TO THE OF THE | | NORTHERN SECTION | AND THE MOST IMPROVED METHOD oF MANAGING A CROP TO FIT.IT FOR THE MARKET, | SECOND EHDITION—REVISED. PUBLISHED BY CHAS. Ww. CORNELL, SYRACUSE, N. Y. 1864, UNITED STATES, OK meres ra i Cpe! ogi, ct "862g. TOBACCO CULTURE AID AE PED TO THE NORTHERN SECTION OF THE SNLTED STA rae. AND THE MOST IMPROVED_METHOD OF MANAGING A CROP TO FIT IT FOR THE MARKET, | V4 : & & 4 j 12) a, Sone Soa , FE as mR > RF So €y% Ma, Hi¥eE ~ - = Rene aaa -—_—_————— SECOND EDITION—REVISED, PUBLISHED BY CHAS.W . MOR Nai. SYRACUSE, N. Y. 1864, Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year of 1864, by CHARLES W. CORNELL, In the Clerk’s Office, of the United States District Court for the Northern District of New York. PRINTERS AND STEREOTYPERS, Syracuse, N. Y. ~—“Truair, Smith & Miles, ; PREFACE. cg gees The author of the following pages was induced to write a Treatise on Growing Tobacco, some ten years since. At that time there had not been a publication of any description on the subject, and there was felt to be a want of some guide and instruction on the subject by those who desired to en- gage in its culture. The first edition was long since exhausted. Increasing attention to the growing of Tobacco, and the demand for a manual on the subject, the author thinks a sufficient warrant to publish a new edition, and he trusts that the book will be found to contain all that is necessary for the successful cul- tivation of and curing of the crop. Other methods of hand- ling a crop in the Tobacco house, and in various stages of the crop, are practiced in some portions of the Western States ; but none of these plans are considered better than the one we have adopted. We give only one plan, as many plans pre- sented to a beginner only confuse him and leave the mind in doubt as to the best one to follow. = TOBACCO CULTURE, Q fH iy Te, Fig. 1. The Tobacco Plant in full Blossom. The Tobaceo crop of the Northern States has, of late years, become of considerable consequence, as an article of commerce ; increasing, from year to year, in quantity as well as in improved quelity, and the time bas come when the Tobacco of the North, is to be a staple commodity here, as it already is, in some of the Southern States. It is, therefore, very important to the Farmers of the North, that they 6 should understand the growing, and managing of this crop, at as early a day as possibile; and it is advisable that whatever is done, should be done well, for much depends on the first impression that shall be enters tained with regard to the quality of any new article. Heretofore it has been supposed that Tobacco could only be raised in the Southern States, at least, in such quantity as to warrant its cultivation asa regular busi- ness of the Farmer; but experience has proved, that the Northern Tobacco, for the purposes for which it is used, is superior to most of the Tobacco of the South. It can hardly be said, however, that the Tobacco of the North, and that of the South, come in competi- tion with each other; both have their particular uses, and are both wanted in the market. It only devolves on the Northern Farmer to understand well the busi- ness, and produce a good article; if he does this, he may be assured of a full recompense for his la- bor. The best possible essay on the growth of any pro- duct of the soil will be more intelligible, and convey a more perfect knowledge of the subject, when to the- ory, is added experience. The want of a practical treatise on the sudject of growing Tobacco, has com- pelled the growers to trust to uncertain, and often in- correct information, obtained from those equally in- experienced with themselves; consequently many mistakes have been made, which might have been ‘avoided, had only the gen’l rules to be observed been well understood ; and it is the want of these general rules in any written form, that has induced the wri- ter, to give the best experience of Tobacco growers in the.present form; with the hope that it may be 7 useful. It was thought best to give the whole pro- cess, as nearly as could be done, from the sowing of the seed to fitting the crop for market ; in so doing, many apparently very simple statements have been made, in order to make the book more complete ; and it is also, very possible, that some facts of more im- portance may not have been as clearly stated as they should have been, or, perhaps, entirely overlooked. The reader must bear in mind that there is great dif- ficulty in giving the minute detail of any business in writing, and there is perhaps no product of the soil that requires more experience, and is subject to more casualties, than a crop of Tobacco; hence it is advis- able to commence the growing of it, on asmall scale, to be increased with further knowledge. In order to understand the raising and curing of to- bacco, in any part of the country, the particuiar ob- ject or use, for which the tobacco is wanted, should be known and understood ; this being the case, an in- telligent purpose wiil be manifest from the begining to the end, without which, no favorable result can be leoked for. Circumstances growing out of a difference in soils and climate, and many incidents which may occur, render it very difficult to give all the information that may be wanted; general rules and the best prac- tice, is all that can be given to assist those who may desire to engage in the business of raising to- bacco. The tobacco grown in Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania, and Ohio, is used for making cigars ; but chiefly for the outside, or wrappers for cigars made of imported tobacco ; for this purpose, only the 8 best leaves are used, and it is in order to obtain these best leaves, (the ‘‘ wrappers,’’) thet this tobacco is cultivated ; the poorer leaves, the small, torn, and badly colored leaves of the crop are called fillers, and are used for the inside or filling of cigars of a cheaper quality ; but they are more generally used for “ cut- ting” into smoking tobacco, to be smoked in pipes. This poor grade of tobacco, is only an incident acci- dental to getting the finer quality or wrappers, and is not an object sought in raising the crop; much of this tobacco of both qualities is exported to Europe, where it is manufactured, and not a little of it is re- turned to this country in the shape of cigars. The grower should have in view the particular uses of the crop, which will assist him and lead him to inquire as to the best method to be pursued, to produce the article wanted. What is wanted, in what is called the “Seed Leaf” tobacco, (from having been produced by planting the Havana seed in Northern States,) is a good sized, broad leaf, with small veins, and as thin, soft and silky, as can be produced ; how to get this size, tex- ture, and the color desired, the writer has endeavored to explain in the following pages. eal LAND, 'TO BE USED. The character, or kind of land to be used, fora fine crop of Seed Leaf Tobacco, should be first consider- ed. An analysis of soils is not intended here, nor is it necessary for the present purpose ; a few sugges- tions only will be sufficient to guide the grower. Ex- 9 & perience has determined that the uplands, the good corn and wheat lands, produce the finest quality of tobacco.’ Interval, or low lands will produce as large a crop, but the tobacco will be found less desirable, as it is liable to grow a thick, coarse leaf, and some- times it will not burn freely, or burn to white ashes, and some drained swamp lands will grow tobacco that will not burn at all. Therefore it is only neces- sary in selecting the land, to choose a good, free, up- land soil, which if well manured and well cultivated, will not be likely to disappoint the grower. Alllands liable to be overflowed, by heavy showers, or long continued rains, and all hollows subject to standing waters, should be avoiced ; as tobacco will not grow in water, but will be destroyed by water standing about its roots for a few hours. The better thelands, the better drained, and manured, the more tobacco, and of finer quality, can be raised to the acre. One ton of tobacco to the acre, can be raised where all the circumstances are favorable. SEED, AND THE MANNER OF SOWING. In the selection of seed, care should be taken to ~ proezre none but the most approved variety. The seed of the broad leaf tobacco is the kind generally used for growing the fine wrapper; there are narrow leafed varieties, that grow equally well with the broad, but the narrow leaf does not answer so good a pur- pose, and is not a saleable article. Seed should be changed often; for if the seed grown on the same land from year to year, from the same original stock, 10 s is used for a number of years, the quality of the” to- bacco will deteriorate. If a good article of seed is procured, seed can be raised and saved from this that will keep, and be fit for use, for a number of years. To raise the seed, allow a few of the earliest and best plants in the field to grow to their full size. One plant will produce seed enough for twoacres. Break off the late buds from the seed plants so that none but the earliest and best will be saved. After har- vesting is over, and the sced buds have become brown- ed, cut up the stalk and hang it up to dry, by the top of the stalk, as the seeds will drop out if hung up by the butt. When thoroughly dry, take the seeds from the bud, and put them away in adry place. To re- new the seed, sow the seed of Havana tobacco, and save the seed of the third year, when it will be fit for use, and will hold good for several years from the re- newal. TIME AND MANNER OF SOWING. Tobacco seed may be sown as early in the spring, as the frost is out of the ground, and the land dry enough to work. The spot selected for sowing the seed, should be rich, and well manured with old or rotten barn-yard manure 3 or with what is considered better, with hog manure, as this is the strongest, and most free from the seeds of weeds and grass. It isa good plan to prepare the bed for plants in the autumn ; cover well with hog manure and let it remain till spring, then rake it over and sow the seed. In the selection of a spot, choose a southerly aspect; beds * 11 of seven or eight feet in width, are prferable to wider ones, in order that the weeding may be done with more ease. Round off the beds a little, to prevent standing water after heavy rains; having wellspaded the ground, and turned in, and mixed the manure, rake thoroughly so as to pulverize well the soil, then roll the beds with a garden roller, or in its place, take a plank as long as the width of the bed and press it thoroughly with the feet, by standing upon it. Mix the seed with sand or Indian meal, in quantity of a table spoon full of seed to a quart of sand or meal; the object of this, is, to be able to sow more evenly ; the seed being so small, it is difficult, without some mixture of this kind, to sow little enongh upon a giv- en spot. A table spoonful of seed will be sufficient for a bed of eight feet by twenty ; and produce plants enough for one or two acres of tobacco, according to the success in obtaining good and thrifty plants ; itis always prudent to sow double the quantity of seed, and have double the quantity of plants actually want- ed, in order to make a selection of the first grown and most flourishing. Those plants are the best that grow separately, or not too many inabunch. Where the plants are very thick, they should be thinned out in weeding, as the cluster plants are weak and tender, and have fewer, and more delicate roots to sustain them when transplanted; and should not be used. Burning the beds for plants, is practiced in many pla- ces; this isdone for the purpose of destroying the seeds of weeds, and for enriching the ground with the ashes. After the bed is well prepared and raked off, it is covered with small brushwood and straw, and set on tire; after the burning, it is again raked and roll- 12 ed, as before stated, and the seed sown. The seed should be sown broad-ecast, and not covered, but roil- ed in with a roller, or pressed with a plank, WEEDING THE PLANTS. It is very desirable that the spot selected for the bed of plants, should be as free from all kinds of foul seeds as possible, as the weeding is of no small mo- ment; and should be commenced as soon as the plants are up and are distinguishable from the weeds 5 in order to weed advantageously, have a plank bench as long as the width of the bed; the legs to stand in the paths, and of suiiicient length to raise the bench afew inches above the plants; sit or lie on these benches in weeding’; put the wecds in a basket and remove them from the beds. In weeding, it is best, if the plants come up too thickly, to thin out the cius- ters, by removing the smallest aud. weakest plants ; weed thoroughly, as plants cannot be raised among grass and weeds; and continue the weeding till the time of transplanting. TRANSPLANTING. Transplanting or taking up the plants for setting, is done with any sharp instrument that will enter the ground easily. A common table fork, or a piece of hard wood whittled as a spade, will answer. Care should be used in taking up the plants, that the roots re not broken off; they should all be allowed to re- main on the plants ; the plants preferred for setting, Fic. 2. The Plant and Root as should be set. pow are those which have leaves about three inches in length ; but it is better to set much smaller plants, if the weather is favorable, than to wait for the plant to grow larger. A small plant set early, will do better than a larger one set late. The plants when taken from the bed, should be placed carefully in a basket to be carried to the field ; they are then dropped upon the hills prepared for them, by a boy, who will pre- cede the setters a few yards. Tran planting should be done on a rainy, or damp, misty day, to be most successful 5 this is always advisable when such days may occur, but if the time of setting is getting late, and the plants are large enough, setting may be done in dry weather by using water freely. It has been found best to water the ground before putting in the plants, in this way: make a hole in the centre of the hill prepared for the plant, with the heel of the boot, and pour into it from a half pint to a pint of water ; let the water soak into the ground a little, and then 14 set the plants. This process will require more labor, and is no better than the damp days. To make the _ dry weather setting more safe, the plants may be cov- ered for a few days, with alittle grass or green leaves, which should be taken off as soon as the plant has taken root and begins to grow. Toset the plant, make a hole in the prepared hill with two fingers ; fold the outer leaves of the plant together over the centre ones, or bud, then set it; care should be taken that the roots extend their whole length into the hole, and the earth well pressed about them, and press lightly the loose earth about the base of the leaves to keep them in an erect position ; this plan of setting, keeps the buds from the rays of the sun, and also secures more moisture about the roots. The first week in June, is the best time for setting in New York State; the time will not differ much, in any. of the Middle States, and from this time till the 2Uth of the month, or to the 25th, plants may be set; plants set later than this, will not be likely to attain so good a growth unless under very favorable circumstances ; after the plants are set, it will be found necessary to go over the ground again, to fill up the vacancies that may occur; some of the plants may not live, and some may be destroyed by the grub worm, after they have taken root and begun to grow. A little experience will determine where the grub has been at work, and it may generally be found just below the surface of the ground, and near the plant, and should be killed. As a matter of convenience, it has been found best, when setting out the plants, to set every tenth hill with two plants, say six inches apart, from which plants, vacancies can be supplied during the first hoe- ¥ 15 ing, which is considered a good time to fill up where plants have failed ; the plant, if a large one, can then be set with a hoe, after having made a hole for it in its place, by using the hoe as a spade, and taking up earth with the plant, so as not to retard its growth. If the weather is favorable for re-setting, do not wait till the time of hoeing. Se eee HOW TO PREPARE THE LAND. If the land which is intended for a crop of tobacco, ig sward land, it is better to put some other crop on it the season before it is wanted for this purpose, as sward land is not so good for tobacco, though a fair crop may be raised under favorable circumstances. The land should be well manured,and plowed in the month of May ;.with from twenty to thirty cords of good manure to the acre; for without manure, it is worse than useless to attempt to raise tobacco in the Northern and Middle States. The most common way of managing the manure, and plowing, is to spread the manure over the whole surface of the ground, and plow it under; but plow shallow the first time, say four inches deep; the second time, from seven to eight inches; thus keeping the manure under, and yet near the surface, where the young plants can get the benefit of it. Another plan which has proved very successful, is to plow and harrow in the fall, and then spread on the manure and let it remain till spring, then plow it in, harrow, and set the plants. After the land is well harrowed, mark it off as in planting corn, with a toothed marker, drawn by a 16 horse; let the teeth of the marker be from three feet to three feet four inches apart, for the space between the rows; and if cross-marked, let the spaces be two feet apart, thus making the plants stand two by three feet, or three feet four inches apart. Two feet by three, is considered far enough distant for the plants, but it is rather close for the cultivator, which is al- ways used before hoeing the first time, and the second, if the plants are not too large, which is not generally the case. After marking off the rows, small, shallow hills should be made with the hoe, for the purpose of having a well prepared spot, in which to set the plant. - “ ATE rian ie 7 oh LaF Us SaPAer hata sM as ah eel ast ashar uct hs ah ter VM om er sok Rsmad ters ar kuch dM aFGer hashes iar hat haha stah Sat asks Shs Sethe M kd Shyer Rath gFad =a PSuj CHAS. W. COR: WHOLESALE AND RETAIL DEALER Ce Ce ee bel hl bee tet tel Cod del Lol PHOTOGRAPHIC ALBUMS, BLANK BOOKS, STATIONERY, and Soo. 6 PANCY Goons. Tilk LARGEST. ASSORTMENT OF PAP ER EBA ING Nt IN CENTRAL NEW YORK. tas" Wholesale Dealers supplied: at Lowest New York Prices. CHAS. W. CORNELL, No. 19 S. Salina St., Syracuse, N. Y. I MIL iT ier titre air Terie i ith the oe etic ree the Lee yt arr te Uk ee Le bl kl hE il Ties Ube lel ° elie eter oe bet ee be Coie er h thlie tt ti ee eer Tie et Tether i his Pith Ali el Tha i i