  should  not  be  too  long.  The  plant  should  be 
carefully  planted,  for  if  placed  in  the  ground  too  deep  or  crocked  it  is 
not  likely  to  flourish.  In  three  or  four  days  they  may  be  weeded  out 
and  the  soil  gently  loosened  up  around  the  roots.  From  this  time  on 
tobacco  requires  considerable  attention,  and  great  care  is  necessary  to 
keep  out  the  weeds.  After  the  plants  become  too  large  for  a  small 
plow  the  hoe  must  be  resorted  to;  care  is  necessary  to  leave  the  land 
as  level  as  possible. 
When  the  blossoms  appear  the  best  plants  should  be  selected,  say 
about  one  hundred,  being  enough  to  serve  for  seed  to  sow  a  crop  of 
100,000.  All  the  rest  should  be  topped  before  blossoming,  indeed  as 
soon  as  the  blossom  bud  is  fairly  formed ;  it  should  be  topped  down 
to  the  leaves  that  are  six  inches  long  if  early  in  the  season,  but  if  late 
still  lower.  If  the  season  is  favorable,  in  two  weeks  the  plant  is  fit  for 
cutting,  yet  it  will  not  suffer  bv  standing  longer  in  the  field.  From  this 
stage  of  the  crop  until  it  is  in  the  house  it  is  a  source  of  vexation  to  the 
planter,  who  is  fearful  of  storms,  of  frost,  and  worms — his  worst  enemy. 
The  suckers  are  also  a  great  annoyance;  they  spring  from  the  bottom 
of  the  leaf  where  it  joins  the  stalk;  they  are  removed  when  two  or 
three  inches  long.  Ground-leaves  are  those  at  the  bottom  of  the  stalk, 
and  should  be  removed  when  damp  early  in  the  morning  to  prevent 
crumbling.     Worms  are  to  be  pulled  off  and  killed  as  soon  as  they 
