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«CULTURE.»
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Selection and Preparation of the/Seed and the Soil,
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Harvesting, Curing and Marketing the Crop.
PLAIN DIRECTIONS AS GIVEN BY
FOURTEEN EXPERIENCED CULTIVATORS,
| Residing in different parts of the United States, most of whom have had long practice
in the growing of Tobacco.
ALSO, NOTES ON THE TOBACCO WORM.
he ——q ILLUSTRATED. 3
“rc~> REVISED AND ENLARGED EDITION. <-o—2—
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New York: |
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: ORANGE JUDD COMPANY,
75! BROADWAY,
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7 Entered, according to Act ot Congress, in the year 1884, by the ORANGE JUDD COMPANY, in the Office of .
‘ the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. é 2
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NEW AMERICAN FARM BOOK.
ORIGINALLY BY
Ree eA TLR Ne
Author of ‘‘ Diseases of Domestic Animals,’ and formerly Editor of the ‘* American Agriculturést.”
REVISED AND ENLARGED BY LEWIS
ie eA NS
Author of ‘American Cattle,’ Editor of the ‘“‘American Shorthorn Terd-Book,’’ etc
CONTENTS :
INLRODUCTION. — Tillage Husbandry — Grazing —
Feeding—Breeding— Planting, etc.
CHAPTER I.—Soils — Classification — Description —
Management—Properties.
CHAPTER II.—Inorganic Manures—Mineral—Stone—
Earth—Phosphatic.
CHAPTER II.—Organic Manures—Their Composition
—Animal—Vegetable.
CHAPTER IY.—TIrrigation and Draining.
CHAPTER V.—Mcchanical Divisions of Soils—Spad-
ing—Plowing—Implements,
CHAPTER YVI.—The Grasses —Clovers — Meadows—
Pastures—Comparative Values of Grasses—Imple-
ments for their Cultivation.
CHAPTER VII.—Grain, and its Cultivation—Varicties
—Growth—Harvesting.
CHAPTER VIII.—Leguminous Plants—The Pea—
Bean—English Field Bean—Tare or Vetch—Culti-
vation—Harvesting.
CHAPTER IX.— Roots and Esculents— Varieties—
Growth—Cultivation—Securing the Crops—Uses—
Nutritive Equivalents of Different Kinds of Forage.
CHAPTER X.--Fruits — Apples — Cider — Vinegar—
Pears—Quinces—Peaches—Plums—Apricots—Nec-
tarines — Smaller Fruits—Planting—Cultivation—
Gatbering—Preserving.
CHAPTER XI.—Miscellaneous Objects of Cultivation,
aside from the Ordinary Farm Crops—Broom-corn
— Flax—Cotton — Ilemp—Sugar-cane—Sorghum—
Maple-Sugar—Tobacco—Indigo—Madder—W ood—
Sumach—Teascl—Mustard—Hops—Castor Bean.
CHAPTER XII.—Aids and Objects of Agriculture—
Rotation of Crops, and their Effects—Wceds—Res-
toration of Worn-out Soils— Fertilizing Barren
Lands—Utility of Birds—Fences—Hedges—Farm
NOTICES BY
It is a volum? of over five hundred pages, and in its
present shape comprises all that can well be condensed
into an available volume of its kind. : :
Hartford Daily Times.
It has a very wide range of subjects, taking up nearly
all matters that are most important to farmers. Com-
prising the combined wisdom and experience of two
eminent agriculturists, it must prove of great value to
the class for whom it is prepared.—New York Observer.
It is crammed full of just the information that is
wanted, which it is a pleasnre to recommend. We
know of no better encyclopedia of farming.
New York Independent.
It is something in favor of this work that it has been
before the public for many years. The original work
was prepared with extraordinary care, and contained
a vast amount of general truth that is as applicable
now as it was then; it has therefore been made the
basis of the present work, which, to all intents and
purposes, is new, since it is adapted to the present im
proved state of agricultural knowledge. Every depart:
ment is prepared with conscientious care, and with a
view of making the work a reliable sonrce of acricul-
taval infermation. Chicago Republican.
PRICE. TOST-PAID.
Roads—Shade-Trees—W ood Lands—Time of Cut-
ting Timber—Tools—Agricultural Education of the
Farmer.
CHAPTER XIIIl.—Farm Buildings—House—Barn—
Sheds — Cisterns—Various other Out-Buildings—
Steaming Apparatus,
CHAPTER XTV.—Domestic Animals—Breeding—Ana-
tomy —Respiration—Consumption of Food.
CHAPTER XV.—Neat or Horned Cattle—Devons—
Herefords — Ayrshires — Galloways—Shorthorns—
Alderneys, or Jerseys—Dutch or Iolstein--Manage-
ment from Birth to Milking, Labor, or Slaughter.
CHAPTER XVI.—The Dairy—Milk—Butter—Checse
—Different Kinds—Manner of Working.
CHAPTER XVII.—Sheep — Merino — Saxon—South-
Down—Tiie Long-wooled Breeds—Cotswold—Lin-
coln—Breeding—Management—Shepherd Dogs.
CHAPTER XVIII.—The Horse—Description of Differ-
ent Breeds—Their Various Uses—Breeding—Man-
agement.
CHAPTER XIX.—The Ass—Mule—Comparative Labor
of Working Animals.
CHAPTER XX.—Swine—Different Breeds—Breeding
—-Rearing—Fattening—Curing Pork and Hams.
CHAPTER XXI.—Poultry—Hens, or Barn-door Fowls
—Turkey — Peacock—Guinea Hen—Govuse—Duck
—Honey-Bees.
CHAPTER XXII.—Diseases of Animals—What Au-
thority shall we Adopt ?—Sheep—Swine—Treat-
ment and Breeding of Horses.
CHAPTER XXIII.—Conclusion—General Remarks—
The Farmer who Lives" by his Occupation—The
Amateur Farmer—Sundry Useful Tables,
12mo, 526 pp.
THE PRESS.
Comprehensive and wareful, telling, and telling spe-
cifically, just what the tillers of the soil need to know,
it will prove of great advantage to all who faithfully
follow its counsels in the spirit in which they are given.
Congregationalist and Recorder.
It intelligently and quite fully discusses the various
operations of farm life, and is invaluable to all engaged
in agriculture. Farmers Cabinet.
For the young man of rural tastes, but without a
training at the plow-handles, who asks for a general
guide and instructor that shall be to agriculture what
the map of the world is to geography. it is the best man-
ual to print. For the working farmer, who in summer
noonings and by the winter fireside would refresh his
convictions and reassure his knowledge by old defini-
tions and well-considered summaries, it is the most
convenient hand-book. Fromits double authorship one
might expect some show of patch-work, the original
statement of the author of 1846 annotated and qualificd
b# the writer of this year. But this has been wiscly
avoided. The book isa unit, and shows no disparity
of style nor contradiction in statement. Practically,
it is altogether a recent and timely volume. Only
so much of the original Book of the Farm. by R. L
Allen, as time could not change, has been adopted by
the reviser, New 4v.k Tribun_.
$2.50
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LFOBANGGO. tls ORIGIN- AND HISTORY.
The ordinary Tobacco, is Nicotiana Tobacum, a native of South America. It has been so
long, and so extensively cultivated, that it has become naturalized in many localities. This
is especially the case in some of the Southern States, where it springs up in waste places,
and has become thoroughly established as a weed. Tobacco is remarkable for the readiness
with which it is modified by the soil and climate of the locality in which it is produced.
Not only are the size and texture of the leaves greatly affected, but the quality, the strength
and flavor, are changed to aremarkable extent. The plant, after cultivation for a few suc-
cessive years in any locality, assumes the characteristics, and becomes of the quality peculiar
to the tobacco of that district. Thus the seeds of the strong Kentucky Tobacco, or the highly
flavored Cuban, if it is grown for two or three years in the rich fields of the Valley of the
Connecticut, vield a leaf without the strength of the Kentucky and Cuban, and with the
thin substance and silky texture peculiar to the well-known Connecticut Seed-leaf. Aside
from the spontaneous growth of this species, there are found in the wild state, in various parts
of the country, eight or nine other species, all but one of which are regarded as indigenous.
These mostly occur west of the Mississippi, especially towards the Pacific, and several are
still in cultivation by the Indians. One species, Nicotiana rustica, is found sparingly in
the older States, from New York southward, as a relic of its former cultivation by the tribes
of Eastern Indians. Tobacco is produced in various countries of the Old World, and Turk-
ish, Shiraz, and other Oriental tobaccos are well-known in commerce, and are often men-
tioned as being the product of Nicotiana Chinensis, and N. Persica. Whether tobacco was
known to any part of the Old World before the discovery of America, is very doubtful.
Those who have studied the subject most thoroughly, are inclined to regard the Oriental
tobaccos as having been aerived from American species. The botanical name of the genus,
Nicotiana, was given it in honor of Jean Nicot, who is thought to have been instrumental
in introducing the plant into Europe. Nicot, about the year 1560, was an ambassador from
France to Portugal, and while residing at Lisbon, received seeds of the plant from Florida.
The name tobacco is said by some to be from a locality in Yucatan, while others claim that
it is from tabac, a name of the natives for the pipe they used in smoking the leaf.
Toe AN UEAGCTURE OF .TOBACCG.
Since these essays first appeared, a large number have written to the publishers, inquir-
ing as to the preparation of the leaf to adapt it for use in smoking, chewing, etc. The man-
ufacture of a product is an entirely separate branch of industry from that of producing the
raw material, and is carried on by different persons. Instruction in the manufacture of
tobacco into its various commercial forms, no more of necessity belongs to a work on tobacco
culture, than do directions for brewing in a work on raising hops. The manufacture of
tobacco is a trade, having its own processes, requiring peculiar machinery, and guarded by
its trade secrets, each manufacturer having methods peculiar to himself.
In order to render the work as useful as possible, we give an account of the general treat:
ment of tobacco, which is all that those engaged in the business are willing should be known.
The grower of tobacco, after his crop is dried, carries it through a process of fermentation
by “ bulking ” it, which brings it into a condition for market.
(1)
in—-))L “4
2 HOW TO RAISE TOBACCO.
In nearly every kind of manufacture of tobacco, whether for cigars, or smoking
or chewing forms, the first step is STRIPPING. The leaves are moistened, stacked, covered,
and allowed to remain until they become thoroughly pliable. When they are properly
softened, the ‘‘stem,” as the large and prominent mid-rib of the leaf is called, is removed.
This is done by a single pull, and the leaf is left in halves. Several machines have been in-
vented for stripping, but they bave not yet superseded women and children for this work.
For some kinds of smoking tobacco, and for all kinds intended for chewing, the leaves are
treated with what is technically known as ‘‘ sauce.”
THE COMPOSITION OF THE SAUCE, upon which the peculiar flavor of different brands of
tobacco depends, varies with the manufacturers, each of whom has his peculiar secret. It
is essentially molasses and water, or a solution of liquorice paste (Bail Liquorice), in water.
Of late years glycerine has been added, which imparts sweetness, and prevents the tobacco
from becoming dry. Salt is often added to the sauce, as are Oil of Anise, and other aro-
matics. The leaves are merely sprinkled with the sauce, and kept covered until they are
thoroughly impregnated, or they are dipped into the heated Jiquid. Tobacco intended for
cutting is placed in boxes, and submitted to pressure, which forces out the excess of liquid.
The cake is then cut into shreds by a machine, several different inventions being in use. In
making ‘ plugs, or ‘“‘heads,” a sufficient quantity of fragments are wrapped in a leaf, the
whole placed in a sheet-iron box of the proper size, and pressed into a very solid cake. One
device being fed above with wads of leaves, delivers the pressed plugs continuously below.
Plug tobacco is pressed very firmly into boxes or kegs, the successive layers being oiled to
prevent adhesion.
Twist tobacco is made by moistening the leaves to make them pliable ; a revolving hook,
similar to that used in twisting straw rope, is turned by one man, while another feeds the
leaves, which are laid upon a long table. The twists, thus made of leaves, are often braided
together, after which they are steeped in ‘‘sauce,” and pressed into kegs. The twists are
also made into coils, which is called ‘‘ negro head ” tobacco.
SMOKING TOBACCO, in great variety, is made by cutting up different kinds and qualities
of leaf. For some of the cheaper qualities, the whole leaf, including the mid-rib or stem,
is cutup. Smoking tobacco is often scented, by mixing a small quantity of Cascarilla bark
with it. Of late years, the more frequently employed scenting material has been ‘‘ Wild Va-
nilla.” This is the leaves of a plantabundant in Florida and lower Georgia, Liatris odora-
tissima, and is also known as ‘‘ Hound’s-tongue,” and ‘‘ Deer’s-tongue.” Most of the species
of Liatris, have their pinkish-purple flowers in dense spikes, but this has them in an open
panicle. The leaves are the part used; these, when fresh, have a very disagreeable odor,
which in the dried leaf is changed into a fragrance similar to that of Tonka-bean, and Sweet-
scented Vernal-grass, When the leaf is burned, this odor is very powerful, and but a very
small quantity is used in scenting tobacco. So great is the use of this ‘‘ Wild Vanilla” at
home and abroad, that the gathering of it gives employment to a great many persons in the
localities where it grows. Among the machines used in the manufacture of tobacco, is the
Granulating Machine. This sifts out the dust, and takes out all the fragments above a cer-
tain size, leaving a coarse, uniform powder, used in making cigarettes. The stems accumu-
lated in stripping the leaves, are consumed in preparing a sheep-dip, and to destroy plant-
lice and other insects. For insects on plants, they are burned to fumigate the houses, and are
also used to make an infusion to be applied to infested plants. They are sold at a low price,
hardly more than sufficient to pay for baling them.
Tega Selly ok, Oy en ee
PUBLISHERS’? NO'LTE.—The American AGRICULTURIST several years ago offered Prizes for the best
practical essays on the Culture of Tobacco, to be written by experienced growers, and to embrace full particulars
concerning the crop—all to be written out so plainly as to be serviceable to the inexperienced cultivator. Quite un-
expectedly, the response was so general that over eégity essays were sent in from different parts of the country.
These were handed over to a competent committee of three, who devoted mosteof their time for ten days to a careful
examination of the essays. They were puzzled to decide upon the respective merits of several articles, as each wri-
ter embraced soine items not referred to by others. After mature deliberation, they decided that, according to the
terms of the offer, the essay first given below was entitled to the first prize ; the second in order to the second prize,
while the next three were so nearly equal in merit that they could not make a distinction, and they recommended an
award equal to the third prize to each of these three writers. As but one of the articles could be published in the
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST, a considerable number of the best essays were selected and published in the present
form, The sale of the work has been something remarkable, and though modest in its pretensions, it became the
standard authority on Tobacco Culture. A book made up in this manner has an advantage over one by a single wri-
ter, as it gives the methods and details peculiar to Gifferent parts of the country. The continued demand for the work
is met by a new edition, which is enlarged by a chapter giving something of the history of the Tobacco plant, and an
outline of the processes employed in its manufacture,
No. —BY JUDSON POPENOE, OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY, OHIO.
I comMENcED the cultivation of tobacco about fifteen
years ago; I therefore write from experience, and shall
try to give that experience, in a short and plain way.
VarieviEs.—I have cultivated various kinds of to-
bacco, but have come to the conclusion that what we
call the Ohio seed-leaf is the best and most profitable
kind for general cultivation. There are other kinds of
tobacco that sometimes are profitable, and do well,
but most of these do not cure out so well, nor color so
evenly, nor are they so fine and salable as the seed-
leaf. The Havana tobacco is too small and has not
the fine flavor of the imported. The Connecticut seed-
leaf I believe to be identical with our Ohio seed-leaf;
the difference in the climate may make a slight varia-
tion in the quality, hut we plant the Connecticut seed-
leaf here in Ohio, and I don’t think they can be told
apart. The most of the tobacco raised in this dis-
trict is the seed-leaf, which is strong evidence that it
is the best and most profitable kind to raise here.
SeepD.—At topping-time a few of the most thrifty
stalks should be left to grow without topping, for
seed. When the crop is cut, let the secd-stalks. stand,
atripping off the leaves and suckers. As soon as the
seed-pods are black, the seed is matured; then cut off
the seed-heads helow the forks of the plant, and hang
them in a dry place, out of the reach of mice, to cure.
At leisure time, during the winter, strip the seed-pods
from off the stalk, rub them in the hands until the
seed is rubbed oat, sift through a fine sifter, put in a
ry place, secure from vermin of all kinds, and it is
teady to sow. I have sowed seed six years old which
grew as well as new seed. I think it is a good plan to
raise seed enough at any time to sow for ten years, as
it is thought to deteriorate by constant raising without
changing. If seed snaps or pops when it is thrown
oa a hot stove, it wil: grow.
PrePARING Seep Beps.—There are two plans of pre.
paring beds for sowing seed? the first, and best, is to
spade or plow a bed in rich, dry ground, with a south-
ern exposure; the south end of a barn is a good
place, as the reflection helps to warm the ground,
Where you have tobaceo-stalks, as you make a fur
row with the plow or spade, fill one third full with
the stalks and turn the next furrow over them, and so
continue until the bed is broken up. The stalks hold
moisture, make the bed warm, and help to drain it.
Take well-rotted hog manure and spread over the bed,
to the depth of about two inches, then harrow or
rake until the manure is thoroughly mixed with the
surface of the bed, and all is well pulverized, and as
fine as garden mold. For a bed one rod wide and four
rods long take two common-sized table-spoonfuls (as
much as will lie on conveniently) of seed and mix it
with four quarts of ashes, or slacked lime, and sow
broadcast ; the ashes will enable the seed to be sowed
evenly; then take a hand-roller and roll the bed even-
ly, or place a board on one end of the bed, walk on
it to press the ground to the seed, move it over, and
repeat this until the bedis all pressed over. Another
plan is to burn a large brush-heap in a clearing, ur on
any new ground, in the evening; in the morning dig
the ground up with the ashes on; while warm, rake
tbe bed fine and sow the seed as above directed. Very
little weeding is required where the ground is burned,
as the fire destroys the weed and grass-secds.
If the weather is dry, the plants will need watering
after they are sprouted, (which will be in about three
weeks ;) in fact, the surface of the bed should be kept
constantly moist; the beds snouid be kept clear of
weeds ; do not let the weeds get a start of your plants,
or they will soon choke them out. If the plants grow
well and evenly, the above-sized bed will plant four o¢
4. HOW TO RAISE TOBACCO.
five acres, but it is aiways safe to have two or three
suvb beds, to guard against a failure, and to supply
your neighbors. The usual time to sow is from the
middle of March to the tenth of April, or as soon as
the ground admits of working in the spring. I have
known seed sown in the fall make good plants, but do
bot recommend it.
Soit.—A rich, sandy, second bottom, I believe to be
the best for raising tobacco, although our chocolate-
colored uplands, when very rich and highly manured,
will grow an excellent quality of tobacco, but will not
yield as much to the acre. Black river-bottoms will
yield more to the acre than any other kind of land,
but the tobacco is not of so fine a quality; it grows
larger, has coarser stems, and heavier body, and con-
sequently, in my opinion, is not so good for wrappers
or fine cut as the second bottom or upland tobacco.
MANURING AND PREPARING FOR PLantinc.—Tobacco
is a gross feeder and grows rapidly when once started,
therefore needs plenty of food to make it grow well.
There should be a good coat of clover to plow under ;
if the ground is naturally rich, this alone will make a
good crop, but hog and stable-manure, well rotted, is
what the tobacco, as well as any other crop, delights
in, and the more manure the better the tobacco. The
plan that I am now experimenting on is, as soon as I
cut my tobacco in the fall I give the ground a good
harrowing, and then drill in wheat; the ground being
well cultivated all the fall, is clear of weeds and mel
low and needs no plowing. In the spring I sow clo-
ver, after the wheat is off; I keep the stock off until
about September, to give the clover a chance to harden
and spread, I then let the stock eat as low as they
want to, which drives the clover to root and causes
the crown to spread; I do not suffer stock to run on
the clover during winter or spring; about the last of
May or first of June I plow the clover under, which is
now in blossom, and so I alternately keep two fields
in tobacco and wheat, at the same time feeding the
ground a crop of clover every two years; in this way
I expect my land to increase in fertility all the time.
The clover turned under makes food for the cut-worms,
and they trouble the tobacco-piants but little. We
now harrow thoroughly, following in the same way
that we plow, to make the sod lie flat and not drag
up; next the roller is put on, and after the ground is
well rolled it should be again harrowed, and, if clod-
dy, rolled again. Make the ground in the best condi-
tion possible, so that the roots of the tobacco will
have no difficulty in penetrating the soil and searching
for food. My plan is to furrow east and west three
feet apart, north and south three anda half feet. I
plow the tobacco both ways, but do all the hoeing,
suckering, ete., north and south. Some mark out the
ground three feet each way, but I think it is too close.
If the tobacco is large, three fect does not give room
to work among it conveniently. I mark out the
ground with a small onec-horse plow, going east and
i
usual way to make the hills is with the hoe, making
the hill where the furrows cross each other, drawing
the dirt into a hill about as large as for covermg corn
or potatoes. With the flat part or back of the hoe
press or flatten the hill down to the level of the sur-
face of the ground, taking care to have it clear of
clods or rubbish. I generally make my hills with
what we call a jumping-shovel—the frame of a sin-
gle shovel-plow, made light, with a shovel about eight
inches square, put on in the place of the common
shovel. Hitch a steady horse to this, start him in the
furrows, dip the shovel in the middle of the furrows,
and raise it, depositing the dirt at the cross of the fur-
rows. Have a hand following to level and pat down
the hills, and take out clods» In this way I made,
with the assistance of a boy fifteen years old, about
fifteen thousand hills in a day, while with the hoe
west first, finishing the way that I make my hills. Tb;
alone three or four thousand is a good day’s work.
SerrinG our PLanrs.—From the first to the fifteenth
of June is the proper time, although, if it is seasonable,
up to the fourth of July will do, but the sooner after
the first of June the better. By this time, with pro-
per care and attention, the plants are large enough.
The ground should be well saturated with rain, and a
cloudy day is much the best. Immediately after a
rain, or between showers, call out all the force, for
the work is pressing; the success of the crop de-
pends on getting it out at the right time; all hands go
to the plant-beds, pull the largest plants one at a
time; don’t let two stick together, or the boys will
drop them together and a plant will be lost. After
the baskets are full, let one hand continue to pull
plants.
plant on the side of each hill; let those who stick take
an extra plant in the hand, drawing the leaves together
in the left hand, and with the fore-finger of the right
hand make a hole in the center of the hill deep
enough to receive the full length of the roots without
the top root bending up; insert the plant up to the
collar with the left hand; stick the fore-finger of the
right hand one or two inches from the plant, and press
the dirt well up against the roots, taking care that the
dirt is pressed so as to fill up the hole. Pick up the
plant on the side of the hill, and as you step to the
next hill arrange it for sticking; in this way you al-
ways stick the plant that you pick from one hill in
Put the little boys and girls to dropping one
the next, thereby greatly facilitating the work. Some-
times the ground is not sufficiently wet, and the sux
coming on the plant is apt to injure it; at such times
take a small clod and lay it on the heart of the plant
to keep the sun off, removing the clod in the evening.
As soon as the plants have started, the first time the
ground is wet enough re-plant where they Jiave died out.
CuLtivaTion.—As soon as the plants have taken
root and commenced to grow, begin to use a double
shovel-plow, having the shovel next the tobacco, about
three inches wide and six or eight inches long; do not
EXPERIENCE OF PRACTICAL GROWERS. i)
go too ciose to the hill, or you may displace the plant ;
fyllow with a hoe, removing all grass and weeds, leay-
ing the tobacco master of the situation. Dig gently
the surface of the hill, and draw a little fine dirt around
the plant, and strive to keep the soil around the hill
as mellow as possible without disturbing the plant.
After going over in this manner, plow the opposite
way, going twice in a row. Some prefer the cultiva-
tor for going over the first two times, and, I think,
perhaps it would be preferable, as it pulverizes the
ground better than the shovel-plow, After going over
the field twice, in the above manner, commence again
with the double shovel-plow, the way the tobacco was
planted, following with the hoe, giving ita good hoeing
as before. Use your judgment about the amount of
tillage needed ; keep clear of weeds; keep the ground
mellow, and when the plants have spread so that they
are bruised by the hoe and plow, stop cultivating.
Worms.—As soon as worms appear, which is general-
ly when the leaves areas big as a man’s hand, go over
the tobacco, looking carefully at every plant. The
worms usually stay on the under side of the leaf; if
you see a hole in the leaf, no matter how small, raise
‘t up and you will generally find a worm under it.
Worming can not be done too carefully.
two worms on a plant, and before you are aware of it
the plant is nearly eatenup. When you find a worm,
take hold of it with the thumb and fore-finger, giving
your thumb that peculiar twist which none but those
who are practiced in it know how to do, and put the
proper amount of pressure on, and my word for it you
will render his wormship harmless. Worming has to
be continued until the tobacco is cut; the last worm-
ing to be immediately preceding cutting and housing.
Toppinc.—The tobacco is ready to top when the
button (as the blossom or top of the stalk is called)
has put out sufficiently to be taken hold of, without
injury to the top leaves. As tobacco is not regular in
coming into blossom, it is the usual practice to let
those stalks that blossom first, run a little beyond their
time of topping, and then top all that is in button as
you go. There is no particular hight to top at, but
as a general thing sixteen to eighteen leaves are left;
judgment is necessary to determine where to top; if
topped too high, two or three of the top leaves are so
small as not to amount to much; if topped low, the
tobacco spreads better; if just coming out in top,
reach down among the top leaves, and with thumb and
fore-finger pinch the top or button off below two or three
Miss one or
feaves ; if well out in top, break off several inches
down from the button and four or five leaves below it,
Stuckerinc.—As soon as the tobacco is topped the
suckers begin to grow; one shoots out from the stalk
at the root of each leaf, o: the upper side. When the
top suckers are from three to four inches long, the
suckering should be done; with the right hand take
hold of the top sucker, with the left take hold of the
next, close to the stalk, and break them off, and so
proceed, using hoth hands, stooping over the stalk,
taking care not to injure the leaf. Break the suckers
about half-way down the stalk, the balance being too
short to need removing until the second suckering. In
about two weeks from topping, the tobacco is ready to
cut; now give it the last worming and suckering,
breaking all suckers off down to the ground, and re-
move every worm, if you don’t want your tobacco eaten
in the sheds.
Currinc anp Hovustnc.—As a general rule tobacco
should be cut in about two weeks from topping, at
which time the leaves assume a spotted appearance
and appear to have fulled up thicker; double up the
leaf and press it together with thumb and finger, and,
if ready to cut, the leaf where pressed will break crisp
and short. Do not let your tobacco get over-ripe or
it will cure up yellow and spotted; itis better to cut
too soon than too late. Take a hatchet or short corn-
knife, grasp the stalk with the left hand, bend it well
to the left, so as to expose the lower part of the stalk,
strike with the knife just at the surface of the ground,
let the stalk drop over on the ground without doubling
the leaves under, and leave it to wilt. The usual prae-
tice is to worm and sucker while the dew is on in the
morning, and as soon as the dew is off to commence
cutting. There are some who advocate cutting in the
afternoon, say three o’clock; let it wilt and lie out until
the dew is off next day, and take it in before the sun
gets hot enough to burn it. I prefer the first plan,
because a heavy dew may fall on the tobacco, and next
day be cloudy, leaving the tobacco wet and unpleasant
to handle. After cutting allow the tobacco to wilt
long enough to make the leaves tough, so that they
can be handled without tearing. Great care is now
necessary to keep the tobacco from sun-burning ; cut-
ting should be commenced as soon as the dew is off,
and all that is cut should be housed by eleven o’clock,
unless it is cloudy; from eleven to two o’clock the
direct rays of the sun on the tobacco, after it is cut,
will burn the leaves in twenty minutes; after two, as a
general thing, there is no danger of such burning, the
sun’s rays not striking direct on the tobacco. Have a
wagon at hand, with stiff boards, twelve feet long, laid on
the running gears ; as soon as the tobacco is wilted so
that it can be handled without breaking, commence
loading on both sides of the wagon on the front end,
lapping the tobacco the same as loading fodder, keep-
ing the buts out on both sides—build about two feet
high, and so on until loaded.
Tosacco Barx.—Mine is 50 by 33 feet, with 18 feet
posts; the tiersare four and a halffeetapart. [hang four
full tiers of tobacco, and hang between the purline plates
in the comb, a half tier; the bents of the frame are 16%
feet apart. I hang on four-feet sticks made of hick-
ory, rived one half inch by 14 inches, shaved and
tapered at one end to receive an iron socket; I have
sawed sugar-tree scantlings 16% feet long, 3 by 4
inches thick, for the ends of the sticks to rest on and
6
meet in the center of the rail, 14 inches resting on
it, Some use sawed lath to hang on, but the split and
shaved are far preferable. Hanging on fence-rails with
twine is going out of use, as it should. I use my barn
to store wheat and barley, doing the threshing just
before tobacco-hanging. My barn will hang abcut seven
acres of good tobacco.
Houstne Tosacco.—The tobacco being brought to
the barn, should be unloaded on a platform or bench
convenient for handling. An iron socket, about 6
inches long, # by 14 inches at the big end, taper-
ing to a sharp point is necessary ; the sticks should be
shaved so as to fit the socket as near as possible, but
do not bring the stick to a sharp point, or it will not
lie firmly on the rail. Have a 13-inch hole bored
three inches deep in the barn-post, three feet from the
ground or floor; let the hole be bored slanting down
a little, so that the socket end of the lath may be the
highest; put the end of the stick that is not tapered
into this hole and the socket on the lath; take hold
of a stalk with the right hand, about one foot from
the but end, bring it against the point of the socket,
six inches from the but of the stalk, grasp the but
with the left hand, and give the right hand a firm,
quick jerk to start the stalk to split;
both hands, pull it back against the post, and so on
nutil you have the stick full. The stalks should not
be crowded on the sticks, four or five inches apart is close
enough ; eight or nine large stalks are enough for a four-
foot stick.
lay vour stick of tobacco on the floor, and go on stick-
ing until the load is all stuck; or it is a good plan to
have rails laid on the lower tie and hang for the pre-
sent as you stick. While one or two hands are hang-
ing one load, another may be in the field bringing in
In hanging, have a single block and half-
inch rope, with a hook at one end; secure the block
near where you hang, place the hook in the center of
the stick of tobacco, and let the man on the floor draw
it up to the one who hangs. There should be astout pine
Hoard, two inches thick, fifteen inches wide, and long
enough to reach from tie to tie; this should be placed
under where you hang, to walk on. When the tobacco is
hoisted up, take it off the hook, and walk to the farther
end of the board; have your rails placed to receive the
then, with
Having filled the stick, remove the socket,
another.
stick, and so continue until your rails are full, then
move your board and block to another place, and so con-
tinue. A sixteen-foot rail will hang about twenty-four
laths ; eight inches apart is about the distance to place
the laths of tobacco on the rails ; if too much crowded
the tobaceo will house-burn. Care
never to let a load of tobacco lie long on the wagon or
in a pile, as it sweats and heats and is soon ruined,
Always keep the tobacco cool. After it is housed,
keep the doors open day and night, so that it may
have the benefit of the warm and dry air for the pur-
pose of curing, closing the doors against high winds
and beating rains. When cured keep the doors closed.
should be used
HOW TO RAISE TOBACCO.
Srrippinc.—When the tobacco is sufficiently cured
to strip, which will be after it has been well frozen
and dried out, you will have to watch for it to get ‘‘in
case’ for handling; when & warm, wet, misty spell of
weather comes, throw open the doors, to allow the to-
bacco to take the damp. When the stems of the
leaves are so limber that they will not snap, and the
leaves are pliable, but not too wet, take down a suffi.
cient quantity to strip for two or three days ; take it off
the sticks, make a temporary crib of boards about four
feet wide, and bulk the tobacco in it, laying the tops
in, buts out, next the boards. After you have made
your bulk, cover with an old carpet, boards, or any
thing else handy, to keep it from getting too damp or
from drying out. Care should be taken that the bulk
does not heat; if the stalks are wet or there is any un-
cured tobacco, forty-eight hours is sufficient to spoil the
tobacco. During the winter there are generally several
tobacco seasons, and by improving them the stripping
Having the bulk down
we now proceed to strip for market; laya pile of the
ean all be done before March.
tobacco on a bench or platform about two feet high,
and let the most careful and handy man take a stalk
in his left hand, give it a shake to make the leaves
hang out free, then pick off four or five of the bottom
or ground leaves, and any badly torn or diseased leaves,
and all such as are not considered prime; do not put
any frosted or “* faé” leaves in, as it spoils the tobacco ;
pass the stalk that is primed to the stripper, and let hiia
Take off one leaf at a time,
keeping them straight in the hand; when a sufficient
take off the prime leaves.
number are taken off to make what is called a hand ot
tobacco, take a leaf in the right hand, put the thumb
of the left hand on the end of the leaf about one inch
from the but of the hand or bunch, and pass the leaf
around once or twice; an inch is wide enough for the
hand; open the hand of tobacco in the center, pass
the end of the leaf through and draw it tight, then
squeeze the hand together and lay it down, keeping
the leaves straight. An inch and a half in diameter is
large enough for a hand. When a sufficient quantity
is stripped to commence bulking, make two places to
bulk in, one for prime and one for ground leaf; let the
space be according to the quantity of tobacco to bulk.
A bulk 34 feet high and 20 feet long will hold ten boxes
or about four thousand Ibs. of prime tobacco; the sides
of the bulk must not be inclosed, but left open, so that
the buts can dry out; at each end of the bulk put a bulk-
head of boards to build against, about three feet wide
and four feet high ; secure this upright and firm; do not
build on the ground, but on a platform or floor. Com.
mence at one end against the bulkhead, take one nand
of tobacco ata time, straighten and smooth it, and lay
it on the floor at one side of the bulk; take another
as above, press it against the first, and so proceed to
lay the length of the bulk; then turn and lay down the
other side of the bulk, letting the ends of tke tobacco
lap over the first row about four inches, and 60 repeat,
EXPERIENCE OF PRACTICAL GROWERS. 7
keeping the buts even. After one or two rounds are
laid, get on the bulk on the knees, and as you lay a
hand put your knee on it, and thus pack as close and
eompact as possible, When not bulking down have
boards laid on the tobaeco and weights put on to keep
the tobacco level. Keep the ground leaf separate from
the prime
Boxtnc.-—Boxes should be made 80 inches square
by 4% inches in length outside ; saw the end-boards 28
inches long, nail them to two 14 inch square slats
go that the head will be 28 inches square; when two
heads are made, nail the sides of the box to the heads
30 as to come even with the outside of the head, the
sides being 28 inches wide; then nail the bottom on
firmly; the top can be nailed slightly until after the
tobacco is packed, when it can be nailed firm. Set
your box by the side of the bulk, and let one hand get
in the box and another pass the tobacco to him, one
hand at a time, taking care not to shake it out, but put
‘n the box as it comes from bulk, with the but of the
nand next the end of the box. Place close and press
-_
with the knee firmly; lay alternate courses at cach
end, and if the tobacco is not long enough to lap suf-
ficiently to fill the center, put a few hands crosswise
in the center. When the box is full, place it under a
lever; have a follower, which is a cover made of inch
boards, nailed to two pieces of scantling and made to
fit inside of the box; lay this on the tobacco, and build
with blocks of scantling on it of a sufficient hight for
Press
down firmly with a strong lever, and, while kneeing in
the lever to be clear of the box when pressed.
another box full, let the lever remain, so that the to-
baeco gets set in the box. When ready take the lever
off and fill up as before, abéut six inches higher than
the box; press it below the top of the box, take off
your lever and nail on the top as quickly as possible.
Some use tobacco-presses for packing, which are per-
haps more convenient; they are of various patterns,
but a lever saves the expense of a press and is in
If tobacco is sold at the shed, it
should be sold before packing, being easier examined
in bulk than box.
the reach of all.
No. II.—BY W. W. W. BOWIE, PRINCE GEORGE'S CO., MD.
Seep-Bens.—A rich loam-is the soii for tobacco
The spot for a bed should be the south side
cf 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
ievel and pulverize nicely with a rake. As to the
variety to plant, I think the Cuba is a very good kind
for our climate. The Connecticut seed-leaf is the
best. but culture has more than any thing else to do
with the quality.
plants.
square yards with a quart of plaster or sifted ashes,
and sow it regularly in the same manner that garden-
ers sow small seeds, only with a heavier hand ; roll with
a hand-roller or tramp it with the feet. Ifthe bed is
sown early, it ought to be covered with brush free
from leaves; but it is not necessary to cover it after
the middle of March. Tobacco-beds may be sown at
any time during the winter if the ground be not too
The best time for sowing is from the
10th to the 20th of March, though it is safest to sow at
intervals, whenever the land is in fine order for work-
ing. Never sow unless the land is in good order, for
the work will be thrown away if the land be too moist
or be not perfectly prepared. The beds must be kept
free from grass or weeds, which must be picked out
one at a time by the fingers. It is a tedious and
troublesome operation, therefore you should be very
careful not to use any manures on your beds which
have grass or weed-seeds in them. After the plants
are up, they should receive a slight top-dressing of
manure once a week, sown broadcast by the hand.
This manure should be comvosed of half a bushe’ 9:
wet or frozen.
Mix one gill of seed for every ten.
unleached ashes, (or one bushel of burnt turf,) one
bushel of fresh virgin woods-earth, one gallon of plas-
ter, half a gallon of soot, one quart of salt dissolved in
two gallons of liquid from barnyard, and four pounds
of pulverized sulphur, the whole well intermixed.
Let a large quantity be got together early in the
spring, or winter rather, and put away in barrels for
use when wanted. This, and other such mixtures,
have been found efficacious in arresting the ravages
of the fly —both from the frequent dusting of the
plants and the increased vigor which it imparts to
them, thereby enabling the plant the sooner to get out
of the tender state in which the fly is most destructive
to it. The fly is a small black insect, somewhat like
the flea, and delights in cold, dry, harsh weather, but
disappears with the mild showers and hot suns of
opening summer. If possible, the plants should stand
in the bed from half an inch to one inch apart, ‘and if
they are too thick they must be raked when they have
generally become as large as five or ten-cent pieces.
The rake proper for the purpose should be a small
common rake, with iron teeth three inches long, curved
at the points, teeth flat, and three eighths of an inch
wide, and set half an inch apart.
Arrer-CuLTurE.— The soil best adapted to the
growth of tobacco is light, friable soil, or what is
commonly called a sandy loam, not too flat, but roll-
ing, undulating land — not liable to drown in excessive
rains. New land is far better than old. Ashes are
decidedly superior to any other fertilizer for tobacco,
Theory and practice unite in sustaining this assertion.
The land intended for tobacco should be well plowed
in April, taking care to turn the turf completely up
8 HOW TO RAISE TOBACCO. .
der, and subsoiling any portions that may be very stiff
and hold to water near the surface; and let the land be
well harrowed directly after breaking it up. It should
then be kept clean, light, and well pulverized by oeca-
sional working with cultivators and large harrows, so
as not to disturb the turf beneath the surface. When
the plants are of good size for transplanting, and the
ground in good order for their reception, the land, or
so much as can be planted in a ‘‘season,” should be
“seraped,” which is done by running parallel furrows,
with a small seeding-plow, two anda half feet apart, and
then crossing these again at right angles, preserving
the same distance, which leaves the ground divided in
checks or squares of two and a half or three feet each
way. The hoes are then put to work and the hill is
formed by drawing the two front angles of the square
into the hollow or middle, and then srnoothed on top
and patted by one blow of the hoe. The furrows
should be run shallow, for the hills should be low and
well leveled off on the top, and, if possible, a slight
depression near the center, soas to collect the water
near the plant. The first fine rain thereafter, the
plants should be removed from the seed-beds, and one
carefully planted in each hill. A brisk man can plant
from five to six thousand plants per day. The smaller
or weaker hands, with baskets filled with plants, pre-
eede the planters, and drop the plants on the hill. In
drawing the plants from the bed, and carrying them
to the ground, great care should be taken not to bruise
or mash them. They ought to be put in baskets or
narrels, if removed in carts, so that not many will be
in a heap together. The plants should never be planted
deeper than when they stood in the bed. Planting is
done thus: Seize the plants dropped on the hill with the
left hand; with one finger of the right hand maxe
a hole in the center of the hill, and with the left
put in the root of the plant. The dirt is well
closed about the roots of the plants, (put in with the
left,) by pressing the fore-finger and thumb of the right
hand on each side of the plant, taking care to close
the earth well about the bottom of the root. If sticks
are used to plant with, they should be short, and the
planter should.be careful not to make the hole too
deep. The plants should be very carefully planted,
for if the roots are put in crooked and bent up, the
plant may live but never flourish, and, perhaps, when
too late to replant, it will die, and then all the labor
will be wasted. In three or four days it may be weeded
out, that is, the hoes are passed near the plants, and
the hard crust formed on the hills pulled away, and
the edges of the hill pulled down in the furrows ; this
is easily done if performed soon after planting, but if
delayed, and the ground gets grassy, it will then be found
a very troublesome operation. After weeding out,
put a gill of equal parts of plaster and ashes well
mixed, upon each plant. Ina few days, say a week or
less time, run a small plow through it, going twice
‘narow. This is a delicate operation, and requires a
steady horse and a skillful plowman, for without
great care the plants will be knocked up or be killed
by the working. In a week after, the tohacco culti-,
vator or plow must be used. Hither implement is
valuable at this stage of the crop. But once in a ror
is often enough for either cultivator or shovel-plow
to pass. The crop can now be made with their use
by working the tobacco once a week for four or five
weeks, going each time across the former working.
Any grass growing near the root of the plants should
be pulled out by hand. As soon as the tobacco has
become t9o0 large to work without injuring the leaves
by the singie-tree, the hoes should pass through it,
drawing a little earth to the plants when required and
leveling the furrows made by the cultivator and shovel.
Let this hoeing be well done, and the crop wants no
more working. Care should be taken to leave the
land as level as possible, for level culture is best.
Toprrinc.— When it blossoms, the best plants ought
to be selected for seed; one hundred plants being
enough to save for seed to sow a crop of forty thon-
sand pounds. 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,
top still lower. If the season is favorable, in two weeks
after a plant has been topped it will be fit for cutting,
yet it will not suffer by standing longer in the field.
From this stage of the crop, until it is in the house, it
is a source of solicitude and vexation to the planter.
He is fearful of storms, of frost, and worms, his worst
enemy — they come in crowds, ‘‘ their name is legion ”’
—and the suckers are to be pulled off when they get
three or four inches long, they spring out abundantly
from the bottom of the plant or leaf where it joins the
stalk. Ground leaves are those at the bottom of the
plant which become dry on the stalk; gather them
early in the morning, when they will not crumble.
Worms.— These ought to>e pulled off and killed
as fast they appear, or they \ iil destroy the crop.
Turkeys are of great assistance in destroying these
insects; they eat them and kill thon 2nds which they
do not eat, for it seems to be a cherished amusement
to them to kill worms on tobacco ; they grow passion-
ately fond of it —they kill for the iove of killing.
There are every year two ‘‘gluts,” as they are called
by planters; the first attacking the plants about the
time that they are about one third or half grown, the
other comes on when the tobacco is ready for cutting.
The first can be easily subdued by a good supply of
turkeys, and if them they are effectually destroyed the
second glut will be very easy to manage, for it is the
opinion of many intelligent and experienced planters
that the greater portion of the first glut reappears the
same year, as horn-blowers, and breed myriads. When
the second army of worms makes 1ts appearance, the
tobacco is so large that the turkeys do but little good.
The only method, then. to destroy them, is to begin
EXPERIENCE OF PRACTICAL GROWERS. 9
m time. Start when they are being hatched, and
keep up a strict watch upon them, going over the whole
field, plant by plant, and breaking the eges,
such as may be seen, and by constant attention during
each morning and evening to this business alone, with
the whole force of the farm, they may be prevented
from doing much harm. When they disappear the
second time, there is no more cause of trouble.
Curtinc anp Housine,—When the plant begins to yel-
low, it is time to put it away. It is cut off close to the
ground, by turning up the bottom leaves and striking
with a tobacco-knife, formed of an old scythe — such
knives as are often used for cutting corn, Let it lie on the
ground for a short time to wilt, and then carry it to the
tobacco-house, when it may be put away in three dif-
killing
ferent modes, by “pegging,” ‘““spearing,” and ‘‘split-
ting.”
yet the slowest.
inches long and half an inch or less square into the stalk,
about four inches from the big end of the stalk; and
these pegs are driven in with a mallet, in a slanting
direction, so as to hook on to the sticks in the house.
It is then put on to a “‘horse,’’ which, by a rope fixed
to one corner, is pulled up in the house and there hung
upon the sticks, which are regulated at proper dis-
tances. A ‘“tobacco-horse” is nothing
three small sticks nailed together so as to
angle, each side being three or feet long.
is the plan I pursue; because it is neat enough and
decidedly the quickest plan. A rough block, with a
nole morticed in if, and a little fork a few inches from
the hole for the tobacco-stick to rest upon, one end
being in the hole and a spear on the other end of tne
stick, is all the apparatus required; the plant is then,
with both hands, run over the spear and thus strung
upon the sticks, which, when full, are taken to the house
and hung up at once. There are “ dart-spears,” like
the Indian dart, and ‘‘round spears.’ Hither will do.
“Splitting? tobacco is admired by many who con-
tend that it cures brighter, quicker, and is less
likely to howse-burn or injure from too thick hanging.
This mode is pursued easily by simply splitting, with
a knife made for the purpose, the plant from the top
to within a few inches of the bottom, before it is cut
down for housing. Care should be taken not to break
the leaves while splitting the stalk. The knife for
splitting may be fully described by saying it is a min-
jature spade. It can be easily made out of an old
scythe-blade inserted in a cleft white oak handle, with
its edges beveled off to the blade, so that it acts like
a wedge to the descending knife. After the tobacco
is split, cut down, and carried to the house, it is strad-
dled across the sticks and hung up. The sticks are
generally supported by forks driven in to the ground
near the heap of tobacco, for greater convenience to
the person putting onthe plants. ToBacco-STICKs are
small round sticks, or are split out like lath, and are
about one inch square at one end, or one and a half
Pegging tobacco is the neatest way and best,
It is done by driving pegs about six
more than
form a tri-
Spearing
inches square, usually larger at one end ‘han the other,
and they should be about eight or ten inches longer
than the distance between joists of the tobacco-housa
As the tobacco cures they may be pushed up closer.
After the house is filled, some put large fires under it,
as soon as it has turned yellow, and by hot fires it ig
dried at once and does not change color, unless to
increase the brightness ; but “firing ”’ gives it a smoky
smell and taste that is not much liked by buyers. The
cost of labor and loss of wood, and the risk of losing
tobacco and house too, are great objections well urged
against firing. The better plan is to have sufficient
house-room, and hang it thin in houses not too large,
which have windows and doors so as to admit light
and air, and by closing them in bad weather, exclude
the rain anc dampness, which materially damage the
tobacco, besides injuring the color of it.
Srripeinc.—After becoming dry and well cured
the stems of the leaves being free from sap, the first
mild damp spell of weather it will become pliant and
may then be stripped off the stalk. It is first pulled
or taken off the sticks and put in piles, then the
leaves are stripped off, tied and put in bundles of about
one fifth or sixth of a pound in each. The bundles
are formed by wrapping a icaf around the upper part
of the handful of leaves for about four inches, and
tucking the end in the middle of the bundle to confine
it. There ought, if the quality of the crop will permit,
to be four kinds of tobacco, ‘ yellow,” “ bright,” “dull,”
and “second.” When the tobacco is taken down, the
“cullers” take each plant and pull off the defective
leaves that are next to the big end of the stalk, and then
| turow the plant to the next person, who strips off all of
the bright leaves (andif there are any yellow leaves, he
lays them on one side until he has got enough to make
a bundle) and throws the plant to the next person, who
takes off all the rest, being the ‘‘duw//;” and the re-
spective strippers, as they get enough leaves in hand to
make a bundle, throw one side for convenience’ sake
to bulk. Stripping never should be done in dry or
harsh weather, unless the tobacco is bulked up almost
as fast as stripped. The best plan is not to take down
more than you can conveniently tie up in a few hours;
but if the planter chooses, he may take down a large
quantity and put it in large bulk, stalk and all, and cover
it with tobacco-stalks, and it will keep for many days,
so that no matter how the weather be, he can strip out
of the bulk.
fulway. Tobacco should not be too moist or ‘ high,”
as it is termed, when put in stalk bulk, or it will get
warm, the leaves stick to the stalk, get a bad smell,
and change color; besides, if left too long, it will rot.
However, this is a very bad and waste-
BuLKinG anp Conpitioninc.—To bulk tobacco re-
quires judgment and neatness.
laid parallel to each other, about thirty inches apart,
and the space between them filled with sticks for the
purpose of keeping the tobacco from the dampness of
the ground. The bundles are then taken one at a
Two logs should be
10
time, spread out and smoothed down, which is most
conveniently done by putting it against the breast and
stroking the leaves downward smooth and straight
with the right hand. It is then passed, two bundles
at atime. to the man bulking. He takes them and
lays them down and presses them with his hands;
they are laid, two ata time, in a straight line—the
broad part of the bundles slightly projecting over the :
next two—and two rows of bundles are pet in a buik,
doth rows carried on together, the heads being on the
outside, and the tails just lapping one over the other
in regular succession. The bulk, when carried up to
a convenient hight, should have a few sticks laid
across to keep itin place. It must often be examined,
and if getting warm it ought to be immediately changed
and laid down in another bulk of less hight, and not
pressed as it is laid down ; this is called ‘‘ wind-rowing ;”
being loose and open, it admits the air between the
rows of bundles, hence the term. The next process
in this troublesome, but beautiful crop, is to ‘ conp!-
tion” it for “packing.” The bright, yellow, and
second tobacco will condition, but most generally
in such bulks as I have just described, but it is best
If the
bright or second do not dry thoroughly in the bulks,
that should also be hung up in the house to beeome
to hang up the di// as soon almost as stripped.
well dried. To properly hang up tobacco to condition,
smal! sized sticks should be procured, and each one
aicely sm othed with the drawing-knife, and kept for
that purpose. After it has once been perfectly dry,
either hanging up or in bulks—so dry that the heads
are easily knocked off, and the shoulders of the bundles
erack upon pressure like pipe-stems—it should be taken
jown, or if in bulks, removed, the first soft, moist
spell of weather, as soon as it is soft and yielding
enough, as it will become too dry to handle without
crumbling or breaking, and it must be put in four or
six-row bulks of any convenient length and hight,
the higher the better, laid down close, so that as little
ef the leaves or shoulders as possible be exposed on
—-
U HOW TO RAISE TOBACCO.
the outside of the bulk. When completed put sticks
and logs of wood, cte., on the top so as to weigh it
down. Here it will keep sweet and in nice order for
packing at any time, no matter what the weather
be, if it was conditioned properly, it will not change «
particle while in the condition-bulk.
Packinc.—Mild, soft, pleasant weather is the best
to pack tobacco in the hogshead. The size of the
hogsheads is fixed by law, forty inches in the head and
fifty-two in the length. Almost any wood will answer
to saw into hogshead stuff; the best, of course, is that
which is strong but weighs light, such as gum, or
beech, or birch, or poplar. No hogshead ought to
weigh over one hundred pounds, and staves drawn out
of red oak, or other, which make the best, but are too
costly, ought not to weigh over ninety pounds.
Having got our tobacco in good order, our hogshead
ready, etc., the first mild day that we can spare, we
proceed to packing. Let me observe that while put-
ting the tobacco in condition-bulks, all of the bundles
that were soft or had an ill smell ought to have been
laid one side to be made sweet and dry by a few hours
in the sun. The same precaution must be observed
while packing. In putting tobacco into the hogshead
for packing, a man gets in with shoes of, and lays one
bundle at a time in a circle, beginning in the middle,
and circle
reaches the staves of the hogshead ; a single row of bun-
dles is then laid all round the edge of the heads of the
last circle, then across the hogshead in parallels with
the former, always keeping the middle the highest;
These courses are continued
each circle is extended until the outer
this is called a course.
until the hogshead is filled. The man who packs,
presses with his knees each bundie in each course,
and often stands upon his feet and tramps heavily,
but cautiously all round and across, so as to get in as
much as possible.
This concludes the almost ceaseless round of labor
that is necessary to prepare for market this important
staple of our country.
No. III—BY CHRISTIAN SCHNEIDER, MADISON COUNTY, ILL.
(Translated by Ferdinand Schlueter.)
Ixtropuction.—As in other kinds of farming, the
culture of tobacco varies in different localities, and
every cultivator must modify the hints here given to
suit his own particular soil and location. The prinei-
pal thing is, to understand the nature of the plant,
that is, the necessary requirements of soil, climate,
and culture, and the reason why all the work con-
nected with its culture is done; for this must be
adapted to the end aimed at, and not culy may be
different under other circumstances, but often mus¢
be so.
work is.done, and how, in my location, (Central Tlli-
aois,) I have best succeeded in growing the crop.
I have therefore tried to explain, why the
1. Raising PLantTs FROM Sexp.—Raising tobacco.
plants from seed is somewhat similar to raising cab-
bage-plants, but is different in two important things:
It takes considerably more time for the seed to sprout,
(six weeks,) and, on account of disturbing the roots, car
not well stand weeding. Therefore the principal care in
providing the seed-bed is, to prepare for the early start:
ing of the seed, and to have the bed free from al.
In the West we prepare the seed-bed in
the following manner: we take a plot of land—newly
cleared land is preferred—sloping southward, and
protected against winds. The bed should be four
feet broad and eight feet long; on this we pile brusn,
weed-seeds.
EXPERIENCE OF PRACTICAL GROWERS. id
wood, and heavy logs, sufficient to keep up a strong
fre for at least one hour, and burn it. When the
coals begin to die out, or before the soil is cold, the
ped is cleared off, and only the fine ashes are left,
then it is hoed thoroughly and as deep as the strong-
est Feat has penetrated, after which it is raked cross
and lengthwise, until the soil is entirely pulverized.
Every thing that might hinder the growing of the
plants, and their taking out afterwards, is carefully
removed. On this bed a thimbleful of seed, well
mixed with a few handfuls of ashes or earth, is sown
broadcast, and tramped in with the feet, or slapped
with the under side of the spade or any other suitable
instrument. After this, the bed is thoroughly wetted
with a weak manure-water, twelve pounds of hen-
droppings, or one pound of soot in ten gallons of
water, and lightly covered with straw. The seed-
bed does not need much attention at first, if the
weather remains mild; but if there is danger of night-
frosts, a layer of brush must be made, and on this a
layer of straw two to four inches thick, according to
the degree of frost. The straw is removed in the
morning, and put on again at evening, leaving it off
entirely, when the nights are mild. Although the
seed-bed is ready now, it must not be left to itself,
and requires some care. The plants must always have
sufficient moisture, and if timely rains do not fall,
they must be watered with weak liquid manure as
often as needed. Should weeds appear, notwithstand-
ing all precautions, they must be removed with the
utmost care. The above-mentioned quantity of seed
is sufficient to raise plants for one acre.
Whoever is in possession of a hot-bed can raise
the plants much easier; he can sow later and have
plants earlier and with more certainty. But even the
common bed may be made into a kind of hot-bed.
The burned and inoed surface-soil is removed and put
on one side, then one foot of fresh horse-dung is laid
on the subsoil, and the surface-soil put back again.
Boards may be placed around, cross-pieces laid over
tlern, and the straw covering put on these.
The earlier the young plants are ready for trans-
March is
the latest to make the seed-bed in the open air, and
June the latest for transplanting. Some time may be
gained by keeping the seed in damp earth in the
room, and sow it in the seed-bed just before it com-
mences to sprout.
planting the surer the tobacco crop will be.
For seed I recommend the following varieties :
1. Connecticut seed-leaf, principally for segar-wrap-
pervs; 2. Cuba, for fillers and wrappers; 8. Maryland;
4. Virginia, the last two principally for smoking and
chewing tobacco. For snuff every thing may be
use], the refuse and even the stems. The Connecti-
cut, Maryland, and Virginia yield the largest crops, the
Cuba the smallest but best. The first varieties yield
about one thousand pounds, the latter five hundred
pornds. In very favorable seasons double the amount
may be raised. All tobacco-seed, which is temoved
from its native clime and soil, will deteriorate, and
the seed must be renewed from its native place, al-
though the seed may, when it finds favorable soil,
ete., yield just as good, if not a better variety.
To raise seed, leave the best and strongest plants for
this purpose. The suckers only are removed, and
the leaves left on the plant, until the seed is ripe.
2. THe Soin anp its Preparation.—In a suitable
climate tobacco may be raised in every good culti-
vated soil. But what is “suitable climate’? Which
are the northern and southern boundaries of its cul-
ture? We consider only the practical side of the
question, and answer, Tobacco can be raised as far
North as corn, and as far South as the sugar-cane.
Wherever corn matures fully, tobacco will also ma-
ture, if properly cultivated. For us in the West, and
for all the lecalities that have not an over-amount of
heat, experience has proved, that a dry, warm soil,
(loam or sandy loam,) rich, deep, and containing lime,
is most suitable for tobacco.
certain degree, the soil is, the better will be the qual-
ity of the tobacco; the nearer the soil is to clay, the
poorer will be the crop under similar circumstances,
although the yield may yet be satisfactory. Clayey
soil will hardly produce tobacco suitable for segara,
Wet and tough clay soils are under no circumstances
suitable to tobacco.
The more sandy, to a
Tobacco lands require also: Ist. Protection against
winds. Where this is not done by nature, it may
be artificially done by planting several rows of pole-
beans a few steps apart. 2d. There must be no stand-
ing water. This is best prevented by deep plowing,
by which the water will sink into the soil, where it
belongs.
The land must be plowed deep, eight to twelve
inches, and harrowed thoroughly until it is as fine as
good garden soil. This is best done by plowing in
the fall, exposing the hard and rough furrows to the
frost; after the soil is dry in spring, it should be har-
rowed thoroughly, and then plowed and harrowed
again for a second, and if necessary, for a third time,
and rolled before planting. The different plowings, etc.,
should of course be done at intervals long enough to
allow the land to settle. This is the treatment of soil]
that has been cultivated with the plow before tobacco
is grown on it. It is somewhat different with newly
turned (virgin) soil, or a clover-field, or a meadow,
which the tobacco particularly likes. Deep and thor-
ough working is the rule here also, but it is done in
somewhat differe.t way. In the virgin soil, all the
roots must be picked up, because they would make tha
soil too loose for the secure insertion of the plant,
and then they would hinder the cultivation with
the hoe and the plow to a great degree. Meadows
and clover-fields are broken up about three weeks be-
fore planting, eight to ten inches deep, taking care
! that the furrow is entirely turned, so that the grass is
12 HOW TO RAISE TOBACCO.
breught to the bottom. After eight to fourteen days,
when the soil has settled, it is thoroughly harrowed
in the direction of the furrows, to prevent the sod
being turned up again, which must remain below un-
disturbed. Shortly before planting the soil is harrow-
ed again, and if necessary it is rolled and harrowed
once more. This time it may be done crosswise.
This treatment of meadows and clover fields has these
advantages: the newly turned sod prevents the weeds
from coming up, and the under-turned grass acts as a
manure, and, if the seed-bed should fail, (which may be
the case,) the work of breaking up the soil is not lost,
as other crops may be raised.
‘““ Tobacco makes the land poor.,—This is ex-
perienced wherever tobacco is grown, and not only
individuals, but whole countries have ruined their soil
with this crop so thoroughly, that it remained barren
for a long time after. Whoever, therefore, cultivates
this hungry plant for more than a mere plaything,
must be careful that he does not exhaust his land.
He must not only possess a naturally rich soil, but
must have plenty of manure at his disposition, and
The writer of
this is of the opinion, that the tobacco of itself does
not require much manure, if planted for the first time
on otherwise ¢ooa and rich soil, and that even animal
must follow a system of rotation.
manure will injure the tobacco for making segars, and
for smoking; but he does believe, that for the crop fol-
lowing the tobacco, manuring can not be done too
early, and too heavily. The manures are very different,
and equally useful for the different kinds of tobacco.
We may classify them as follows :
To be applied shortly before planting, and in equal
quantities, for all kinds of tobacco: 1. Guano, 200 to
300 pounds on the acre; 2. Poultry-droppings, 400 to
500 in any quantity ;
4, Sheep-dung, 6 two-horse loads; 5. Cattle manure,
pounds; 8. Green manure
10 two-horse leads.
For chewing-tobacco and snuff: 1. Sheep-dung, 10
to 12 loads per acre ; 2. Cattle manure, 20 to 80 loads;
3. Horse-dung, 15 to 25 loads; 4. Hog manure, 20
to 30 loads.
bacco, or for that to be used for segars.
The last two are useless for smoking to-
The first three manures (guano, poultry-droppings,
and green manure) must be followed after the tobacco-
crop, by a plentiful supply of stable-manure. .The
tobacco-stalks themselves, rotted or burned to ashes,
sown over the field before the transplanting, or in the
planting-furrows, wil! act as a good manure, but are not
sufficient. In highly-worked farms, that is, where the
soil is valuable, and can not remain idle, it will pay
erery way, to sow rye for fodder on the tobacco-land
in the fall; this may be made into hay, or turned
under as manure at the beginning of July, just as may
seern most profitable. Deep plowing for the rye, and
afterward for the tobacco, must not be forgotten.
Ags a rotation for tobacco, I would recommend: first
year, corn, potatoes, cabbage, or any hoed crop;
second year, spring barley, with clover; third year,
clover; fourth year, the clover plowed under at the
beginning of June, and tobacco; fifth year, wheat.
Nos. 1 and 4 to be manured. Or, if the richness of the
clover is intended for wheat, which also pays well for
this extra care, and if green rye is to be plowed
under for tobacco; first and second year, as above 5
third, clover; the third growth plowed under, avd
wheat harrowed in; fourth, wheat; in the fall the
field is plowed, and rye sown; fifth, green rye plowed
under, and tobacco. Nos. 1 and 5 to be manured.
Or, if more wheat is desired, first, second, third,
fourth and fifth years as above, and wheat the sixth
year. Nos. 1 and 5, and if any way possible, No. 6 to
bemanured. TJ consider the last rotation the best. It
will give, in six years, three straw-crops, which are much
needed for manure. The grain-crop of barley and wheat
is sure, and it don’t happen as in the second, that a hoed
crop follows the tobacco, which is also a hoed crop.
Tobacco is planted on the same field again in seven
years, an interval long enoug! not to ruin the soil.
The benefit for tobacco in this rotation, consists in
the lasting qualities of the green clover and rye,
plowed under.
8. TRANSPLANTING.
As soon as the seedlings are
of the size of cabbage-plants, that is, having four
leaves, and being four to six inches high, they are
ready for transplanting. The first thing is, to lay out
the land in planting-rows with the one-horse plow, as
for corn, and from north to south, if a steep slope
does not make another way necessary. These rows
are either furrows or ridges, according to whether
there is little or much rain expected, or as the soil is
porous or not. The furrows give the plants shadow,
and protect the soil from drought by the sun or winds ;
the ridges allow all the sun, and protect from damp-
ness. In this respect the planter must be governed by
experience. Ridges and furrows may be omitted,
especially in small plantations. A strong cord is
stretched over the whole width of the field, by stakes
at each side, and one in the middle; along this cord
the plants are inserted at regular distances, which are
shown by some mark on the cord. When one row is
planted, the cord is removed to the next, and the
planting done in the same manner, and so on, until
the field is done. This method has the advantage,
that the soil may be made fine with the hoe shortly
before the inserting of the plant, if it has not been
done sufficiently with horse-labor. However the rows
may be made, they must be equally far apart, and so
with the plants in the rows. The distance of the rows
and of the plants depends upon the room which the
plant occupies when fully grown, and is therefore dif-
ferent with the several varieties of tobacco. Cuba is
satisfied with the smallest space, while the other
The distance apart also depends
somewhat upon the richness of the soil, for very rich
soil will grow larger leaves than poor so'l; and then
varieties need more.
EXPERIENCE OF PRACTICAI. GROWERS, 13
It must be eonsidered whether the after-cultivation is
to be done entirely by human labor, or partly by horse-
power. The farthest distance for Maryland, Virginia,
and Connecticut, is with the rows four feet, and the
plants three feet in the row ; for Cuba, the rows three
feet, and the plants two feet. In Central Illinois, we
do best by making the rows three and a half feet, and
the plants three feet apart in the rows for the first
three varieties—so we get seven thousand Cuba, and
four thousand two hundred plants of the other kinds,
on the aere.
It is handy in large plantations, and even necessary,
when the work is to be done with horse-power, to
have a wagon-road around the field and through the
center, this makes the work at harvest-time much
easier.
When the rows are made and the plants are large
enough, then the planter must watch for a mild rain
and one or two cloudy days. If the weather is favor-
able, he must lose no time, but go to work with all
the hands at his disposal. Notwithstanding the hurry,
every thing must be done methodically and in proper
order; for all carelessness in transplanting tobacco is
severely punished by the necessity of renewing plants
that don’t grow, and up to its maturity the same care
must be observed, even in selling the yield. The
seed-bed is thoroughly wetted, so that the roots will
not be hurt while pulling up the plants, and the earth
not disturbed around remaining ones. The largest
plants are taken out at first, and only as many as can
be planted in half a day,
are tied in bundles of one hundred, laid in a basket
and covered. They are inserted, not deeper than they
stood in the bed, in a hole, made with the fingers or
with a trowel, and the soil then squeezed around the
plant again. This work is continued the whole day, in
cloudy weather, until completed.
riin and no cloudy days, and the transplanting can not
be postponed any longer, then the grower must water
As soon as taken up they
But if there is no
the plants at transplanting, and cover them immedi-
ately after. This requires the additional help of three
workmen, namely, one who waters, one that puts dry
earth avound the watered plant, so that no lumps will
form there, and the third to cover the plants. Trans-
planting under these circumstances can only be done
mornings and evenings, and should even be done only
towards evening. If the weather has been cloudy at
the time of transplanting, and hot weather sets in the
next or the second day, then also the plants must be cov-
ered. Covering is done with light, dry leaves or straw.
After the transplanting is done, care must always be
taken that the plants, until they are rooted, are not
suffering fiom moisture, and it may be necessary that
they be watered a second time.
must be removed and replaced by healthy ones.
4. Work untin Harvestine.—This work is done
partly for the benefit of the soil and for that of the
plants themselves. The working of the soil is for
Dead or weak plants
keeping it open to the influences of the atmosphere
and to destroy the weeds, and will forward thc growth
of the plant, for experience has proved that only soil
that is open and free of weeds will secure the full de-
velopment of the plants. Loosening and stirring the
soil from time to time is therefore not only beneficial,
but necessary, especially when the soil is hardened by
heavy rains, or a crust has formed through other influ-
ences, or when weeds appear. For the first loosening,
which should be done shortly after the plants have
rooted, a furrow-harrow, a one-horse harrow with teeth
slanting forward and the cross-beams so arranged that
they can be set two to three and a half feet apart, is
the best implement; for the second and third, the eul-
tivator, or if the soil gets hardened below the surface,
or when many weeds are in their way, the common
corn-plow should be used. This is the working be-
tween the rows. In the rows between the plants,
where the working is even more important, it must be
done with the hand-hoe,
not to damage the roots, and at the second and espe-
cially at the third hoeing, the soil must be drawn to-
ward the plants, partly to protect them against storms
Care must always be taken
and give them a stronger hold, and partly to absorb
excessive moisture.
Where
help is plenty, it is better to dispense with all horse-
work ; the plants can be put closer together, a larger
crop is gained, less damage is done to the plants,
and in closing up the account the cultivator, with hu
man labor, will not be the loser.
soul, it will be seen, is not what makes the tobacco
culture so laborious and expensive. It is the care of
the plants, of which I shall now speak.
From the first starting of the tobaceo plant, it has its
First appears a cut-worm that works in the
soil and eats the roots off. Then comes a little cater-
The soil must never be worked while wet.
The working of the
enemies.
pillar which enjoys itself on the young leaves, and
lastly the beautiful and large tobacco-worm, which eats
into the leaf, and in a short time leaves nothing but
the leaf-stems and stalk. The only remedies against
these enemies are the vigilance and industry of the
planter—looking after them, digging up, picking, and
destroying once or twice a day, or often as there are
any traces of them. Children, to whom premiums are
offered, will be very successful in destroying them.
(Premiums are a very good thing all over, and are the
reason why this treatise is written.) A herd of turkeys,
if given access to the tobacco-field, are a very valuable
help. A negro from South-Carolina told me a few
days ago, that a solution of blue vitriol in water,
sprinkled over the plants, will kill the worms. The
remedy may be worth trying. Of course the solution
must be made weak enough, so that it will not destroy
the plants as well as the worms.
PriminG.—The object of priming is to break off the
leaves that come out too near the ground, which when
large lie flat on it, and therefore rot or get dirty
14 HOW TO RAISE TOBACCO.
This work should be done early, the sooner the better,
so that the plant does not lose much strength by their
growing. These leaves must not be torn off, especially
not downward, because the plant would be injured,
and irstead of throwing the strength gained into the
other leaves, it would be thrown away to heal the
wound. The distance from the ground this priming
should be done, depends upon the variety grown and
upon the time at which the work is done: four to six
inches is the right distance. This priming is not done
by every one. One farmer may practice it, while his
neighbor does not; but sorts the lower leaves separ-
ately, and sells them as so-called “lugs,” for which he
gets a little over half the price or the good upper
leaves. Those who do not prime, must generally cop
lower, or they must risk tiat the whole plant, or at
least the upper leaves, will not mature fully,
TorprinG is done to throw the strength, which would
zo to develop seeds, into the leaves. It must, there-
fore, be done as early as the seed-buds show them-
selves, if not earlier. This work mast be done, and
the question is, how to do it. If there are but few
leaves on the plant, even these will not ripen, if it is
not topped; if there are many, then the grower has
the choice either to break off the flower-stalk only or
to take off one or more leaves also. This should be
done in answer to the questions: Ist. Is there time
enough to ripen even the upper leaves fully ? and, 2d,
Are the plant and the soil strong enough to ripen all
leaves, even the upper ones? The answers to these
queries will decide the way of topping. If yes, he
takes off the flower-stalk only ; if no, he tops to eight,
ten, twelve, fourteen, or sixteen leaves, according to
his judgment, that is, he allows so many leaves to re-
main on the plant. Here will be seen the importance
and benefit of starting the plants early from seed.
This alone may increase the yield one half.
Suckeriné fellows shortly after topping, and is done
for the same reason — to concentrate the strength of
the plant in the leaves. A sucker is a little branch
appearing at the place where the stem of the tobacco-
leaf joins the stalk. They draw off nutriment, while
they will never be good for any thing, and therefore
This is one of the tiresome opera-
tions in tobacco culture, for these suckers do not all
must be removed.
appear at the same time; they first appear on the
lower leaves, and then on the middle, and lastly at
the top leaves. They even push out again sometimes
after they have been removed. They demand the
planter’s whole attention, and he has no rest on ac-
count of them, unti: the plant is fully matured.
Priming, topping, and suckering must not be done
during a rain, or when the dew is on the plants, or
they will get rust-spots, which will get larger every
day and at last destroy the whole leaf.
Harvestinc.—The maturity of tobacco is seen, if
the leaves, which were greet. up to now, when held
against the sin, show yellowish, reddish, or brownish
spots, feei sticky, and when bent break off slort ard
clean. Before this period sets in, the drying-house
should be in good order. This house is built to give
room for the free hanging up of the tobacco, so that
it is protected from the sun, wind, and rain, and is
allowed to dry by the free circulation of the air. Any
building, therefore, will answer which has a good roof,
boarded sides, and enough windows and air-holes (which
can be closed at will) to keep up a mild circulation of
air inside, and also to keep out strong and too quick
drying winds. If the tobacco is grown on a large
scale, the house should have large doorways to drive a
wagon in and out. There must be sticks all over the
house, either cross or lengthwise, and these sticks must
be ready and in their places. Now the work of harvest-
ing the crop is commenced on a clear or cloudy but
The mature plants (those not ripe are
left longer on the field if not too late in the season)
ave cut off near the ground, two of them tied together
by the but-ends and hung up in the field on riders,
which rest on two forks fastened in the ground, and
they are left there until evening to wilt; then they are
brought to the drying-house and hung up. The to-
bacco is hung up on the upper sticks first, and the
work continued downward; care is taken that the
sticks are six to eight inches apart, also that the plants
are not too near together on the sticks, because the
air should have free passage among the plants, and
not rainy day.
when they touch or rub against each other, unsightly
spots are produced. The sticks must be pretty wide,
so that the two plants which are tied together, and
one of which hangs on each side, are held well apart.
Later, when the tobacco has dried off somewhat, the
sticks and plants may be moved a little nearer to each
other; but the plants on the upper sticks must not
touch those on the lower; they should be so arranged
that one lower stick is just in the middle of the space
between two upper ones.
Another method of harvesting may be followed by
those who cultivate tobacco on a small scale, or who
have hands and time enough. As all the leaves on the
plant do not ripen at the same time, but the under
leaves are always a little earlier than the upper ones,
they may gather the crop in the leaf, that is, taking
only the matured leaves from the stalk; this must be
done daily, and so long as there are leaves on the
stalk. In this way the crop will be harvested slower,
and it will cost more, but the tobacco will be of more
even quality and better. The leaves are strung on
strings instead of being hung up on sticks, with the
same care and precautions as recommended for hang-
ing up the whole plants. After the leaves are off, the
stalks must be cut off or pulled up, for they would still
vegetate, and needlessly take away nourishment from
the soil.
No more tobacco, leaves or plants should be cut
than can be taken to the drying-house and hung up
the same day. Mild, clear weather will be beneficial
EXPERIENCE OF PRACTICAL GROWERS. 15
for drying; strong and rough winds will do it too
quick, and wet, damp weather will hinder it altogether.
Should the latter continue for some time, the place of
the sticks or strings must be changed, and if, notwith-
standing this, the tobacco gets mouldy, it must be
“fived.” A fire is built in one or more excavations in
the ground of the house, and the heat and smoke are
allowed to go as evenly as possible through the plants,
Care must be taken that the fire does not get too near
the tobacco, so that it gets singed or burned. The
place directly above the fire should, therefore, be free
of tobacco. Stoves, with pipes to convey the smoke
(which is of no value in drying) outside of the house
The heat in the house may be kept
up to eighty or ninety degrees.
The best arrangements for drying will not be of
much avail unless the tobacco has been fully matured
before harvesting, for if this has not been the case, it
will never Jose the well-known “ereen taste,” and no
are stil] better.
after manipulation, no drying or sweating, will free it.
Curtnac.—When the leaves are dry, which is seen
when the stems become of a brown color, and break
when bent, the next work is to make tobacco out of
them, for up to now we have nothing but a tasteless
dry weed.
This is done bya process of fermentation, the sweating
of the tobacco.
The leaves are broken one by cne from the stalks,
(otherwise they would break,)
stvetched out nice and even, and, with the ends in the
eanie direction, put up in heaps. These heaps, of
which every workman makes one, are afterwards put
Its hidden qualities must be developed.
in damp weather,
into one or more large conical heaps, from four to six
feet in diameter at the base and from one and a half
to two feet at the top. These are covered with wool-
ten blankets, straw mats, or any thing that will press
the heap lightly, and shut out the air. In twenty-four
to thirty hours a fermentation sets in, the heap gets
warm, and when it is so hot inside that the hand can
not bear it very well, the heap is broken up and packed
—
over again, pulling the tobacco that had teen outside
upon the inside, and vice versa, and treating the same
way as at first. In such heaps the tobacco remams
twenty to forty days, until all the heat is gone; then
the heaps are again broken up in damp weather, the
leaves tied up in bundles of one half to ene pound in
weight, stret-hed even and packed in boxes or hogs
heads, pressed tightly and covered. Now the tobacee
is done
The process of sweating must be conducted with
every possible care, for on this depends the color of
is a salable article.
the tobacco, and in a large degree its fine flavor. If
the fermentation is too strong, the tobacco gets black
and the flavor is driven out; if too little fermented,
the color remains green and whitish yellow, and the
flavor is not developed.
Those who raise the plant principally to get wap.
pers for segars will need to sort it.
SorrinG is done right after the last breaking up of
the heaps, and consists in laying the damaged leaves
apart from the whole ones; and these again are sepa-
rated, according to color or other qualities, for wrap-
pers, into two, three, or four different kinds, so that
every variety is of the same quality and color.
First quality—Color, dark brown; even over the
whole leaf.
Second quality—Color, light brown; even.
Third quality—Color, dark yellow; even.
Fourth quality—Color, light yellow ; even.
Fifth quality—Color, green, black, whitish yellow,
spotted.
The first four kinds include the larger leaves, while
the smaller ones go into the fifth quality.
Every kind is bundled by itself. This work is not
difficult, and increases the price considerably. The
first three sorts, and even the fourth, may be sold as
wrappers, which bring the highest price. The fifth is
mixed with the damaged leaves together, and sold for
fillers or chewing tobacco and snuff.
No. IV—BY WILLIAM H. WHITE, HARTFLRD COUNTY, CONN.
In the following essay I shall endeavor to give some
plain and practical directions for the culture of tobacco,
derived from actual experience, and from observation
f the experience of the most successful producers in
the valley of the Connecticut River, where the crop is
produced in as great, if not a greater degree of perfec-
tion than in any other section of our extended coun-
try; and as generally cultivated as any crop raised.
Nearly every man who has an acre or more of ground,
raises from one fourth an acre to five, six, or more
acres. In the first place, it will be necessary to decide
upon the best kind to raise. The Connecticut seed-
teaf is the best kind, and is sought for more generally
by manufacturers, speculators, and dealers generally,
saan any other sort produced in the above States;
also brings a better price, the latter being the one
object in raising tobacco. I take it for granted, you
will look no farther, but will procure a suitable quan-
tity of pure seed from some reliable source. It can
be had from the seedsmen generally, or, better, of some
acquaintance in this section.
Seep-Bep. — Having decided upon the kind, and
procured your seed, we wil] next proceed to seleet
a good spot, and prepare the seed-bed. It is
best to have it in some rich, warm, and sheltered
soil, where the bleak north and north-western winds
will be broken off, either by buildings or by tight board-
fences, where the soil is a rich sandy loam, neither
very wet nor dry, as in either case the plar:s will be
likely to fail partial'~ or wholly. A spot where cabbage
16
or lettuce-plants will thrive well, will usually produce
good tobacco-plants. Having selected a suitable loca-
tion, next consider how large a bed you willneed. That
depends on the surface you intend to plant out. A
bed two rods long, by twelve feet wide, will produce
a gufficient number of good plants to set an acre. On
such a bed you should spread a heavy coat of good,
fine, well-rotted manure, at least two inches thick ;
let it be free from straw or other litter. Then, with a
good strong back, and long-handled spade, (or other as
you prefer,) spade up the bed, mixing in the manure
very fine. Have ready some fine dry brush, or the
like, and spread over the whole surface ; set it on fire
and burn to ashes. A small quantity will answer bet-
ter than a very large one, for if very much is burned,
it is apt to do injury by burning the soil. The less
quantity will tend to destroy any foreign seed turned
up, and warm the ground. Having reduced the brush
to ashes, take a fine iron or steel rake, and proceed to
pulverize very finely the whole surface spaded up.
After reducing it to as fine a state as possible, and
having made it flat and level, leave it till the next day.
Then, with your rake, carefully rake over the whole
bed ; it is now ready for the seed. Sow the seed on
broadcast ; be careful to sow it even and true. About
two thimblefuls, or a little less, will be sufficient for
such a bed. It is better to have too little than too
much, as in the first instance, the plants will have
raom to form thick stalky roots and well-spread leaves,
while in the latter they will be crowded with spindling
tops as well as small roots. Having sowed your seed,
take a good heavy garden-roller and roll the surface
down hard and smooth.
very good substitute can be made by taking a piece
In the absence of a roll, a
of two-inch plank, say eighteen inches long by four-
‘een inches wide; in the center, place an upright
handle.
do it evenly, and to leave the surface solid and level,
With this spat the bed over, being careful to
the reasons for which you will afterward discover in
weeding and taking out plants to set in the field. This
should be done in the spring, as soon as the ground
will permit, say first of April, if the frost is out and
the ground settled. The roll or spatter will cover the
seed sufliciently without any other covering. To be
able to sow the seed with the least trouble, mix it in
thoroughly with wood-ashes or plaster, before sowing.
To obtain plants earlier, you can mix your seed
thoroughly in about a quart of light chip dirt from
under your wood-shed ; put it in some proper vessel,
and wet to the consistence of soft putty, with water as
Set it on the
mantle-shelf in the kitchen, not too near the stove or
warm as can be well borne by the hand.
fire, but where it will keep warm. In the course of a
week or ten days, the seed will have cracked the shell,
aud will show the small white germ or sprout. It
sbould now be sowed broadeast very evenly, and treat
as before described. If proper 7 wet at first, it will
need no more water to sprout tue seed. Before sow-
SS eee———eEeEEeEE————EEEE—E—————EE———————EEE—— Se
HOW TO RAISE TOBACCO.
ing, pulverize the mass containing the seed, to facih-
tate the sowing. Having thus sown aid rolled down
your bed very nicely, it is well to have something to
protect it from the encroachment of the fowls. For tkis
purpose, spread a net of twine or a few brush over the
surface, covering it so that they may not disturb the
surface by scratching and wallowing. It may now be
left till the weeds begin to make their appearance;
these you will need to extract by the roots as soon ag
the plants can be distinguished; these last may be
known by two very small nearly round leaves opening
over flat on the ground. Now procure a plank or
some substitute a little longer than your bed is wide,
also two blocks five or six inches square, as long or
longer than your plank is wide; place one on one
side of the bed, the other on the opposite side; on
these two blocks, place your plank, and you will have
a fine platform on which you can sit and weed any
part, or all, of your bed, by moving it as occasion may
require. To assist in pulling out the weeds, procurea
moderately sharp-pointed knife, and with the same
grasped in the hand with the thumb near the point,
pinch out the weeds, being careful not to disturb the
The process
of weeding must be repeated as often as necessary, to
keep the bed clean from weeds. The next step is pre-
paring your field.
Soi.—Seleet a patch of good loamy soil—almost
any such as will grow a good crop of corn will
answer—that which has been broken up and tilled
at least one season, is the best. On such a piece
there will be needed at least twenty-five loads
(sixty-four feet to the load) of good stable or yard
dirt any more than absolutely necessary.
manure to the acre. Cart this on, making five heaps
to the load, putting them equidistant all over the
field. Having finished carting on the manure, about
the first of May, or sooner, if the ground is free from
frost, and settled, commence to spread the manure
evenly all over the ground, and with a good team and
plow, turn it under, letting the plow run at least seven
inches deep. Having done this thoroughly, let it re-
main for the present, and in the mean time you may
plant your corn and do other necessary farm-work.
As the weeds begin to start up a little, take your team
and drag them down over the field, thus at once
checking their growth and pulverizing the ground ;
repeat the harrowing, if necessary, before the second
plowing. The last of May, or first of June, depend-
ing on the state of forwardness of your plants in the
bed, plow your ground again, and not quite as deep as
at first; let it liea day or two; then harrow it thor-
oughly, going two or three times over it. If your
land is in pretty good heart, no further manure will
be necessary ; but unless it is so, I would manure in
the drill with fine, well-rotted manure or compost,
Having completed the harrowing, you may commence
to fit the hills, (and here I would say, by hills I do
not mean those little mounds that will dry up and
EXPERIENCE OF PRACTICAL GROWERS. 17
shed all the rain, but simply with the hand-hoe to
strike the edge into the ground a little, three or four
times ;) then spat the hill, leaving the ground around
level with the spat a little depressed. Put the hills
two feet apart, and the rows three feet between. Be-
gin on one side of the field, and to make the rows
straight, set guides in the middle and end of same. It
will pay you to take extra pains t0 make the rows
straight, in looks and convenience, in going among it
with the cultivator. Having made one row of hills, it
will be easy to make the rest so by it. If necessary
to put on more manure, with a small one-horse plow,
turn a shallow furrow for the rows, observing to make
them three feet apart, and straight, as above. Into
such furrows strew from five to six loads of very fine
manure or compost. It is better to strew it through-
out the whole length than to put it in hills, as the
crop will get the benefit without the danger of the
hills drying up. With the hoe, haul in the dirt and
fill the furrow level, covering the whole of the manure,
and make the hills by spatting with the hoe as you go,
observing to make them at regular distance. It is
better, when convenient, to have the rows run north
and south, that the sun may more readily shine on the
ground to warm it, ete.
Piantinc Ovur.—Having thus fitted your ground,
it will be necessary to improve the first opportunity
for transplanting after your plants attain a suit-
able size, which will be when the leaves attain the
breadth of two inches. This is best done in wet or
rainy weather, but can be done at any time as describ-
ed below. It having rained sufficiently to wet the
ground down an inch or so, proceed in the following
manner to remove the plants from the bed: take a
common two-tined dinner-fork, or a stick sharpened to
a point at one end; run this down by the side of suita-
ble-sized plants, and loosen them by prying under
them. With the other hand take them by the leaves
and gently lift them out of the ground and place them
in a basket provided for the purpose; proceed thus,
and remoyve such a quantity as you may desire. Then
witt a good boy to drop them, proceed to the field.
Such a boy will drop out as fast as two car set. Let
him drop one plant on each hill, oceasiunally two
small ones, to fill in where missing at some future
time. To set them properly, take the plant by the
leaves near the roots in the left hand, and with the
two front fingers of the right, make a hole in the cen-
ter of the hill by running them down straight ; with-
draw the fingers, and place the roots of the plant held
in the other hand in the hole; with the aforesaid two
fingers, push the dirt up to the side of the roots, and
finish off by pressing the dirt in and down around the
plant, which, if properly done, the plant can not be
pulled up by a single leaf. Proceed in like manner
with the whole. If your plants should be sufficiently
grown, and no wet weather occurs, take a watering- |
pot and give the plant-bed a good soak ng; then, as
before described, take up your plants, being careful
not to disturb the roots of those remaining; after
which give the bed another good sprinkling. Set
your plants as described before, and immediateiy
water them well. Set them before you wet the
ground, for it is done better; the water will then set-
tle the dirt around, and stick them well. This should
be done in the after-part of the day; the next morn-
If properly done,
nine in ten, if not the whole, will live. If you are
afraid the sun will burn them, you can cover them up
with a little short grass, or burdock, or other leaves,
The writer has seen them set as described, and not
covered at all, and they have lived and done as well
as those set at any other proper time.
Cut-Worms. — The next, or at farthest, the sec-
ond morning after having set your plants, go over
to see that the worms do not eat up one half of
them. You can tell they are and have
been, by seeing a plant with a single leaf, and
sometimes the whole plant eaten off and drawn down
into the hole occupied by a large brown or black
worm; you will see little ant-hills like, and round
holes in the ground; by poking around a little in the
dirt, you will find a worm very near the mouth of
these little holes. Destroy it, and ali you can find,
and thus save your crop. This searching for worms
must be kept up till they cease to do mischicr. Atl
plants missing in the field should be renewed from the
bed at the first opportunity. The morning is the best
time to find the worms, as they are near the surface
of the ground; later, they retire into the ground to
appear again near sundown, and work during the
ing water them again thoroughly.
where
night and early morning.
« CuLtivation.—Having got your plants all set,
the next in order is, in a few days to hoe out the
same. Take a cultivator narrowed up, and with a boy
to guide the horse, go through; once to a row is suf-
ficient for the first hoeing. Then with a common
hand-hoe cut up all weeds and grass, brush the dirt
down level around the plant; stir it but very slightly
close to the plant; ieave the stirring and hauling dirt
up to the plants to a future dressing. Go over the
whole in like manner; then again in ten days ora
fortnight, keeping the worms off in the mean time.
With your cultivator, go twice to a row. This time
you can stir the dirt pretty freely around the plants,
and renew it, being careful not to leave any leaves
covered up, or partially so, as it will spoil them.
As the leaves are what tobacco is grown for, be sure
in all the different processes you go through with,
to save them from any thing that will injure them.
Should any plant have its center bud broken or eaten
off, it will come up with several suckers or sprouts,
and will not amount to much; better replace such, if
net too late. It is better to do the rest the hoeing
18 HOW TO RAISE TOBACCO.
without the use of the cultivator; stir the ground and
keep it free from weeds by going through as often as
necessary with the hoe.
Worms.—The tobacco having got up from ten to
twelve inches high, look out for the green worm
which eats the leaves. They are often found
earlier. You will see a small round hole oftentimes
no larger than a large pin-hole in the leaf; if you turn
it up you will be very apt to discover on the under
side a small worm no larger round than a common
thread needle, and half an inch in length. AU him,
and all his kind, for if left, he will grow to the size
and length of your finger, and would not make much
of a breakfast off a third of a full-grown leaf; keep
the growing plants free from all such by going
through the field often, and picking them off. Well-
trained turkeys will oftentimes assist in destroying
them. All other fowls should be kept off, as they
often do more damage than good by scratching, and
otherwise injuring the leaves.
Topping aNpD Suckerine.— The plants having
grown to the hight of two feet, will begin to run up
to blossom; let them get up pretty generally even;
then go through and break off the stems about two
and a half feet from the ground ; have the whole even
on top. <A few plants will not be quite ready to top;
let such remain, and in a few days go over the field
and top those left. This will be about the middle or
twentieth of August. If any plants are later, they
should be topped before the first of September, that
they may have a few days for their leaves to fill out
and ripen. Leave three or four of your earliest and
vest p'ants to go up to seed without topping. The
suckers will now begin to grow, at first near the top,
and then farther down; these should be broken off as
they make their appearance, that the whole growth
may go into the leaves. Also, if any branches come
out on your*plants left for seed, break them off, and
only leave those close to the top; look out at all times
for the green worm, for they will work as long as the
crop stands, and frequently, if not shaken off, after it
is hung in the shed, as long as it remains green.
Harvestinc.—In the course of two or three weeks
after topping, the plants will begin to ripen, which may
be known by the change in color of the leaf. It will
look spotted with spots of lighter green, a yellowish
green, When fully ripe the leaf may be folded togeth-
er,and moderately pressed without breaking or crack-
ing. Nowis the time to begin to harvestit. All this is
supposed to take place before there is any appearance
of frost, as a very light frost often does great damage.
Al! touched by it is ruined, and good for nothing. The
crop must be cut and hung, even if not fully ripe, be-
fore any frosts occur. If there are strong appearances
of a frost you can secure the crop by cutting it down,
and putting it either under your sheds, or by putting
it in piles, not over a foot deep, in the field, and cov-
ering with straw. It is well to let it stand, if not fully
ripe, as long as it can safely, for tle cool nights have
a tendency to thicken up the leaves. The cutting ia
best performed with a hay-knife, with a sharp, round-
ing point, in the following way: stand at the right-
hand side of the plant or row; with the left hand
grasp the stalk down two or three leaves from the top
and Jean it back on the row; now, with the point of
your cutter held in the right hand two or three inches
from the stalk, close to the root under the bottom
leaf, with a sudden stroke or dab, sever the same
from the root; lay it gently down back in a line with
the row. Proceed in like manner to cut what you can
take care of, and not get injured by sunburn. Have
two rows of buts together, lying the same way for
after-convenience. This cutting is done after the dew
is off in the morning, or in the afternoon. Let it re-
main until the top side is somewhat wilted ; then com-
mence to turn it over, Step between the two rows
with the buts lying toward you, and with each hand
take a plant on either side; raise them from the
eround, and by twisting the hands in or out, turn the
plants, laying them either to the right or left,
as most convenient, at right angles to their former
position. Go through with the two rows, and you
have the next two with the buts the other way; take
these and lay the tips directly opposite those first
turned, and you have an alley, with the buts of the
plants of two rows on either side, which will be con-
venient to drive in to load. When wilted sufficient
to be handled without breaking, if in <2 e forenoon,
you can load it from the rows as they lie; if in the
afternoon, it is best to put in hakes, which is done hy
putting five plants at the bottom, and on these four,
decreasing one on each layer, and terminating with
one on the top; this will protect it from dew and wet.
The best eart for hauling the tobacco is a one-horse
wagon, geared long
g
«, with merely a platform resting on
Such a cart can be driven between the
rows and loaded from either side, having the buts of
the axles.
the plants uniformly one way, and laid crosswise on
the platform. Great care should be used, in all the
handling, not to bruise, break, or tear the leaves.
Having cut all, excepting your seed-plants, strip all
the leaves from these, and set a stake to each to tie it
up to; let the stake be a foot taller than the plant;
it will answer to keep a piece of old carpet from break-
ing down the stalk when you wish to cover it up on
cold nights. Let the seed-plants stand till the pods
or bolls are cured to a brown, and the seed is ripe ;
then cut off the top of the seed-stalk, and hang it up
in some dry and safe place, where it will be ready te
shell and use the next seasor; only the ripest and
best pods should be used.
Buripincs.—We will next consider what build-
ings are necessary, and how arranged; you will not
have time to build now—therefore, will have tc
use such as you have; your stables, sheds, and
barn-floors can be arranged so as to hang up an aere
EXPERIENCE OF PRACTICAL GROWERS. 19
or two, by setting stanchions with holes mortised in
them to hold rests for your poles about four and a half
feet apart. Set such ones on either side with a very
stout rail, one end in either post. Set these as often
as you may need them, depending on the length of
your poles. No poles should be so long as to sag very
much when filled with plants. But for another reason
I would build a house expressly for hanging and storing
tobacco. Make it of good, liberal dimensions, thirty
feet wide, by forty or more in length ; posts, fourteen
feet, with two tier of girts for poles to rest on; one tier
can hang on the beams, and another above on the pur-
lin plates, thus hanging four tiers under the same
roof. Ventilate by a ventilator in the roof, also by
hanging every other board of the siding on hinges.
For such a building, I would have a tight floor to the
whole, and underneath a good walled cellar lighted
with suitable windows, and chimney in one corner,
with a stove, to keep fire in in very cold weather, to
work by when stripping the tobacco. For poles to
hang on, I would get, if possible, straight, slim, white
pine staddles about four or five inches in diameter ;
shave the bark off smooth, and we have poles that will
last and remain straight a lifetime, if kept housed.
Haneinc.—Having provided all required, even to the
strong cotton or hemp twine for tying up the tobacco,
have agood man to hand it to you. Commence by tying
the end of your twine around the but of a plant, about
two inches from the end, ina slip or loose knot ; place
this plant at one side of the pole near the end, your
nand carrying the twine over the pole; on the opposite
side of the pole, about six inches along, place an-
other plant, and with a single turn of the twine around
it from before, round back, and by drawing it close,
the plant is secure. Proceed thus till you have filled
your pole; then with a knife, cut a notch in the pole
and draw your twine through, and it is fast. You can
now cut it off and commence another pole. Place the
poles far enough apart to prevent the tobacco crowd-
ing; about a foot will do. In this manner you will
have a row of plants hanging on each side of the pole
about a foot apart. The man, in handing up, should
take the plant by the but, carefully from the pile or
load, raise it up and gently shake it sideways, to shake
off dirt and loosen the leaves when stuck together,
and also adhering to the stalk; with the other hand,
take hold about midways of the stalk and pass to the
one tying up, enabling him to receive the plant in such
a way as to not need to ghift it in his hand, but to
place it immediately into its position beside the pole.
All leaves which are accidentally or otherwise broken
from the plants, should be gathered up each day, and
ung three or four in a bunch, the same way as the
plants, or string them on a string; the latter is the
best way—vwith a large needle-thread, a suitable
cord, and on to this string: the leaves one at a time, by
running the needle through near the end of the stem.
These can be hung by attaching the two ends to some
suitable nail, and having it remain stretched. In this
way they will cure very well.
Curing AND Srrippinc. — Having housed the
whole of your erop, give it all the air you can, by
opening doors, shutters, ete. Let them remain open
during pleasant weather, remembering to close them
in wet, damp weather, as well as nights; and alse
shading the crop so far as may be from the direct
rays of the sun, to prevent blanching. When it has
nearly cured, shut it up and let it remain till perfectly
cured. This may be known by the stem of the leaves
being dried up, so that no green sap will show itself.
If you have hung in your stables and other places that
you wish to use, it will be necessary to take it down
and strip it at the first favorable opportunity, which is
described farther along. The separate building else-
where described is to be preferred, as it does not
necessitate any immediate hurry in getting it down.
In such it can be allowed to hang and freeze and thaw
two cr three times, which improves the color and
weight, and will give more leisure in stripping, etc.
Watch a favorable time, when it rains and is damp,
to open your buildings, and let in the damp air till
the tobacco is damped, so that it can be handled
without any danger of breaking the leaves. It need
not get too damp, as in that case it is liable to injure
in the pile before you can get it stripped. It will
gain dampness from the stalk. You may now com-
mence where you hung the last plant on the pole, and
you can very readily unwind and take down the
whole. (It is best to save the twine, at present prices,
as it will answer to use again.) Having previously
prepared a place in the cellar under your building, by
laying down some boards to keep the tobacco from
the ground, have help enough to take it as fast as taken
from the poles, and carry it to the place prepared,
and pack it, by placing the buts out and the tips in,
and overlapping about one third the length; this
should be done evenly in layers, keeping the buts
just even, so that no leaves may hang out to gee dry,
and thus be wasted. Having taken down and thus
nacked a suitable quantity, the stripping may com-
mence. As much should be taken down as can be
stripped in from four to six days, as ordinariry it will
not lie longer in a pile without heating, and not as
long if the weather be mild or 2amp. It is best to do
only what can be well done witn tne help you can
command. Begin to assort the leaves; it is best to
make three sorts; first, for fillers, the poorest ; second,
the next imperfect ; and lastly, the perfect 2nd best
leaves. In this way you get more in the «z¢regate
for the crop, than if only two sorts are made. Let
one take the plants and strip the very poorest, usually
the ground-leaves, holding them in his hand with the
stems even, till he gets a hand about two inches in
diameter, and then with a leaf, bind around, begin-
‘ning at the but as close as may be—the closer, thw
better it will look—and wind it around, spreading it
20 HOW TO RAISE TOBACCO.
down a little and finish by tucking the end into the
nand., Next after, take the same plants and open
each leaf, ard strip all imperfect for the second
quality. Lastly, strip the remaining perfect leaves,
keeping each sort by itself, and being very particular
to keep the ends of the stems even, also the leaves
which are of a length in the same hand, especially of
the best sort. An imperfect leaf will do as well as
any to bind the hands with, and will be a saving; be
sure and do this part very neatly; for if bunglingly
done, the nicest tobacco will show very poorly, where-
as, a smaller growth well done will show to better
advantage, and perhaps outsell the larger growth,
Packinc.—After having stripped, it is best to pack it
down properly each day it is done, in some place secure
from drying winds, or from wet, or any thing from which
moisture may be absorbed. Pack it buts out with
the tips in, and lapping about one third the length,
Javing one row of buts one way, then another in the
opposite, keeping them straight and even, to ps .vent
the air from drying it; press it down by standing on
it on your knees whiJe packing, and finish off by cover-
ing it closely with either blankets or boards, and on top
put weights to press it down as compact as possible.
It is now ready for inspection by the tobacco-dealer,
and unless you wish to case it yourself, it will remain
in this situation perfectly safe. If sold to a specula-
tor, he would probably prefer to case it himself,
should it be necessary for you to remove it.
once packed it in a pile, you can pack it on a wagon
having sideboards, keeping the buts outside at the
ends and covering up closely. Be careful to keep the
leaves straight, to prevent wrinkles, which make it
look very bad. If you are desirous of casing the
Having
tobacco yourself, procure cases made of one-inch
boards, planed on one side, of the following dimen-
sions: three and a half feet long, and two and a half
feet the other way ; these any joiner can make, or if you
have the tools, make them yourself. Procure four
cleats two and a half feet long, one inch thick, and
three wide ; to these nail the ends, which are to be two
and a half feet long ; on these ends nail the sides ; turn
the box down and nail on the bottom; let it come out
flush with the sides, and it will be two and eight
twelfths feet wide; turn the other side up and fit the
cover; this need be merely tacked on so as to be
easily removed when wished. You now have a box
into which you can press three hundred weight of
tobacco. To pack it properly, have one to hand it,
while another packs it in the case, the buts against
each end of the case, letting the tips lap in the middle ;
fill about three fourths the way to the top; have a fol-
lower to fit the size of your box, made by nailing
boards to two good, stout cleats, one near each end.
Put this follower on with good blocking above ; press it
by a lever twelve or more feet long, having a fulerum
at the short arm, and the force of two men on the
long arm of the lever; by filling and pressing in this
way about three times, you may get in three hundred
pounds, which is enough to handle conveniently.
T have thus given a precise account of the practice
of the most experienced and successful growers of the
crop in the State of Connecticut, I might also here
remark that this experience and observation has ex-
tended over a period of nearly thirty years from the
time I was a small lad, when the tobacco was sold hero
at three or four cents a pound. It is now selling as high
as thirty for the first quality.
No. V.—BY OLIVER T. BISHOP, HARTFORD COUNTY, CONN.
Tosacco has been raised in the valley of the Con-
necticut for more than twenty-five years, and has gra-
dually spread in extent, until it has become one of the
“staples,” especially in Connecticut and Massachusetts.
Its culture will demand the almost constant attention
of the cultivator, from the time of sowing the seed
until it is carried to market.
as the frost is out of the
ground, and the land is sufficiently dry to allow of the
Srep-Bep.—As soon
working of the soil, which, in this latitude, is gencral-
ly from the first to the fifteenth of April, the seed
may be sown. The bed should be in some warm lo-
eaity, and near water, if convenient, in order to facili-
tate watering the plants; this, however, is immaterial.
A good plan is, to manure the spot well and plow it
in the fall, and if removed from buildings, pile on, in
the spring, a heap of brush, burn it, and rake in the
ashes with the soil; remove all stones and sticks, and
The next day it will be
ready for sowing, giving the ground time to cool, so as
not to burr the seed. If very early in the season,
pulve-‘ze the soil thoroughly.
the seed may be sown dry, by mixing it with plaster, in
order that it may be more evenly distributed. Later in
the season, the seed should be sprouted by mixing it
with some fine mould, or decayed wood, such as is
found in old, hollow apple-trees, and placing it near
the stove or warm place, keeping it moist; let it
remain four or five days, or until you can see that it
has just sprouted. Then sow it, using at the rate of
a thimbleful of seed for each square rod of the bed.
Do not cover the seed, but simply pat down the bed
with a shovel or board, and cover it over with some
brush to keep off hens, ete. When the seed is sprout-
ed it will generally come up in a week, sometimes
sooner, and may be known by having two very small,
nearly round leaves. After the plants are up, sow on a
little plaster occasionally. Keep the plants free from
weeds, and thin them out where too thick. If it
should be dry weather, the plants should be watered
every night, using a common watering-pot; a weak
solution of guano occasionally will stimulate them.
The ground should not be allowed to get dry, as the
EXPERIENCE OF PRACTICAL GROWERS, 21
plants wiil not grow. A tight board-fence put up on
the north and west sides of the bed will keep off
cold winds and reflect the rays of the sun. The
bed should be covered with blankets or straw on frosty
nights or the plants may be destroyed. The kind of
tobacco best adapted to this locality, and generally
grown here, is the broad-leaf variety of the Connecti-
cut seed-leaf. There is a great difference in the width
of leaves of the same length, and it is just as easy to
raise a large, broad leaf, as a long and narrow one.
Preparation OF Soit.—aA rich, gravelly soil is best
adapted for the culture of tobacco, producing a finer
quality than can be grown on meadow-Jand. A piece
that was highly manured last season, and planted to
corn, will be a good place to try. Let the land be
plowed deep about the first of May, turning under a
neavy coat of coarse barn-yard manure, say from
thirty to fifty cart-loads to the acre, to the depth of
seven or eight inches. About the twentieth of May
harrow it thoroughly, and from the first to the tenth
of June put on well-rotted manure or compost, at
the rate of fifteen or twenty loads per acre, and with
a light, one-horse plow ridge up the land, making the
ridges from three and a half to three and three quar-
ter feet apart; make smali ridges, just enough to
turn under the manure, that is, about three or four
inches above the surface. I have found this plan of
ridging the land to work well, as it can be done quick-
er and it gives a chance to set out the plants a little
higher than when the land is plowed clean, unless you
make too much of a hill, in which case the plants are
more liable to dry up. It, at the same time, obviates
the danger of setting them too low, leaving them
-in danger of being flooded and covered with dirt in
case of a powerful rain. After the land is ridged,
make, with a hoe, a little hill or spot where each plant
is to be set, taking care to remove therefrom all trash
or stones. If desirable to have the rows run both
ways, make the hills crosswise the ridges, with the
rows two and a half feet apart, with the hills on each
ridge, or if but one way, make the hills on the ridge
every two and a half feet, or nearly so. This makes
the plants three and a half, or three and three quarter
feet between the rows, (to allow a cultivator to be run
between the rows, and give room to sucker and worm
the plants when large,) and two and a half feet in the
row, giving five or six thousand to the acre. About
the fifteenth of June, or as near that time as the
weather will admit, is the right time to begin to set
out the plants.
TRANSPLANTING.—Having the ground prepared as
stated, immediately after a rain, or what is better, just
previous to a shower, take up the plants that are large
enough, that is, those that have three or four leaves as
large as a silver dollar. If the bed is not too hard,
they may be pulled up by placing the two fore-fingers
of one hand under the leaves and the thumb over
them; if the roots break off. #22 ground can be loosen-
ed by running a forh down bs the side of the plant.
Place the plants in a basket or pan, and when fill, let
one go over the rows, dropping one plant on each hill.
Set them out by making a hole in the center of the
hill with the fore-finger, placing the roots carefully, and
press the soil about them firmly. If it rains soon af-
ter they are set, or if the ground is quite wet, they will
soon take root and commence growing; should the
sun come out hot, they will need to be protected by
placing some short, green grass over each plant and
watering it well; this, however, is mot necessary if the
ground is much wet. Much depends upon having a goo
time for setting. After the twentieth, if you have not
the plants large enough to set, get them somewhere
else, if you can, (they can generally be obtained for
from fifty cents to one dollar per thousand,) if you
have a good time for setting. They will generally wilt
down during the day, but if they look fresh in the
morning they will do well. A little plaster sprinkled
on the leaves helps them along at this time. The
plants should be looked over every morning or two,
as the cut-worms are sometimes quite troublesome.
Dig around the roots of every plant that has been
eaten, to find the worms. Sometimes, a plant that
looks well, apparently, has been spoiled by having the
middle eaten out. All missing plants should be re-set
as soon as possible, that they may be uniform in size,
as that adds greatly to the beauty of the crop, and
nothing looks much finer, while growing, than a field
of tobacco of uniform size.
Ccitivation.—After the plants have been set abou
two weeks, or long enough to get rooted, they will
need hoeing, to loosen the ground around them and
kill the weeds which may have started. Use a com-
mon cultivator, going twice between each row ‘o !evel
the “ balk” between each ridge, and work :t thorough-
ly. Care should be taken not to let it run too near
the plants so as to disturb the roots or to cover the
leaves with dirt. Then, with a hoe, level off the ridge
between each plant a little and hoe lightly around
them. In this way an acre of tobacco can be hoed near-
ly as quickly as an acre of corn. Hoeing should be
repeated often enough to keep the land free from weeds
and the ground light about the plants. It can be
easily hoed without the cultivator, or you can use it,
taking out the two back-teeth (or one of them) after
the plants get larger.
Insects.—The cut-worms will conti: ue to trouble
till there have been a few hot days, or the plants get
leaves as large as the hand, after which they will do
but little damage. Missing plants may be re-set until
about the tenth of July; after that time they will not
do much. The top, or tobacco-worms, begin to ap-
pear about as soon as the cut-worms leave, and if well
cleared out at first, when they can be more easily
found, much time and tobacco will be saved.
Toprinc.—Cultivators do not agree as to the time
and where to top the plants. Some favor the plan of
22
topping as soon as the blossom-buds appear, others
vrefer to wait until in blossom. I think there is no
harm in letting the earliest plants bloom before being
topped, but after once beginning, they should be
broken off as soon as the buds begin to look yellow,
and the latest plants as soon as the buds appear. A
new beginner will be apt to top the plants too high.
The object is to ripen and develop as many leaves as
the plant can support; if topped too high, the top
teaves are small, and when cured are nearly worthless,
and the other leaves are not as large or heavy, where-
as, if topped too low, then you lose one, two, or three
eaves, which the plant might have supported. Asa
general rule, a plant just in blossom should be topped
down to where the leaves are full seven inches wide,
leaving on the stalk from fifteen to eighteen leaves,
This will leave the stalks about two and a half feet
high in good tobacco. Later in the season top the
plants sooner and lower. Let as many of the earliest
plants as will be wanted remain for seed. One plant
will furnish seed enough to put out five acres, at least.
These should be wormed and suckered like the rest,
only leaving the suckers above where you would ordi-
narily break it off, were you to top it. The piece should
now be looked over every other day, to break off the
suckers and catch the worm. This should be done as
goon as the dew is off in the morning, and towards
night, as the worms are eating then, and can be found
more readily, while in the heat of the day they remain
hid. Great care should be taken not to break off the
leaves while going through it, as they are nearly all
wasted before the crop is ripe.
Suckerinc.—As soon as the top is broken off the
sap is thrown into the leaves, causing them to expand
rapidly.
above where each leaf joins the stalk ; these must be
broken off, or the growth of the leaf will be check-
ed, as the sap will be thrown into these young sprouts.
Those nearest the top will start soonest, and will
require breaking off twice before the plant is ripe;
those at the bottom must all be broken off. This is
the hardest and slowest work of all.
these suckers check the growth of the plants, but if
allowed to grow will soon break or pry off the leaves,
or cause them to grow out at right angles from the
stalk, rendering them more liable to be broken off.
It is a good plan to have a piece of corn on the
nortu side of a piece of tobacco, or, at least, two or
three rows, to shield the growing plants from winds.
Curtinec and Hancinc.—The plants grow rapidly
and require less than three months from the time of
setting before they are ready to cut. Any one used
to the cultivation of the crop knows when it is ripe,
the veins of the leaves are swollen, the !eaves begin to
look spotted and feel thick and gummy. The ends of
the leaves will crack un peng doubled up. After it
is ripe the sooner it is cut the better, as it is liable to
wjury by frost or hail, and will not increase in weight
In the mean time suckers will start out just
Not only will
HUW TO RAISE TOBACCO.
as fast as the worms eat it, and the leaves get broken
by catching them. The plants will generally ripen from
the first to the fifteenth of September; they should
not be cut immediately after a heavy rain unless in
danger of frost, as a portion of the gum washes out,
but should be allowed to stand two or three days.
The cutting should not begin until the dew is off; a
cloudy day is best, for when the sun shines hot, they
will not have time to wilt sufficiently before they will
sunburn, which may be known by the leaves turning
white and looking puckered. Commence on one side
of the piece, laying the plants all one way, in order to
facilitate loading. The plants may, most of them, be
broken off easily, by gently bending them over one
way and another. Small plants, which will not break,
may be sawed off with an old saw or cut with a
hatchet. If the sun shines too hot, the plants should
be turned over carefully to prevent burning. After
lying an hour or two to wilt sufficiently. so as not to
break by handling, they may be carted to the barn or
shed. Ample room for curing should be provided,
and if any one expects to raise tobacco for any length
of time, it is best to have a building built expressly
for it.
BuiLpincs.—In the first place one wants to know
about how much room they will need, and then build
accordingly, To hang an acre of good tobacco re-
quires a building about thirty by twenty-four feet
with fifteen-feet posts. Two girths should be framed
into the posts on all sides of the building; one five
feet above the sill, and the other ten feet above, to
rest the poles on, also to nail the covering boards to,
This gives a space of five feet for each tier of plants,
Havea beam run across the center of the building,
with a post in the middle with girths to correspond
with those on the side, extending lengthwise through
the middle of the building for the poles or rails, each
twelve feet in length, to be laid upon; or if sticks are
to be used (as hereafter described) lay rails or poles
once in four feet for the sticks to rest upon. Place a
ventilator upon the center of the roof, and have one
board in every four feet hung on hinges, to be opened
or closed at pleasure. If made with a floor and a cel-
lar underneath, to let down the tobacco into when
ready strip, it is all the better. We will now retura
to the crop, and commence hanging it. A common
way of doing it is by tying with common twine,
Tie the end of the string tightly around the but of one
plant, and by placing it against the side of the pole
nearest you, put another plant on the opposite side ang
carry the string over and around it, placing the plants
alternately on each side of the pole until filled, ther
fasten the string, place the pole in the right place, (it
should be nearly right before it is filled,) and commence
on the next one in like manner, having some one to
hand the plants as wanted. As to how thick to hang it
depends upon the size of the plants, but in good-sized
tobacco about nine inches on each side is close erough,
a
EXPERIENCE OF PRACTICAL GROWERS. 23
that will ke from thirty to thirty-two on each pole of
twelve feet; place the poles from fifteen to eighteen
‘nehes apart. Another method of hanging, much prac-
tived and approved by many, is to hang on slats or
sticks sawed out four feet long, one and quarter
inches wide and five eighths of an inch thick. Chest-
nut timber is generally used here. The common lath
answers very well for this purpose. An iron made
something like a chisel is used to slip on to one end
of the sticks, which are sharpened a little at one end
to receive it. It is made about eight inches long,
wedge-shaped at the small end, and a sockut one half
by one inch to slip on to the sticks. When
ready for use have a place fixed near where you
unload, to hold one of these sticks out at right
angles from a post and about four feet from the
ground. Let the plants be handed you from the load
and slip them on the stick, piercing the stalk about
six inches from the but; put six or seven plants of
medium size on each stick, thicker if smaller; when
hung it will appear as in the cut. As each stick is
filled, it may be carried to its place in the barn. In
getting them to the top of the barn they may be hand-
ed up with a pitchfork, lifting them by the middle of
the sticks. These sticks should be about eight inches
apart. I think a greater amount can be put into a
given space by this method without danger of sweat-
ing, as it is more evenly distributed. The loose leaves
that have been broken off while handling, may be
gured by placing four or five together and securing to
4 su_all pole, in the same way as plants are hung with
twine.
Savine Seep. —Strip the leaves off from the seed-
stalks and tie up the stalks to a stake driven into the
ground by them, else they may be blown over. The
seed should be gathered before hard frosts destroy their
vitality ; when fully ripe the pods or seed-vessels may
be picked off and dried, then crush or roll them be-
tween the hands until the seeds are all out, the seeds
may then be separated from the chaff by passing it
through a fine sieve.
Curine. — After the crop is all housed the building
should be well ventilated by opening the doors and
boards on hinges, to secure a free circulation of air
throughout the building. On rainy, damp, or very
windy days the building should be shut up as tightly
as possible, and opened again on return of fair weath-
er. After hanging several weeks, until the leaves are
mostly dried, the building should be closed to prevent
the dry leaves from being broken by winds. It usu-
ally requires about twelve weeks to cure the plants
thoroughly, that is, so that there is no more juice in
the lsaves or leaf-stems; it matters not if the main
stalk is not dry, you need not expect it, and there
will be green leaves that will not cure but freeze while
green and are worthless. It will then be ready for
Srrippinc. — This must be done only after a damp,
rainy spell has softened the leaves, so that they may
be handled without breaaing; it may then be taken
from the poles and stripped as fast as taken down, or
it may be carried into a cellar and be piled in heaps to
be stripped at leisure ; care must be taken, however,
not to let it remain too long in this condition, as the
green stalks would soon heat and injure it. To strip
a plant, hold it in the left hand by the but, and with
the other pull off all the bottom leaves and drop them
on the ground or floor ina pile for ‘‘ fillers,” or the
poorest quality ; next, take off three or four more, or
until you come to the best leaves, these put in another
heap for the ‘‘seconds ;”’ now strip off the remainder
for wrappers, except such as are badly worm-eaten or
otherwise injured —such go into a poorer quality:
throw the stalk away and put the handful of wrappers
under the left arm to hold while stripping another
plant in like manner, put the two handfuls of wrap-
pers together, taking pains to keep the buts even, and
bind them by firmly winding a leaf around them at
the but, commencing within a half or three quarters
of an inch from the end, and winding down smoothly
about two inches, part the hand and put the end
of the band between the parts,
again, thus securing the end and holding it tight.
If the plants are very large, the leaves from each may
be tied up separately instead of putting two together,
Hands that will weigh half a pound are about large
enough. The seconds and fillers are afterward picked
up and tied in the same manner. Much of the value
of tobacco in market depends upon the manner in
which it is assorted and done up, as a few poor leaves
ina hand would make a difference of several cents per
pound in the price; none but good sound leaves, free
from rust, pole-sweat, frost, or large holes should go
into the best quality. Small plants rarely contain any
first quality, but should go into the seconds and fillers.
A little practice will enable any one to sort it proper-
ly, better than any rules that can be laid down on pa-
per. There is much difference in the color and fine-
ness of the leaf, a darkish red or cinnamon color is
preferred to that of a darker shade; the veins should
be small and far apart and dark as the leaf, as “* white
stems” are objectionable by reason of their growing
lighter still when going through the sweat after it is
cased. After it is stripped it should be packed down
in a cool dry place. Lay some boards flat on the
ground about four feet wide, and as long as you wish
the pile to be, and commence by laying a row on one
side of the platform with the buts out, then on the
other side in the same way, letting the tips lap about
six inches, or just enough to keep the pile level; pro-
then close it
ceed in this way, laying on each side alternately till
all is packed; lay the hands as close to each other as
possibie, not sprawled out like an open fan, but com-
pactly. Lay some boards on top of the pile and put
on just weight enough to keep them snug. Some
boards or blankets should be put at the ends of the
pile to keep it from drying up. The seconds and
fillers are packed in the same way; they may be
24
packed in a separate pile or on top, or at the ends of
the wrappers. It is now ready for market. If it
should remain long in pile it should be examined oc-
casionally to see that it does not hurt, as it sometimes
happens that when taken down, stripped and packed
when it is too damp, it will grow damper and perhaps
ot. If too damp, it should be repacked on some
windy day to give it an airing, shaking out the damp-
est hands and letting them remain exposed till suff-
ciently dry to be repacked. The stalks, after being
stripped, should either be spread on grass land and
remain till spring, when they may be raked up and
carted on to the land designed for the next crop of
tobacco, and burnt, or let them remain in the barn till
spring, when they may be cut up fine and dropped
into potato or corn-hills, using a good-sized handful
to each hill.
I have raised the past season on a little more than
three fourths of an acre one thousand four hundred and
twenty-seven pounds wrappers, worth at the present
No. VI—BY A. S. THOMAS,
I was raised in one of the best tobacco-growing
districts in Eastern Virginia, and was familiar with
every step in its production for twenty-four years. I
moved to this State in the fall af 1844, and have
raised more or less of it ever since. Therefore, I
ought be competent to give the “practical informa-
tion” desired.
Tue Serp.—In Virginia there were as many varieties
of tobacco-seed as of corn or wheat. I will name a
few: The “Big Frederick,” the “Little Frederick,”
the “Blue Stalk,” the “ Brittle Stem,” the ‘ Big
Orinoco,” the “Little Orinoco,” and half a dozen
others, each having, or supposed to have, some charac-
teristic distinguishing it from all the others. But the
“Brittle Stem” and the ‘“Orinocos” were the varie-
ties mostly cultivated, the former for its early maturi-
ty, the latter for its comparative heaviness. There
are several varieties, also, in this vicinity, such as the
“Brittle Stem,’ the ‘Graham Tobacco,” and the
“ Cuban,” but the names convey litt!e certain informa-
tion, as the same varieties bear different names in
different localities. But some varieties are evidently
to be preferred to others—one, noted for early matu-
rity, all things else equal, is preferable to another that
ripens late. One, distinguished for fineness of texture,
all things else equal, is better than another of coarser
fiber, etc. Upon the whole, the sw7est and most profit-
able variety is that which ripens earliest, and yields
the largest number of pounds, cured, to a given num-
ber of hills vlanted.
SowIna.
In Virginia this was done in the first fa-
vorable weather in February, and I have done so here
up to the !a3° year. But, hereafter, I shall sow as
soon 23 convenient after the seed is ripe. I was led
HOW TO RAISE TOBACCO.
time twenty-five cents; two hundred and twenty-one
pounds seconds, worth twelve cents; and ..ne hundred
and forty-six pounds fillers, worth ten cents; amount-
ing to one thousand seven hundred and ninety-four
pounds, worth three hundred and ninety-seven dol'ars
and eighty-seven cents,
Cost of raising an acre of tobacco:
Interest on land, ...... sl olcielabele ce rotoleteicl oe ere a OG
60 loads manure at $1, one half is,......... 80 O¢
Plowing twice and spreading manure,....... 8 00
Malommoahills,, £24 ails siete cies fotarateterete ote etre 1 00
6000 plants, at 50 cents, .......... aPePieter 3 00
Setting out plants,....... suctelisheretetere 5 2 00
Hoeing three times,........ afevahelatusetolelavonehels 5 OC
Worming, topping, and suckering, ......... 10 00
Cutting and hanging. 22 4 feceihe teste ects 10 00
DELIPPINE Basak silo eiehy a wlaversions sicievelstete opeceyy pee OROO
Haulinesto market; Cte... cece + cnlsisweesieuy BEANOU
$90 00
HIGHLAND COUNTY, OHIO.
to this conclusion by this fact: two years I saw mil-
lions of plants coming up under the seed-stalks of the
previous year; the seeds had fallen to the ground, sur-
vived the winter, and were more forward than that
sowed in February in prepared beds.
SrEep-Bep.—It should be moist, or convement to
water, as it may require watering in dry weather. It
should have an open, southern aspect. Jt should be
burned sufficiently to kill the seeds of all weeds and
wild grasses, for if not then killed they will come on
before the tobacco-plants and surely destroy them.
Hence the importance of thorowgh burning. Having
burnt the ground well, rake off the coals and all other
rough and coarse materials. When cool enough, dig
it up fine and sow the seed. Any one that can sow
cabbage or turnip-seed can sow tobacco-seed.
QuanTiTYy OF Srep.—A table-spoonful of good seed
will sow one hundred square yards. Such a bed, un-
der favorable conditions, will yield ten thousand plants,
and so in proportion. If the bed should need water,
| give it, and finely-pounded sheep-rmanure sowed over
it will greatly expedite the growth of the plants. If
the seeds are sowed too thick the plants will be crowd-
ed, and fail to obtain the proper size, at the right
time. It is evidently important to have the plants uni-
form in size, and as many of them as possible put out
at the first planting. Therefore, endeavor to have
enough of plants in your bed or beds—to have them
all of the same size, that all may be planted out at
the first planting. When that is the case, the primingr
the lopping, and the cutting can all be done regularly
But when planted at intervals of two or three weeks
all the subsequent operations come on irreg warly.
With seed sown any time before the first of March
EXPERIENCE OF PRACTICAL GROWERS. 25
in properly-prepared beds, and other conditions favor-
able, the plants can be set out some time between the
twenty-fifth of May and tenth of June. At that time
their leaves will be as large as a dollar-piece. Over-
grown plants are not desirable. But before your plants
are ready you should attend to
Tre Kinp or Lanp.—This depends somewhat upon
the character of the tobacco designed to be raised.
Ii the object is weight, take old and rich land. The
richer, (with animal manures,) the heavier the tobacco ;
the heavier the tobacco, the coarser will be its charae-
ter, and, in old-established markets, the less it will
bring per pound. Any rich land will bring heavy to-
bacco, provided it is not too wet. Excessive moisture
is destructive to its growth. No farming product is so
effectually destroyed on wet lands as tobacco, and
none is so little affected by dry weather. Last season
there was no rain in this section from the third July till
the thirteenth of October. Other crops were seriously
shortened in consequence of such a drought, but bet-
ter tobacco I never saw yrow. I would say, then,
that any land, good for any otner crop, will bring good
tobacco, if it is not too wet.
THe Preparation or THE Lanp.—To do this weil,
(and it is greatly to the interest of the grower,) re-
quires deep plowing and thorough harrowing. Like
all other crops, tobacco will do best in land best pre-
pared for it. Having plowed and harrowed the land,
the next step is to lay it off in rows. If the land is
cll ground, and rich enough to bring eighty bushels
ef corn to the acre, mark off the rows four and a half
feet each way, to the cardinal points, if convenient,
but, in any case, as straight as possible. This is es-
sential to the subsequent thorough plowings. In Vir-
zinia the practice was to make hills as large as a
bushel of sand would; but I am perfectly sure that
three fourths of that labor was unprofitable. Nor is
it best to plant on a flat surface, for two reasons: first,
because the plants are likely to be overflowed in wet
spells ; and, second, because they can not be as neatly
or as well worked with the hoe or plow. For these
reasons I would prefer an elevation of six or eight
inches, and to obtain it I would throw two furrows
together with a one-horse turning-plow. When ready
to plant, these ridges should be flattened six inches
square, at intervals of exactly four feet, at which
points the plants should be set out, just as you would
cabbage or tomato-plants. | Having planted your crop,
the next consideration is
Tug Move or Cottivatinc.—When the leaves are
half the size of a man’s hand, it should be gone over
with a cultivator, or what is called here a ‘“double-
shovel.” Whatevér the implement may be, the object
of the operation should be to stir the land four inches
deep, and kill the starting grass or weeds. This plow-
ing should be followed by a hoeing, taking the grass
out of the hill, and covering the surface all around,
and up to the plant. When the leaves are eight or
ten inches long, the crop should ceive a second plow:
ing, followed immediately by a second hoeing, with
the same general objects. No other hoeing is re
quired, unless the land be very foul, but a third plow-
ing should be given about two weeks after the second.
Now, the substance of these directions is simply
this: to work tobacco, with plow and hoe, in such
ways, and at such times, and with the same object in
view as you would any other crop, and that is, to de-
stroy grass and weeds, and keep the surface well pul-
verized. Under favorable conditions, your plants are
But
before I proceed to that, I will remark, that I have seen
many valuable crops of tobacco raised without any
hoe-work—altogether with the plow.
Priminc.—This consists in pulling of the bottom
leaves, to the number of four or five. Any plant
large enough to top ought to be primed first; as a
general rule is, not to prime until the plant is ready
to top also. Many good planters omit the priming
process altogether, though by that plan they increase
the class called “lugs,” and lighten their other and
better qualities of tobacco. But I would advise all
planters to prime their crops. The next work in the
cultivation of the crop is called
Toprinc.—This is the most important operation yet
performed, and simply means pinching out the bud, or
cutting off the top of the growing plant—important,
from the fact that the operation may leave too many
leaves on the stalk to grow, and ripen, if they can, or
it may take off some that would have grown and ripen-
ed well. It is evident that the growing stalk must be
shortened at some point; hence the necessity of the
now in a state to receive another manipulation.
exercise of judgment.
If the directions already given have been duly
observed, five sixths of the crop will be large enough
to top and prime in August, and ripe enough to cut by
the fifteenth or twentieth of September. But if a rule
mest be given, I would suggest the following: Prime
the plant, as above directed, then count as many
leaves, from the bottom up, as there are weeks inter-
vening between the time of doing it and the fifteenth of
October. Isay the fifteenth of October, because that is
the time at which killing frosts usually come in this
latitude. There are, no doubt, exceptions to this rule ;
but it is designed only asa general one. All condi-
tions favorable, a tobacco-plant will ripen in as many
weeks, from the time of topping it, as there are leaves
left on the stalk. Consequently, if the topping is
done early, it can be topped high, if later, it must be
done lower, and if still later, still lower. Planters
differ very much at this point. Some will top as high
as sixteen leaves, others ten, and a great many at
eight. My own opinion is, that a plant topped at ten
will weigh as much as one at sixteen, topped at the
same time, and on the same kind of land. I think T
have been sufficiently explicit on that point. Too
much particularity might discourage the learner. there
26 HOW TO RAISE TOBACCO.
fore, I will next give some hints upon the part of the
work next claiming the attention of the grower, and
that is
SuckEriInG.—About a week after a plant has been
topped the suckers will begin to grow. A sucker is
only an auxiliary branch which shcots out at the junc-
tion of the leaves to the stalk. If not removed, they
will grow, and bloom, and ripen seed, and in doing so
they will swck the parent-stem of much of its vitality.
When the crop of suckers are about an inch long they
can be pulled or rubbed off, and it should surely be
done. In about a week or ten days a second crop of
them will appear. These must also be promptly re-
moved, and then the third crop will show itself, which
must be similarly treated. The longer they are per-
‘nitted to remain on the plant, the more they retard
‘ts development, and delay its maturity.
WorminG.—This operation is simply to kill the
““tobacco-worms.” These worms are hatched from
eggs deposited by what is called the “tobacco-fly.” It
is a large, dusky-brown, winged miller, nearly as large
as a humming-bird. It lays its eggs on fair evenings
and moonlight nights in July and August. It can be
seen almost any clear evening, among what are called
“ Jimson-weeds,” sucking the flowers. The eggs will
batch out in twenty-four hours, and the worms com-
mence eating when less than half an inch long, and con-
tinue to eat ti!l they attain the length of four or five
inches. One worm, in six weeks, will destroy a plant so
completely as to render it utterly valueless. This pest
is vastly more numerous in some seasons than in others.
Four years ago there were scarcely any; but for the
last three years they have been destructively numerous,
The worming of the crop, when they are numerous,
is, by far, the most disagreeable and tedious labor at-
tending it. Much of the value of the crop depends
upon the care or inattention of performing this part
of the work. The crop may have been planted
in good time—plowed, hoed, primed, suckered, top-
ped, cut, and cured well; yet it may have been so
riddled by worms as to be comparatively good for
nothing in market ; hence, they must be picked off and
destroyed, and that promptly. Having planted in due
time, worked, wormed, and suckered properly, the
crop begins to show signs of ripeness, and here the
question presents itself:
WueEn 1s Tosacco Rirz ?—This is, in truth, a simple
question, and every one will answer it by saying, when
‘t has arrived at, or attained to, perfection. But the
difficulty is, to know certainly when that is—to un-
derstand the accompanying indications.
this is a difficult question, and will remain one until he
To a novice,
has seen a specimen—a plant of ripe tobacco; then
it is pla. As in many other plants, the ripeness of
topacco is known principally by i color ; and it is
no easy matter to describe, with absolute accuracy,
any particular shade of color; but there are other
signs accompanying, which have reference to the gene-
ral appearance of the plant. With a little ,udgment
and discrimination, ¢he following general rule will be
found to answer. I will first observe that, all things
favorable, tobacco can be primed and topped in six ar
seven weeks after planting; and may be cuf in as
many weeks, after topping, as there are leaves left o1
the stalk.
When a plant begins to ripen, it will gradually
assume a“ piebald” or spotted appearance. As the
ripening advances the spots will become more distinct
and individualized. When the spots can be distinguish-
ed at the distance of ten steps, and the leaves of the
plant turn down, become stiff to the touch, and their
ends curl under, the plant is ripe, and should be cut.
From the moment it has arrived at maturity it begins
to decay.
CUTTING.
crop are to be Aung after they are cut—hung on
something, and by something. Prepare a knife—a
butcher-knife answers well—have it sharp—enter it
at the top of the plant, where the top was broken
off. Enter it centrally; press it dow.waras, divid-
ing the stalk into two equal portions. Continue
it downwards tilt within five inches of the ground.
Withdraw the knife, and cut off the stalk close to the
ground, The plant is now cut. Lay it on the ground
with the lower end towards the sun, The plants
should be placed in rows as they are cut, in order to
facilitate the labor of gathering them. There is one
caution to be heeded in cutting tobacco, and that is
do not let it be burnt or blistered by the heat of th
sun. In some varieties of tobacco this will be effect-
ed in one hour; in others, not so soon. But this dar-
ger can be evaded in two ways: first, by cutting late
in the evening; second, by throwing it in the shade,
or covering it so as to weaken the power of the sun.
Some varieties of tobacco will wilt (that is, become soft
or limber) in two hours; others, in a longer time, ac-
cording to the degree of sun-heat. Having cut the
tobacco, and it being sufficiently wilted, the next step is
Hanerne.—The sticks to hang the plants on should
be split of straight-grained timber—should be four
and a half feet long, and at least one inch thick, and
one inch wide. The splinters should be shaved off
smoothly. The poles for the scaffold should be of
sufficient length and strength ; the forks, or other sup-
porters, must be tall enough to swing the plants six
inches above the ground. These scaffolds can be
erected around the fields, if small, or in it, if large.
Judgment must determine.
The scaffolds erected, the sticks prepared, the to-
bacco well wilted and placed in piles around the scaf-
folds, the next business is to hang the plants on the
sticks. To do this neatly and expeditiously, place one
end of a stick on the outer end of one scaifold-pote,
and the other end squarely across on the end of the
adjoining pole, or any where else, to be convenient to
receive the plants. Hang twelve plants on a stick
Remember that all the plants in your
EXPERIENCE OF PRACTICAL GROWERS. 27
and the same, or some uniform number, on every stick.
To hang a plant, lift it up with the right hand, and
with the left divide the stalk through the split, having
half the leaves on one side and half on the other. As
the sticks are filled, place them on the poles of the
scaffold, crowding them closely. Under the most
favorable circumstances, all the plants of a crop will
not ripen the same day, or even the same week. It
often happens that three weeks intervene between the
first and the last cutting. But whenever ripe, it must
be cut, hung, and placed on the scaffold, or on some
other fixture, to dry out. This drying is the first step
in the process called cuRING THE TOBACCO, which simply
means to dry out all the juices of the plant. This can
only be done by absorption, assimilation, and evapora-
tion, The two former are natural processes; the lat-
ter can be effected by heat, and this heat must be from
the sun or from ordinary fire. It is important, for
many reasons, that this evaporation be as rapid as pos-
sible. Left to the sun alone, it would require, in or-
dinary seasons, at least three months. I have seen
plants of ripe tobacco of a green color in January;
and I have seen whole crops perfectly cured by fire in
five days. The latter was the plan in Virginia, the
fire being kept up night and day during that period.
I have not used fire for that purpose since I came to
this State, seventeen years ago. But whether here or
any where else, if large quantities of freshly cut to-
bacco be stored in a close house, it will rot or mold
during long spelis of warm, damp weather, if fire were
not used. Tobacco well ripened, and timely cut, in
ordinary seasons, can be cured by the first of January,
without fire, if suffered to remain on the scaffolds a
week, und then placed in sheds with open ends and
sides; but the roofs should not leak. Rains will not
injure it any time during the first eight or ten days
after cutting, in any other way than by delaying the
process of curing. It may be asked: ‘‘ Are there any
certain signs or indications to show when tobacco is
perfectly cured?” I think there are; and with the
exercise of a little judgment, there can be no mistake.
There should not be the least greenness of color or
scent about the stalk, the stem, or any portion of the
leaf; and the stems should be so brittle that they will
snap short in bending them, in dry weather. With
fire it can be put in such a condition in one week ; but
without fire, in ordinary seasons, it will require till
Christmas. But when it is in that condition it is cured.
Tae tobacco being cured, the next precess is
Srrippinc.—This consists of breaking the leaves
from the stalks, and tying them into bundles, called
“har ds” in this section. But in doing this we should
not tie the leaves as we come to them. In all crops,
and sometimes on the same plant, there are some long
leaves, some short ones, (equally good in quality,) and
some dusty, ragged, weather-beaten leaves. These
grades or qualities should not be tied up in the same
oundle. In stripping, the practice was, in Virginia, to
let one person pull off all of the first grade, and tie it
up ; another would take the same plants and pull off ell
leaves of the second grade, and tie it; and another
wou.d pull off and tie up what was left on the plant:
thus making three grades or qualities. These are re-
hung separately, and prized in the hogsheads sepa-
rately. This is evidently the proper plan to be followed
every where.
Every day’s stripping is placed on the same sticks
again, and hung up out of the way of every thing.
The bundles of the first grade contain twelve leaves ;
of the second, sixteen; and of the third, between
twenty and thirty.
After tobacco has begun to dry out, or cure, it can
be handled only in moist weather, At any other time
it will break and crumble more or less. In order to
have it ready to strip at any time, the planter should
select a spell of moist weather, and while the tobaceo
is in the right case, (as it is called in Virginia, and
means neither so dry as to break, nor so damp as to
mold,) bulk down a considerable portion of his crop.
Bu.txinc Down.—Suppose he wishes to bulk down
three hundred sticks, making three thousand six hun-
dred plants. The tobacco being in the right ‘‘ case,”
he selects a corner of his barn, or other building, and
sweeps the floor clean. He then takes down the sticks,
slips the plants off, and places them, straight and
compact, in one corner of the room, about one foot
from either wall, buts outside. And so of another
stick by the side of the first, keeping the course par
allel with the wall; and when one course is completed,
lay down another with the buts on the opposite side.
Let the length and number of these courses be such,
that the bulk, when completed, will be about three
feet high. This done, lay the tobacco-sticks on the
bulk lengthwise, and cover over with hay or fodder,
pressing it tightly between the wall and the bulk. If
this is done rightly, the tobacco will remain in strip-
ping case for years. Suppose your whole crop is
stripped and re-hung, which ought to be avie oy the
first of March, Let it hang until about the first of
April; then take it down in the proper prizing case,
and bulk it away as before. The prizing case for the
first and second grades is the same as for stripping;
but for the first grade it must be decidedly drier.
PREPARING FoR Market.—The crop is now ready to
prize for market. Parcels less than one thousand five
hundred pounds may be carried to markét almost in any
way ; but more than that should be prized in hogsheads,
Several farmers might combine their crops for prizing
As to the size, form, and materials of the hogsheads.
In Virginia, the size of the hogsheads is prescribed by
law. They must be made of seasoned pine or poplar.
They must be four feet six inches long; three feet six
inches in diameter, at one end, and three feet four
inches at the other. This difference of diameter is to
allow the tobacco to be inspected. This may be some.
thing new to persons of the North, therefore I wil!
28
explain the mode of inspecting tobacco in the hogs-
head. An inspector is appointed by law to inspect or
examine the tobacco prized in hogsheads. His first
step is, to place the hogshead big end upward. He
then removes the lining, and takes out the head. He
next inverts the position of the hogshead, that is, puts
the little end up, and raises it entirely from the to-
bacco. The mass of prized tobacco stands before
him without a covering. The outside may be all
rigbt, but his sworn duty is to examine it through and
through, as well as round and round. For this pur-
pose he drives an iron bar to the middle, near the top
of the mass, pries up and takes out a handful of bun-
dles. He repeats that operation on two other points
of the mass. He then inspects or examines the par-
cels extracted, and rates the whole hogshead according
to their quality. The hogshead is replaced and made
secure. The hogsheads and the samples taken from
them bear corresponding marks, and the former is
sold by the latter.
The staves of the hogshead must not be wider than
five, nor narrower than three inches, five eighths of
an inch thick, and dressed on the inside. The head-
ing must be seasoned pine or poplar, and one inch
thick, with eight hoops. Such a hogshead will well
answer in other States as well as in Virginia.
Prizinc.—Weigh out, say three hundred pounds.
No. VIL—BY J. H. NORTON,
Tue grand requisites for the successful cultivation
of tobacco may be summed up as follows: first, good
arable land, plenty of fertilizing materials, buildings
for curing and storing the crop, and a good share of
patience and assiduity in the grower.
Srrp-Brep.— rich loam is the best soil for to-
bacco-plants ; select a spot for a bed on the south
side of a gentle elevation—a warm spot—as much
sheltered from the winds as possible; make the bed
mellow by spading deep, burn a brush-heap upon it,
and carefully remove every sod, root, stick, or stone,
then rake evenly and carefully. Mix one gill of seed
for every ten square yards with a quart or so of clean
ashes or plaster, then sow as gardeners sow small
seeds, .nd tramp, where sown, with the feet, or roll
with # roller. The bed should be made rich with
manure, and sown as early in the spring as the ground
can be worxed. The ground, however, must be in
good condition—not too moist, and be well prepared.
Keep the weeds from growing by careful weeding,
daily, after the plants are up; a little liquid manure
then applied once a week will be of much benefit to
them, increasing their growth and vigor very much.
The plants should not stand too thick in the bed,
not more than an irch, to half an inch apart; if they
are too thick the; should be raked with an iron
HOW TO RAISE TOBACCO.
It takes two hands to do this work, one inside the
hogshead and the other out. One is called the packer,
the other the waiter. The packer so arranges the
bundles, in placing them, as to make four courses in
one layer. Repeat the layers until the three hundred
pounds are packed. The weight (lever-power) is then
applied. After six hours, put in two hundred pounds
more and apply the weight. Six hours, and so on,
until one thousand three hundred or one thousand five
hundred pounds have been put in. The softer the
tobacco, the more of it can be put in a hogshead.
If the tobacco is of the first quality, fifteen hundred
pounds is enough. But if lower qualities, eighteen
hundred pounds can be put in. The finer the quality
the less weight it can bear without injury; and vice
versa. Having prized the crop, it is ready for market.
I think tobacco is decidedly the most profitable crop
raised in the Western and Northern States. For in-
stance, an acre of suitable land, planted in time, with
good plants, and promptly attended in its subsequent
management, will yield a thousand pounds, which, at
$4 per hundred, would be $40; at $10 per hundred
$100. The article is now selling by the hogshead in
Louisville, Ky., at more than $30 per hundred. When
the tobacco market opens in May, I have no doubt it
will be much higher. Its cultivation is extending
most rapidly in Ohio.
ONONDAGA COUNTY, N. Y.
rake after the plants are about the bigness of a five-
cent piece. The rake suitable for such a purpose
should be a common rake, with teeth about three
inches long, slightly curved at the points, teeth flat,
and about a quarter or three eighths of an inch wide,
and half an inch apart.
Good, strong corn-land is the soil best adapted for
tobacco-growing—not flat, but undulating. New land
is preferable to old. The land should be very richly
manured with good, strong, well-rotted manure—ashes
also used will benefit the crop materially.
The ground should be well plowed and pulverized
fine by well harrowing or cultivating, and then be
marked as for corn in rows from three to three and a
half feet apart each way. At each angle formed by
the markings a sort of hill should be formed and
patted with the hoe once, so as to form a bed for the
plant which is to be set.
After the ground is thus prepared, after the first
fine rain, the plants (the leaves of which sheuld bo
about the size of a quarter of a dollar) should be
removed from the bed, taking great care not to mash
or bruise them while taking them up.
Serrine Our.—Proceed to planting, which is done
in the following manner: a boy with a basket of
plants first goes over tne ground, dropping a plait
EXPERIENCE OF PRACTICAL GROWERS. 29
upon each hill formed at the cross-sections of the
markings; the “setter” following, takes the plant
dropped upon the hill in his left hand, while with the
forefinger of his right hand he makes a hole in the
ground ; he then places the root in the hole with his
left, pinching up the dirt to it on each side with the
fingers of the right hand, taking care to close the dirt
well about the bottom of the root, also being careful
that the roots are not bent up, nor set too deep. A
stick or dibble is sometimes used instead of the finger
for making the holes; in that case care must be taken
lest the holes be too deep. A good hand will set ten
thousand plants per day.
CuLtivation. — Within a week after setting, the
hoe should be passed through the rows, the hard
crust next the plants removed, and the weeds cut ;
a little plaster and ashes mixed in equal proportions
may also be put upon each hill, say a gill to each.
From this time until the plants get so large that a cul-
tivator can not pass between the rows without injur-
ing the plants, the ground should be cultivated often
enough to keep the ground mellow and free from
weeds. Cultivating is a delicate operation, requiring
a skillful plowman and a steady horse, else many
of the plants will be knocked over or killed by the
operation. After the plants are become too large to
be cultivated without injury, they should be well hoed,
cutting the weeds, leveling the furrows made by the
cultivator, and drawing a little earth to the plants
when required, and it will need no more working.
Savina Seep.—When the plants blossom, the best
should be saved for seed, fifty plants being enough
for seed to sow a crop of thirty thousand pounds,
or a gill being enough to set four acres of land. All
the rest should be topped when the bud is fairly formed.
Toppinc.—Great judgment is required in this ope-
ration. If the plant is sturdy and strong, the top may
be taken off at the eighth leaf from the root; if not
so strong, the top must be taken off lower down;
with new beginners the leaves look too good, and do
not top low enough, and as a consequence have
poor tobacco; the top when broken off should be
thrown between the rows, and suffered to decay.
Within about two weeks from topping, the crop is
generally fit for cutting, yet it is not hurt by standing
longer in the field. From this time until the tobacco
is housed, the grower experiences much vexation ;
storms and frosts may came and destroy the crop.
Worms, the worst enemy of the planter, come in
crowds; as fast as they come they should be pulled
vif, and killed, else they will ruin the crop. A flock
of turkeys are of invaluable assistance in destroying
these insects, which they seem to do for the ‘“‘fun of
it; twice in the season these worms appear, and the
only proper way to get rid of them is te begin in
time, and with plenty of lielp go over the whole field,
plant ty plant, breaking up nests, killing such worms
as may pe found, and doing so morning u.d evening
until they finally disappear.
Suckerine.—The plants should also be ‘‘suckered.”
Suckers spring out in great numbers just where the
leaves join with the stalk. ‘“Suckering”’ is done by
pinching these off close to the stalk when they reach
about the ength of three or four inches; just before
cutting it would be well to sucker again, for if any
are left on the stalk they will grow to great lengths,
even after the plant has been hurg up for curing.
Curtine anp Haneinc.—Wheu the plant begins to
vellow or turn spotted, it is time to put it away. It is
cut off close to the ground, turning up the leaves,
and cutting off close to the roots, by a single stroke
of a hatchet, or tobacco-knife, made of an old scythe,
such as are used in cutting up corn. After cutting,
let it lie on the ground a short time to wilt, when it
may be handled without danger of tearing the leaves ;
it is then to be taken to the house to be ‘‘ hung.”
The hanging should be begun on the upper tier of
poles, to where the tobacco is elevated by means of
a platform and pulley, or it may be passed by boys
from tier to tier, to its locality for hanging.
WH
fii if i}
Hanging is done in the following manner: the
“hanger” stands in an erect position, having for a
a foothold the poles on the tier below the one which
he is hanging; he has a ball of tobacco-twine (a twine
made of flax, procurable at any seed-store) which for
convenience is carried in the bosom of the loose blouse
generally worn; he stands with the left side to the
pole on which the tobacco is to be hung, left arm
over it; the stalk of tobacco is handed to him by a
boy whose duty it is to pass it to him; the stalk is
then taken in the left hand and placed against the
side of the pole, the but projecting an inch or two,
around which projection the twine is wound from left
to right, (the twine having previously been fastened
to the pole ;) the next stalk is placed on the other side
of the pole, just far enough along so that the leaves
of the two stalks will not touch and pole-burn, and
so continue, the stalks being hung alternately on the
sides of the pole, as seen in the above cut,
After the house is filled, some put fires under the
crop to hasten its drying, but it is found by experi-
ence that the practice is not a good one.
Srrippinc.—After the tobacco has become dry and
well cured, the stem of the leaf being free from sap,
the first damp spell of weather it will become soft
30 HOW TO RAISE TOBACCO.
and pliant; then t should be taken down and strip-
ped from the stalk. Stripping should be done as soon
as possible after the leaf is cured, as the freezing cold
of winter may be followed closely by balmy days;
and as every mild day causes the stalk to exude juices
which discolor the leaf, it is patent that the carlier the
tobacco is stripped the better it is.
Stripping is done by holding the but of the stalk
In the right hand, so that the different qualities of
leaf may be seen, and then with the left hand strip-
ping the leaves from the stalk, keeping the leaves
held in the hand until about one third or one half
of a pound is thus held. Then wind a leaf about the
upper portion of the bundle for about three or four
inches of its length, tucking the end of the leaf in
the middle of the bundle to confine it. These bun-
dles are called “ hands.” While stripping, the tobacco
should be divided into three qualities, respectively,
“first,” ‘* second,” and “ fat,” keeping each quality in
“hands” by itself. First quality tobacco is that com-
posed of the best leaves, being those that are not torn
and are not discolored. Second quality is that which
is or may have been discolored or torn in handling.
Fat tobacco is that which remains in a wet, sodden
state, even after the stems of the large jirst quality
leaves have become dry and brittle, being of a dark
color—almost black—it is the top leaves of the stalk,
which had yet not become ripened. With proper
cultivation, the grower need not be bothered with this
almost worthless quality.
Boikinc.—As fast as stripped, the hands should be
laid in piles, the different qualities by themselves; the
piles should be formed in double rows, the leaves
being straightened before laid down, the buts of the
*‘hands” being outside, the points nearly meeting.
When the piles are carried to a convenient hight,
say three or four feet, heavy planks with weights may
be laid upon the rows, to keep them in place, and to
form a more compact body and assist in the future
packing. Here let me say that all the hands that
were too damp or soft should be exposed to the sun
for a few hours, or else subjected to the action of a
fire to dry them, before placing them in the bulk.
All the ‘“ fut” tobacco must be treated in this way
before laid in the pile.
While in the “bulk,” as we must now call the piled
tobacco, much care must be taken lest the pile heats ;
if the slightest warmth is perceptible, the pile must
be overhauled and re-bulked in piles of less hight,
without weights upon the top; but generally the to-
bacco will ‘‘ condition” for packing in a short time,
when it will temain without packing without much
injury, in the sarze shape for a long time. If it is
not convenient to pack, kowever, the tobacco had
better be ‘‘re-bulked”’ ‘n piies of greater hight, and
pressed with heavy weights.
Packinc.—In order to pack tobacco, a little ma-
chinery is required, as heavy pressure must be brought
to bear upon the crop in order to get a reasonable
quantity in a box—for all practical purposes, a lever
formed of a scantling properly arranged, or better
yet, a screw, such as are used for cider-presses or tc
raise buildings, is all that is required.
The size for boxes differ, but the dest size is the
following: three feet six inches long, two feet four
inches wide, two feet six inches in depth, manufac-
tured from planed pine boards, one inch in thickness,
with standards two inches square, inside at each cor-
ner to nail to.
Having thus your boxes prepared, and the tobacco
in good condition, the first soft, mild day that comes
proceed to packing; the bundles or “hands” of to-
bacco must be taken from the bulk and laid in courses
in the box, laying the buts of the “hands” to the
outside of the box, allowing the ends to lap over
‘each otber, and endeavoring to keep the center of
the box a little higher than the edges—these courses
to be packed as solid as possible by the hand.
If any of the bundles are soft or have an ill smell,
they must be exposed to the fire or sun until sweet
and dry before being packed.
When the box is nearly full, a false cover (just
large encugh to slip inside the box) must be placea
on the tobacco, and pressed as heavily as possible
with the lever or screw power ; remove the pressure
and re-fill, pressure finally being applied to the rea
cover, which may then be tacked down.
A box of the size I have mentioned, when filled,
should contain about four hundred pounds of tobacco,
and thus packed, will keep for years.
This concludes the labor of preparing this beauti-
ful crop for market. Marketing here has, until of
late, been done through commission-houses in New-
York ; but our crop has so increased in amount that
buyers and speculators have thronged the tobacco-
houses here during the past season of stripping.
Tobacco-House.
Housrs.—A building twenty-four feet square, and
seventeen feet high, exclusive of foundation-wall, ig
of sufficient capacity to store the growth of one acre
of tobacco.
The common size of tobacco-houses built with us
is about one hundred feet long, by twenty-four feet
wide, posts seventeen feet long, and are built upon a
wall eighteen inches high; the buildings are framed
with girths from bent to bent, for boarding up and
down, the bents being twelve feet apart.
EXPERIENCE OF PRACTICAL GROWERS. 31
The boards for closing up the outside should be a
foot wide, and at intervals of about five feet a board
should be hung with light strap-hinges, to serve as a
ventilator to admit light and dry air, and to exclude
wet and dampness, which materially damages the to-
bacco in color, ete. These ventilators or doors must
be closed on frosty nights, but in fair, dry weather
should be kept open.
View of a bent of the tobacco-barn, 24 feet wide and 17 feet high,
at the sides.
The tobacco-poles, the ends of which rest upon the
vents, should be about thirteen feet long, two inches
thick, by six inches wide, of some light timber—elm
or basswood is used here —and when hung with to-
bacco should be from eight to ten inches apart.
A large door should be placed at either end for in-
gress and egress,
laid from bent to bent, resting the ends of the crogs-
beams in the bent, tiers four feet four inches apart.
Such is the method of planting, raising, securing, and
fitting for market the tobaccu-crop, as practiced by
our most successful tobacco-growers. We have per-
sonally assisted in the various departments, and know
from experience and personal observation that the
Onondaga county tobacco-grower is as successful a to-
bacco-grower as any in Maryland or old Virginia. Two
years ago we were down South, and witnessed the
modes of planting and raising tobacco as practiced in
Maryland; we found that the old practice of ‘ split-
’
ting,” ‘‘spearing,” and “‘ pegging” were yet in vogue,
resulting in great delay in hanging the tobacco, other-
wise the culture and cure are similar to that practiced
here.
The raising of tobacco in many parts of Onondaga
county is a grand success. Many of our tobacco-
growers have raised the past year, notwithstanding
the severe drought, over one ton to the acre, and the
average for the past season is full one ton to the acre.
The cost of raising the same is not more than forty
dollars per acre. The crop has been bought up by
speculators and tobacconists, at prices ranging from
fourteeen to seventeen cents per pound, making a net
profit to the grower of two hundred and sixty dollars
to the acre.
The tobacco grown here is known as the Connecti-
cut seed-leaf, and is relied upon for the main crop.
Other varieties are grown. The Spanish Long Leaf and
the Yard leaf are good varieties, and the large grow-
er will not fail to plant some of his ground to the nu-
The poles, of which there should be four tiers, are } merous varieties.
No. VIII—BY D. M. HUDSON, HIGHLAND COUNTY, IND.
Sreps anp Srep-Bep.—Secure good seed, that will
be sure to grow. The variety is not so essential.
The Connecticut seed-leaf, or the Golden leaf for
segars, and the Cuba or Mason county for chewing,
are good varieties.
The seed should be sown the latter part of March,
in a bed first prepared by thorough burning, to de-
stroy all seeds of weeds which may be in the ground.
It also enriches the soil with the very element most
essential to the growth of the plant, to wit, potash ;
and thereby makes the plants earlier and more thrifty.
The bed should be sheltered from beating rains,
and also partially from the sun; as this gives the
plants a longer stem, and enables th2m to stand trans-
planting better by having the roots placed further in
the ground. The site for the bed should be selected
in aS warm a situation as possible. After burning,
inix the ashes and the soil thoroughly with a rake or
hoe to the depth of three or four inches; after which
too thickly. A large-sized thimbleful is enough to
sow a bed four feet square, which will produce plants
enough to plant an acre. Stock should not be allowed
to tramp the beds; and if weeds come in them, they
should be pulled out,
Tne PREPARATION OF THE GRoUND.— Select dry
upland, the richer the better. First give it a good
coat of stable-manure, with as much ashes as conve-
nient, which should be plowed under in March; the
deeper the better. Subsoiling will not hurt it. Sur-
face-plow the ground again the last of May, throwing
into ridges three and a half feet apart for transplanting.
Take up the plants wlth a small lump of dirt te
each, and plant three feet apart on the ridges while the
ground is moist or wet. It may be done when the ground
is dry, if the plants be watered immediately afterward.
The tobacco should be well cultivated while small.
This may be done with the plow and the hoe, until the
leaves are too large for plowing; after which it must
the seed may be sown—taking great care not to sow | bu done exclusively with the hoe.
22, HOW TO RAISE TOBACCO.
Worms.— About the first to the fifteenth of July the
worms will make their appearance. Have ready an
over-gown, made after the fashion of a shirt, extend-
ing to the knees or below, which will keep the gum
off the clothes. A pair of gloves also will be handy,
and save a great deal of hard a
1D
the color. The leaf will change from a green color te
a pale yellow, with spots. Or it can be tried by taking
the leaf doubled between the fingers; if ripe, it will
break readily. When ripe, split the stalk from the
top to within six inches of the ground and cut it off.
washing to keep the hands SSW SS
clean. — From the time the
worms begin, until it is har-
vested, it will be necessary to
<<
Ss SK
SS .
Ss S
S SSS S
~ SSS ||
Sa. SS SSS
SS —
look it over carefully twice a
week, perhaps oftener, and kill
all the worms that can be found.
Also destroy the eggs, which
will generally be found on the
under side of the leaf and near
the edge. And, when possible,
kill the flies that lay the eggs. They are about half
as large as a humming-bird ; they will be seen flying
through the tobacco, from plant to plant, about sun-
down,
Toppinc.— The tobacco should be topped as soon
as possible, and not allowed to run up to unnecessary
As soon as a sufficient number of leaves can
be counted, large and small, the small leaves at the
hight.
top should be carefully parted and the bud pinched
At the first top-
ping, leave twelve leaves, and two less each successive
week thereafter, until all is topped. Great care is ne-
cessary that the small leaves at the top be not injured
or broken while topping. The lower leaves should not
They will sell for half-
price, and they do not injure the plant as much as the
wound left by pulling them off.
SuckerInG. — Soon after the tobacco is
sprouts will start at all parts of the stalk.
necessary that these be all pulled off; and to keep
them off well;-it will be best to look it over two or three
times every week. This and worming will occupy the
time until it is ready for harvesting; and on the
attention paid this part of the work will depend, in a
gveat measure, the quantity and quality of the tobacco.
The ground should be kept in good order by an occa-
sional hoeing.
Currine anp Hancinc.—Before the tobacco is ready
for harvesting, there should be prepared a supply of
out, leaving the required number.
be pulled off, as is often done.
topped,
Care is
Sticks four feet long and an inch
Twelve sticks to every
sticks for hanging.
square are most convenient.
hundred plants will be sufficient.
For sun-curing, there should be a shed built at one
or more convenient points of the patch. This may be
done by placing posts in the ground to support the
poles, as represented in the engraving.
being for the support of the smaller poles, ¢ ¢, ete.,
upon which the tobacco-sticks are placed, and 4 6 for
the cover, when necessary that it should be shedded.
Every thing being ready, the tobacco should be cut
as socn as it is sufficiently ripe. This can be told by
The poles a a
| breaking.
It should now be left on the ground till well wilted ;
(though if the sun be hot it should be closely watched
or it will burn ;) after which, it may be taken to the
shed and hung — the stalks being placed on the sticks,
six inches apart, and the sticks on the scaffold, as close
as convenient.
Now, while curing, it demands close attention. It
may remain in the position in which it was hung for a
few days — until it begins to turn a light yellow; after
which it should be frequently handled — exposing one
side to the sun a few days, and then the other, alter-
nately. It should »ow be parted also, so as to admit
the rays of the sun and the air freely through it. It is
best to shed it from rains and heavy dews, but expose
it at all other times. The sun will not hurt tt.
As soon as it is well cured, the stem of the leafnext
the stalk will break, if strained while dry; when the
tobacco may be taken off of the sticks, (while in pro-
per case,) and bulked down in a damp situation —a
dry cellar is suitable. It should be bulked while in as
low case as convenient, if. will bear handling without
Tf in too high case, it will be liable to mold.
If properly bulked, with the tops of the stalks in the
center, and then well covered to exclude the air, it
will remain in case as long as desired, and may be
handled when convenient.
To prepare for market, the leaves are stripped from
the stalk and assorted into three classes, (though it is
customary to sellin some markets without dividing.)
The upper and middle leaves, when of a good quality
and of a bright yellow cure, constituting the first rate ;
the same leaves, when inferior, the second rate; and
the ground-leaves the third rate. Several years ago
the dark tobacco was preferable, owing to its greater
strength, when it was customary to bulk while curing,
to change the color; but now, the light yellow finds
the readier sale. When assorted, it is tied up in ties
of seven to ten leaves each; keeping each class gep-
arate.
It is now ready to be pressed into the hogshead.
For this purpose a hole may be morticed in a tree, in
EXPERIENCE OF PRACTICAL GROWERS.
which the end of a lever is inserted — passing over
the hogshead and working by a tree or post, in which
ed
33
should be pins atintervals of eight or ten .nches, by
which a small lever may be used to force the first
lever down on the tobacco. Fifty toa hundred pounds
may be placed in the hogshead and firmly pressed 4
few hours, and as much adued again, and so ou.
The accompanying figure will serve to represent the
manner in which the hands (or ties) may be placed in
the hogshead—filling the middle first, then the outer
edges—placing the tops toward the center, and the
buts in the direction of a a, for the first layer. The
second will be placed the same, only the buts will be in
the position of 6 6, the third at cc, ete., observing
to keep the center and edges full.
In conclusion, the two most essential items in
tobacco-culture are, first, a good body, and secondly, a
good bright cure. The first is secured by rich ground
with plenty of manure. The second by Free exposure
to the sun and wir, and exclusion from rain and damp
weather.
No. IX.—BY PERRY N. HULL, LITCHFIELD COUNTY, CONN.
Tne cultivator of tobacco needs, Ist. A rich, warm,
finely pulverized soil; 2d. Strong early plants. The
failure to obtain either of these at the outset, will very
seriously endanger the success of the crop. Here in
Connecticut, it usually requires the whole season for
the crop to arrive at the proper state of maturity,
without which its value is greatly diminished. Even
though harvested no more than one week before ma-
turity, the danger while curing is greatly increased,
and if, through very favorable weather, the tobacco
escapes total ruin by pole-burn, its value will still be
diminished one fourth by bad colors, ete.
Serp-Brps.—Select a light garden soil, in a location
sheltered from north winds, but exposed to the sun
from morning until evening,-and prepare in October.
The best manure for plant-beds is that taken from the
nog-pen, kept in a heap through the summer, and oc-
casionally cut over with a shovel, that it may be thor-
oughly rotted. Such manure contains fewer weed-
seeds than almost any other, and its fertilizing quali-
‘ies can not be surpassed. This should be generously
applied—say scatter the ground over one, or one and
one half inches deep, and thoroughly spade in, in the
month indicated. The seed should be selected from
an early, strong growing plant, which should, after
ripening, be cut up and hung in a dry place, top down-
wards ; the seed, if out of the reach of mice, keeping
in this way much better and safer than if picked and
shelled.
Vanrieties.—There are almost as many varieties of
seed-leaf tobacco as there are of Indian corn—the dif-
terer ce not always noticed by the inexperienced, but
very readily by the experienced cultivator. In my
opinion, the variety best adapted to our purpose, is
that known in this State as the Bull Tongue. The
leaf is neither too long nor too short, the length and
width being in such good proportion that manufac-
turers consider there is less waste than there is te a
very long, narrow leaf, or a very broad, short leaf. It
yields well, and ripens at least one week earlier than
many of the broader varieties, Almost any of the
seed-leaf varieties will do well; but never patronize
any of the humbugs sent from the Patent-Office, under
the name of Graham Tobacco, Maryland Broad-Leaf,
ete. They are a Southern tobacco, and when grown
upon that soil, make chewing-tobacco ; but here it is
good for nothing for that purpose, and is too coarse
for segar-wrappers.
Many are too anxious in the spring to get their seed
into the ground, to be successful in getting good
plants; as often, after waiting two or three weeks for
the plants to come up, they have to make a second
sowing, thereby putting them back a week or more.
Wait until the ground is dry, and warm enough for
the seed to grow, instead of rotting. When this
change has taken place in the soil, sprout the secd,
instead of sowing dry, thus gaining at least ten days’
time, and precluding the possibility of being disap-
pointed in the first sowing. From the first to the
middle of April, (being governed by the forwardness
of warm weather,) procure some rotten wood, so rot-
ten that it may be finely pulverized with the hand;
mix this with the seed, in about the proportion of ten
parts of wood or dirt to one of seed. Mix them thor-
oughly, and moisten with water slightly warmed, and
repeat it as often as it dries up, and keep it in a war
room. The seed w'll usually get in the proper condi-
tion for sowing in from four to six days, depending
BE
apon the temperature at which it is kept. The seed
is sprouted sufficiently, whenever, upon disturbing the
dirt, it looks silvery inside.
The beds should be well worked over with the fork
or spade and rake. If the soil is inclined to be moist,
raise the beds well; if dry, raise them less. They
should be only about three feet wide, to facilitate
weeding. After making the top of the beds perfectly
smooth and fine, sow the seed, first mixing enough
ground plaster to thoroughly dry the seed and prevent
them from falling in bunches. The quantity of seed
sown should be about one half a table-spoonful to
thirty-six or forty square feet of ground. Do not rake
in the seed, but procure a smooth board, lay it on the
bed, and with the feet stamp the beds quite hard.
The ground should never be ailowed to freeze after
sowing the seed; to prevent this, and also for another
purpose, which will soon be apparent, construct a
straw mat, like that represented in the engraving.
Wy
i Yj
These I decidedly prefer to those described in
the February AGricuLTURIsT, being much lighter to
nandle, more easily made, and sufficiently strong
to last one season, which is all that could be ex-
oected of the other. They are made by laying a
scantling (six feet long, one and a half inches wide,
three fourths of an inch thick) upon the barn
floor; place a layer of good straight rye-straw upon
it, so that the scantling will come about in the middle
of the straw, then another layer with the tips the other
way, that it may be of uniform thickness in all its
parts, (about one and a half inches thick.) Place a
similar scantling exactly over it, and with sixpenny nails,
nail them tight; with an ax trim both edges straight,
and to a width of three feet, and the mat is made.
With these the beds should be covered every night,
cold or warm ; in the day-time they should be set up
at the north side of the bed, at an angle of about sixty-
five deerces, by driving crotches just inside of the
bed, for the end of the scantling to rest in, the lower
edge of the mat resting on the ground, outside the bed.
The plants, as soon as they are out of the ground,
which will be in a few days, require strict attention.
The beds should be made high enough, so that in fair
weather a little water can be applied every night. Af-
ter the fourth leaf appears, manure-water should be
used. Place an old barrel near the beds, and throw
tito it one half-bushel of hen-manure, and fill with
water; aiter it is well soaked, use one half-pailful of
it, and fill up with clear water with the chill taken off.
HOW TO RAISE TOBACCO.
As the plants get larger, the strength of the decoctior
can be increased, being careful that it is not so strong
as to turn the plants yellow. As soon as the plants
are large enough to be readily taken hold of by tho
thumb and point of a knife, they should be thinned te
about one hundred and forty-four per square foot, and
kept free from weeds. This plan is decidedly prefer-
able to raising under glass. It is less expensive, the
plants ave more hardy to plant out in the field, are got
full as early, and a little carelessness in a hot day will
not ruin the whole. It has been my method for the
past eight years, and during that time I have never
failed to have good, strong plants ready for the field
from the fifth to the tenth of June.
PREPARATION OF THE Soit,— Tobacco requires a
light, rich soil, in a locality not exposed to early frosts.
If the soil is not naturally rich enough, it must be
made so by a generous application of manure ; and he
who is unwilling to ‘‘ feed his barn-yard,” and spend
both money and time to increase the manure-heap,
had better not attempt the cultivation of tobacco—at
least not largely. It has been, and still is the practice
of many farmers in the Connecticut valley, and to some
extent here in the Housatonic valley, to plant one and
the same piece of land with tobacco year after year for
an indefinite period, because, as they say: ‘‘ Tobacco
impoverishes the svi:, and they confine it to a single
piece, rather than have its injurious effects upon all
parts of the farm.” It seems as if almost any practi-
cal farmer would discover the fallacy of such reason-
ing, for these same farmers carry all, or nearly all their
manure, upon this one piece, year atter year, leaving
the remaining part of the farm to take care of itself
as best it may, which in my opinion is the surest way
to impoverish a farm which a farmer could take. Be-
sides, it will take almost as much again manure per
acre to raise a crop in this way, as it will where tobac-
co is grown as one in a rotation of crops. and a new
piece of land taken for it every year. This was the
idea that I started with when I commenced growing
tobacco, ten years ago. Ihave cultivated from four
to six acres yearly ever since, without ever more than
once or twice planting the same piece of land two
years in succession. This distributes the manure over
a great portion of the farm, thus keeping the whole in
a good state of cultivation.
The turf should be turned over in September or
first of October, only three or four inches deep, plow-
ing the manure in with it, which should be well rotted
by being kept over the summer, under the sheds and
barns, or, which is better yet, in a heap in the field,
composted with swamp-muck. In the month of May,
the field should be worked over with the plow and
harrow, until thoroughly pulverized. If there have
been from twenty to forty loads of manure applied to
the acre, according to the natural condition of the
soil, no further manuring will be necessary ; the hills
can be made with a hoe, and the field be ready to re-
ceive the plants. If some special fertilizer is to be
EXPERIENCE OF PRACTICAL GROWERS.
used, my method is this: take a he-se-plow and mark
out the rows, three feet four inches apart, making a
shallow furrow, say two inches deep; scatter the ma-
nure, if guano, two hundred pounds to the acre—if
superphosphate of lime, three hundred and fifty pounds
per acre—evenly the whole length of the furrows ;
then make the hills with a hoe, from two feet to two
feet six inches apart, raising them somewhat above
the level of the ground, at the same time covering the
The object of thus
scattering the fertilizer, instead of dropping it all im-
mediately in the hill, is this, that the roots, reaching
it gradually, its effects will be felt throughout the
whole season ; whereas, if it is all dropped in the hill,
its power would soon be spent. I am aware that some
practice and recommend ridging ground before plant-
ing out, but I consider the above practice better for
this reason: where the ground is thrown into ridges
beforehand, a plow can not be used in the after-culti-
vation, or it will leave the ridges too high; conse-
quently the cultivation must all be done with the hoe,
which, I believe, is the practice of those who ridge.
On the other hand, a light plowing at each hoeing
greatly reduces the labor, and also raises the ridges
to a sufficient hight. All this preparation should be
accomplished just before the plants attain sufficient
size, that there may be no hindrances, and all hands
nay be engaged in
Priantine Our.—When wet. lowerv weather comes,
from the first to the middle of June, take the plants
carefully from the beds with a garden-trowel, digging
deep enough to secure all the roots, and transfer them
carefully to the field. In planting them, see that
every man puts the roots well into the ground, and
leaves a little disk around each plant, to hold a
half-pint of water, in case dry, hot weather follows.
In many seasons we do not get the wet weather, but
it is not best to delay later than the twelfth or fifteenth
of June.
intervening part of the furrow.
One wagon or cart-load of burdock leaves,
or brakes, will nearly cover the plants upon an acre,
and I have often thought that plants put out in dry,
hot weather, watered and lightly covered from the sun
for a few days, started to grow sooner and better than
those set out in wet weather, and not covered. When
the field is once planted, it needs but little care fora
while, unless the black corn-worm attacks it; in that
case—and they are too plenty—it is best to catch
them off, and often reset, or fill out the field, that the
plants may start as near alike, and the field be as even
as possible. It should be hoed as often as necessary,
until all weeds are thoroughly subdued.
Worms.—The tobacco-worm usually makes its ap-
pearance about the f-stof August. Our tobacco being
raised for wrappers to segars, the necessity for keep-
ing the leaves as sound as possible, is at once scen ;
for no matter of how fine a texture a leaf may be, if
badly eaten by the worms, it must go into the lower
grades, and sell forasmail price After the worms
3
30
make their appearance, the tobacco should be gone
through, as often as twice a week, and the worms de-
stroyed, large and small.
Topprinc.—The top or seed-bud, will generally make
its appearance from the first to the tenth of August ;
as soon as developed enough to be got hold of conve-
niently, it must be pinched off. The exact point for
topping, must be determined to a great extent by the
cultivator. Some fields of tobacco will mature a plant
of eighteen leaves, while others will not more than
twelve; depending upon how forward the crop is, and
the strength of the ground. The above numbers are
the two extremes, from fourteen to sixteen leaves are
usually left to the stalk when topped from first te
fourth of August, from the fifth to the tenth, leave
from twelve to fourteen.
Suckxrers.—After the top is taken off, the suckers
will start, one from the base of each leaf, those at the
top making their appearance first, then downwards in
succession. These must be taken off as fast as they
get large enough to be got hold of, otherwise a great
amount of growth is lost, and consequently the ma-
turity of the plant retarded. As the plant approaches
maturity, great care should be exercised in going
through, and handling, as the leaves are daily grow-
ing brittle, and are liable to be broken off and torn by
careless hands. Turn back to their natural position
all leaves turned up by the wind, or the sun shining
upon the under side of the leaf, will soon burn it, and
very seriously injure the color.
Harvesting THE Crop.—This is an important sea-
san, and generally commences about the first of Sep-
tember. Before cutting any, see that the drying-sheds
are fully prepared with poles and scaffolds ; the twine
examined for rotten places, ete. The best convenience
for transporting it from the field to the shed, is the
simplest. If a cart is to be used, remove the body,
and with twe poles, construct one without sides, only
bottom and ends. If horses are to be used, use
trucks, the wheels of which will be entirely out of
the way. With either of these, the plants can be
loaded crosswise with the butts out, and tips lapping
in the middle; being careful in loading to lay a tier
across one side, then the other, regularly, that it may
be taken off without any pulling or tearing of the
leaves. In this way four or five hundred plants may
be carried at a load.
A very little experience will teach one to determine
the proper time for cutting. When about ripe, the
color changes from a dark green to a spotted appear-
ance; the under side of the leaf, when pinched be
tween the thumb and finger, will crack; the suckers
commence to put out, below the bottom leaves, and
the plant presents an entircly different appearance
from what it previously did. There is decidedly less
danger of tobacco getting too ripe than there is of its
being cut too soon; many a crop being seriously in-
jured by being harvested before perfectly mature.
36 HOW TO RAISE TOBACCU.
The plact should never be cut while the dew is on the
leaves; but wait until it is off, say ten o’clock, and
what tobacco is cut from that time until two o’clock,
if the day is hot, will need close attention. In
short, the whole operation, from cutting in the field,
to the hanging upon the poles in the barn, needs care,
as a little carelessness or inattention will damage many
dollars’ worth. No hand should be allowed to handle
it, who is unwilling to use care, and perform every
operation just as directed, or else by breaking of
leaves, or sticking fingers through them, ete., he may
do more damage than his wages amount to. The
plant to be cut should be taken by the left hand, not
carelessly by the leaves, but carefully by the stalk,
and as carefully leaned over, to give a chance to use
the ax, which should have a handle about one foot
Cut the plant with one blow, laying it carefully
down, with the top to the sun; if it is laid otherwise,
the leaf will burn before the main stalk of the leaf
will wilt sufficiently to admit of handling. Even in
that position, it may burn unless attended to, but not
After lying until pretty well wilted, and
long.
as soon.
before burning, turn it over and wilt the other side.
When so wilted that the main stem has lost most of
its brittleness, load as explained above; taking hold
of the but of the stalk, lay them carefully upon the
If the
day be very hot, use expedition in getting to the shed,
else, if the distance be great, the load may heat, which
will spoil the leaves for any thing but fillers
When carried into the shed, if quite warm, they
should be left only one plant deep upon the floor and
If the day be cool, and they are to be hung
They should
never be hung upon a pole less than five inches in
arm, and again as carefully upon the load.
scaffolds.
up soon, they may lie much thicker.
width. If sawed pieces are used, saw them just that;
if poles are_used, see that they are about that; for if
any thing of less width is used, the plants will hang
so close, that the chances of pole-burn are greatly in-
creased. They are fastened to the pole by a half
hitch. [Their position is represented by Fig. on p. 27.]
It requires two hands to hang them, one to hand
them, another to tie them. The poles should be about
eighteen inches apart, and the number hung upon
a twelve-foot pole will depend upon the size, from
twenty-four to thirty, so regulating them, that when
thoroughly wilted, they will scarcely touch each other
If hung thicker than this, a little unfavorable weather
will cause more or less pole-burn, sweat and mould.
After the tobacco is hung, the building should be so
thoroughly ventilated that there will be a circulation
of air throngh every part.
kept open during all fair weather, until well cured
The ventilators should be
down.
much wet as possible; being cautious to give it a
During storms, shut the doors and exclude as
thorough ventilation again, as soon as the rain ceases.
When it is cured enough to be husky in dry weather,
exclude all hard winds, that will crack and damage
the leaves. When the leaves are so much cured, that
there is nothing about them green but the stem, a
moderate quantity of wet weather will not injure it,
but rather improve the color; as the sap of the stalk
works through the stems into the leaves, during moist
weather until the stalk has been well frozen; after
this takes place, the tobacco should be picked.
Pickine.—Tobacco, as a general thing, should not
be picked until about December; at least not until
the fat stems (main stems of the leaves, which are not
thoroughly cured at the but-end) have mostly or all
disappeared, which they will have done by that time,
if the crop reached maturity before harvesting. The
operations of picking and assorting are by many, who
make only two classes or qualities of the tobacco, ear-
ried on at the same time. By far the preferable way
is, especially if there is a very large crop to pick, to
take off the leaves during damp or wet weather, tic
them into bundles of fifteen or twenty pounds, with
twine, and pack it away into cellars, or wherever it
can be kept without drying up. It can then be assort-
ed in any kind of weather, thus gaining considerable
time, as two will pick and tie up in this way as much
during one wet spell as sz hands would, assorting and
hanking up, at the same time.
the last practice is preferable, is, that, by the former,
the assorting can be but indifferently done ; whereas,
by the last, it can be done as carefully as desired
Tobacco should not be allowed to get too wet before
picking; in fact, should not be allowed to get wet at
all, so as to feel wet, only just damp enough to make
the leaves pliable, so as to handle and pack without
breaking or feeling husky. If allowed to get wet,
before picking, it is next to impossible to get it dried
to the prope: state again uniformly, so but that some
of the leaves will still be too wet, while others wil!
be dry enough to crack and break. So if the rains
are long enough to get it too wet, which they often
are, by all means let it remain upon the poles until
the next wet spell.
Assorting.—Tobacco, to sell well, should be assort-
ed into three classes or grades, Wrappers, Seconds,
and Fillers. The wrappers will include the soundest,
best-colored leaves, the color (a dark cinnamon) should
be as uniform as possible; this quality should include
nothing but what is fit for wrappers. The Seconds,
which are used as binders for segars, ete., will include
the small top leaves, of which, if the tobacco was top-
ped too high, there will be one or two to each plant—
the bad colors, and those leaves somewhat damaged
by worms and bad handling, but not so much so as tu
be ragged. The third class, or Fillers, will include the
balance of the crop, bottom leaves, ragged leaves, ete.
The tobacco should be done up into hanks of about
one third of a pound each, or about what can be en-
compassed by the thumb and fingers, winding at the
but with a pliable leaf, drawing the end through the
hank to secure it.
Another reason why
EXPERIENCE OF PRACTICAL GROWERS.
After assorting, it should be corded up awhile, in a
dry place, that the buts may be thoroughly cured be-
fore packing in the cases. The pile is made with the
buts out, and tips interlapping in the middle, at every
other course, at the ends turning the buts toward the
end, Get upon the pile upon the knees, take hold of
the but of a hank with one hand, drawing the leaves
at the tip together with the other, and placing it upon
the pile in that position, immediately putting the knee
upon it. After the pile is finished, it should be cov-
ered over with boards, to keep it from drying up, and
au few days before packing into the cases, should be
well weighted down, which will save a great deal of
pressing at that time. Such a pile should be made
only about two and a half feet or three feet high, and
then closely watched to prevent a premature sweat,
which often, if the weather be mild, will take place
in such a pile, which will not be sufficient to render
the tobacco fit for working, but which, if not inter-
cepted at the commencement, will be sufficient to
prevent a proper sweat afterwards. Check, therefore,
the first symptoms of heat in such a pile, by opening
the pile, and repacking it, shaking out the hanks and
giving them time to cool off.
PackinG.—The cases are made of cheap pine lum-
ber, three feet eight inches long by two feet six inches
wide and high, outside measurement; they should be
made tight and strong ; there should be corner-pieces
nailed in one and a halfinch square, nailing to them
well from both ways.
the buts towards each end; taking hold of the but
with one hand, the tip with the other, and giving the
hank a slight twist, lay it in the case in that position.
A lever or screw can be used to do the pressing,
whichever is the most convenient. From 860 pounds
to 380, is the proper weight for packing; though if
the tobacco is very dry, 400 pounds will probably not
The tobacco is packed in, with
—_—s
37
sweat too hard; and if quite wet, (which it never
should be,) 850 may,
After being packed, the tobacco should never be
kept in a damp cellar; a good tight barn or other out-
building, where the cases can stand on a floor, is the
best place. The crop usually passes from the hands
of growers, into those of speculators and dealers,
before the sweating season. The first symptoms of
sweating appear about as soon as settled warm wea-
ther comes, usually the fore part of May; it then com-
mences to grow warm, and wet to appearance, which
increases for about three weeks, when it’ reaches its
culminating point and commences to cool off. One
unaccustomed to the crop, upon examining it at this
period, would be sure to think it was rotting, but if
not too damp when packed, there is no danger. Some-
times, if a case is known to be too wet, the lids can
be started, to give a little vent to the steam and gases
which are generated, and this is about all that can be
done for it; and it is far safer to see that the proper
condition is secured before packing, than to do even
this. The weight will commence to decrease about as
soon as the heat commences, and it has been ascer-
tained by weighing at the various stages, that more
than half of the shrinkage is accomplished by the time
that the sweat has reached its culminating point.
About ten per cent is allowed for the shrinkage of a
crop, in just the right state when packed; if wetter, it
will shrink as high as twelve or thirteen per cent, and
if very dry, it may shrink less than ten per cent.
The different grades usually bring about the follow-
ing prices:
Seconds, seven or eight cents; Fillers, three to four
cents. The proportion of the different grades in a
good crop should be, Wrappers, three fifths, and See-
onds and Fillers, each one fifth.
Wrappers, fourteen cents per pound;
No. X—BY E. H. DENNIS, WAYNE COUNTY, IND.
AN intimate, practical acquaintance with the method
of raising tobacco in the rich lands bordering on the |
tivers in Missouri, and having myself grown the crop
there, will, I hope, enable me to give such information
as may be valuable to those of less experience.
SELECTION OF Seep depends upon the kind of land
you have and the quality of tobacco you wish to raise.
Rich, fertile bottom-lands will grow only heavy, strong
tobacco, and it is the interest of the farmer to sclect
that kind of seed that will produce the plant of the
greatest weight; in other words, to make weight the
prominent object in the result of the crop.
poorer land will produce tobacco of lighter weight, but
of finer and more desirable quality, and one that will
bring a correspondingly higher price. The ‘ Orinoco”
tobacco is raised extensivelv in Missouri and Kentucky
Thinner,
for heavy tobacco, and is known in market as “ Ken.
tucky Leaf.”” The seed for the finer qualities passes
(as does the other also) under different names, but may
be procured in Pike and Calloway counties, Missouri,
and in Virginia; the ‘Orinoco,’ and kindred kinds,
in Howard and Chariton counties in Missouri. I
should suggest that the seed may be procured through
the agents of express-companies at Glasgow, Bruns-
wick, and Renick for the ‘‘ Orinoco,” and at Louisians
or Fulton for the other qualities. I would recominend
the culture of the coarser, heavier kinds, for the reason
that the finer quality needs much more care and expe-
rience in the handling, in order that it may go into
market in a condition to command such a price as its
quality, when well handled, entitles it to.
Tue Puant-Bep should be made the first day after
38 HOW TO RAISE TOBACCO.
Christr:as, when you find the surface of the ground
without frost or snow, and dry enough to work. In
the edge of the timber, on the south side of a piece of
woodland, select a spot where but little or no grass
has grown; cut down the trees and open around it so
that the sun will have full power in the bed most of
the day; a spot (about fifty feet square for each ten
acres of ground to be planted) should then be cleared
entirely of roots, stones, and trash of every description
-—raked off thoroughly ; when this is done, haul on
dry brush, tree-tops, small dry logs, any thing that
will burn freely, and make a brush-heap all over it,
xet it on fire, and as it burns, by means of long poles,
move the fire and logs about until you have burned
the whole surface of the ground of your bed to the
depth of one or two inches. This destroys all the
roots and seeds of grass, weeds, ete., which may be in
the soil, and which would, if suffered to grow, inter-
fere with the young plants. When your bed is tho-
roughly burned over, and as soon as it is done, rake
off the brands, ashes, ete., so as to leave it perfectly
smooth, and with a mattock or hoe dig up the surface
only an inch or two in depth, with a view to pulverize
the soil finely to that depth, which may be done with
a garden-rake. When you have prepared the ground,
take a table-spoonful of seed for each twenty-five feet
square and mix with a pint of dry sifted ashes —a
small tin pan is convenient to hold the seed — and
having laid your bed off into ‘‘ lands” about three feet
wide, to guide you in sowing, sow your seed by taking
a “pinch” at a time and go carefully over the bed;
sow the mixture so as to have a surplus rather than a
deficiency. The surplus may be scattered afterward,
but a deficiency would indicate the seed sown too
thick, while a part of the bed would remain without
seed. Rake the bed, after sowing, with a garden-rake,
and then with your feet, or a small, heavy roller, go
over it and tramp or roll the earth down hard; build
a fence around it to protect it from stock, and if there
should be lack of rain, water it. The seeds will come
up in about six weeks from the time of planting, if the
weather is open and warm. The bed should be kept
covered with brush, after the plants come up, while
there is danger of frost.
Tue Preparation or Sticks should engage atten-
They
should be riven out of ash, hickory, or white-oak tim-
ber, perfectly straight, about three fourths by one inch,
and four feet long; the corners should be trimmed off.
You will need about four hundred sticks for each acre
of tovacco. The best and most convenient
Topacco-Barn for the farmer is a square barn, built
twenty feet high from the ground with round logs, and
roofed ; then a shed built all around it as wide as may
be allowable to give the roof enough “pitch” to shed
rain, with ‘‘ stories” of plates three fect apart through-
out, upon which scaffolds may be arranged with poles
on which to hang the tobacco. The outside of the
tion in the spring, before plowing-time comes.
shed should be inclosed from the top, say Lalf-way
down; this will insure a free circulation of air and
prevent the rain driving in and injuring the tobacco.
Tue Grounp.—In hemp-growing countries tobacco
is almost invariably planted in ew ground, which is
cleared each year, so as to be added in due time to
the hemp-fields. The late summer culture and the
thorough weeding effectually kills all the weeds. Good
bottom grass or other rich sod-ground, or such other
ground as it is intended to plant, should be broken up
early enough so that the sod shall have time to rot.
When your plants begin to grow, and the leaves are
as large as five-cent pieces, you should cross-plow your
ground and prepare for setting out your crop. In this,
as in all other crops, a good preparation of soil is de-
sirable, and any mode that will pulverize the soil and
tear the sods to pieces will answer your purpose
When this is done, take a two-horse plow and throw
three furrows together, so that the summit of the
ridges shall be three feet apart, or three and a half if
you prefer to plant it wider. These summits should
be as near straight as possible—perfectly straight rows
of tobacco are much easier cultivated ; the rows should
then be checked across, for which purpose I have found
it practicable to attach a light log-chain to a small
rope, and tie the rope around the waist of a man; set
a row of small stakes across the field and let him walk
across, dragging the chain behind him, in exact range
of the stakes, and as he comes to each one, let him set
it over by a measure he carries in his hand, so that aa
he returns, the stakes will all be in range in the new
row. This will check the summit of the ridges and
leave them in good condition for setting out the youug
plants. The old Virginia tobacco-planters mark off
the ground each way and make a hill with a hoe, very
carefully preserving their lines, and making every
thing smooth. The laying off of the ground should
be done as nearly as possible immediately previous to
setting out the plants, so that during the time the
plants are getting started after transplanting, the weeds
shall not get the start of them. After the ridges are
made, the cross-checking may be delayed until you
commence transplanting.
SerrinG our THE Crop should commence from the
fifteenth to twentieth of May, if your plants have done
well —- at least it is not best to risk the loss of a good
season at that time unless there is danger of frost. As
soon, therefore, after May 20th as it is safe to do so, and
when the ground is well saturated with rain, commence
drawing the largest plants from your bed and setting
them out. The Jeaves on the plants should be as large
as a quarter of a dollar, or larger. Let one take a
basket of plants, and, crossing the ridges, drop a plant
at each check; another, with a pointed stick to make
holes with in one hand and a plant in the other, fol-
low the dropper. As he reaches a hill his stick and
plant are both ready, and the plant is quickly set, and
as he raises up he picks up the plant dropped at that
EXPERIENCE OF PRACTICAL GROWERS. 39
place, and by the time the step is made he has it ready
to plant, and so on; care should be taken not to leave
dirt so that it will wash down and cover up the plant.
When a good season occurs, and the plants are ready,
the whole force of the farm should be applied to the
setting out. If the sun comes out hot, lay a small clod
or sod on the plant after setting out, which should be
removed after the sun declines, The crop should then
be set out as the plants grow and the rains suit, so as
to be all planted by the 20th of June; and at each
planting the ground previously planted should be gone
over carefully to replant such as may be missing.
WorkING THE Crop should commence as soon as
the plant ‘takes root” and begins to grow; first with
the hoe to clean out the hill, and afterwards with a
plow or cultivator, and it will be found desirable to
keep one or the other going, with hoes enough to keep
up with it, until the plants area foot high. About this
time, or when about fourteen to sixteen leaves are fully
developed on the plant, it is to be ‘‘ primed” and
“topped.” The “priming” consists in removing from
the stalk the bottom leaves which have been bruised
in cultivation, or become dirty and rusty from lying
on the ground. These are taken off up to where the
leaves are sound and whole. Then count by twos up-
ward, and as your land may be stony or otherwise,
leave from eight to twelve leaves to the plant, and
pinch off the bud at the top. This is ‘‘ topping’’ it.
Good land will not generally mature over ten leaves to
the plant unless it is very good. Now commences the
busy time with the crop. Having pinched off the bud
and stopped the upward growth of the pla, it will
try to evade a legitimate spreading out through the
leaf by ‘‘ suckers,’ which will start out at the base of
each stem and grow as though they were anxious to
get to a safe size to defy you before you detect them.
These must be kept pulled off closely, and while you are
busy with them, you will come to a plant that the leaves
have been eaten full of holes—all fresh as though
something had enjoyed the business; turn up the leaves
one by one, and lying close to one, in some quiet corner
alongside the stem, you will find a dainty-looking green
worm about the size of your middle finger. It is the
gentleman who has done all your mischief, and who will
require your thorough inspection of every plant as often
as every four or five days to prevent his making in-
convenient inroads upon the result of your labors.
When little negroes are employed in this branch of
the business, they are sometimes told they will have
to bite off the heads of all the worms they leave.
Plowing should be continued while the size of the
piant renders it possible to do so with safety, and
when the plant is wilted in the middle of the day; it
may be done even after the leaves cover the space
between the rows. The later part of the season is
regarded most favorable for ‘making weight,’ and
the cold dewy nights of latter August and early Sep-
tember are accounted profitable to the tobacec-raiser.
Currine Tosacco should commence wher. the plants
in any favored part of the field begin to turn velluw
or mottled, and indicate maturity. Generally, a few
hundred hills begin to mature together, and become
fit for the knife at the same time. Take a short
butcher-knife, (sharp,) and standing over the plant,
split the stalk right down through the middle, stop-
ping before you get to the lower leaves; then take
out your knife and cut off the stalk below the lower
leaves, and take the stalk at the bottom, turn the plant
bottom side up, and stand it on its top. It is a short
job. Let it so stand until it wilts. Ifit is a hot day,
and the sun’s rays are powerful, it will scorch if it
lies too long. Have some long poles, of convenient
size to handle, previously prepared and on the ground,
and forks, so that you may build a scaffold three and
a half or four feet high.
commonly rest on a stump or on the fence.
arranged your poles, lay smaller poles or rails across,
One end or corner will
Having
and thus form a frame, across which your tobacco-
sticks will reach. Have the tobacco-plants thus wilt-
ed carried to the scaffold carefully, so as not to
bruise them, and piled convenient to the ‘* hanger,”
who will take the plants and hang them on the tobac-
co-sticks, top down, by means of the split made in the
top of the stalk while cutting. About ten plants are
put on a stick, at regular distances apart, and the
sticks are then placed on the scaffold, so that each
plant may not press closely against any other plant,
nor touch the ground, This process is applicable to
the cutting of the entire crop. The plants on the
scaffold should be protected from the direct rays of the
sun on the sides, to prevent scorching, and if the
weather is clear and pleasant, may be allowed to re-
main out three or four days. It will cure rapidly,
and the sticks may be moved closer together each
day. It should, however, never receive a ‘“‘ wetting ”
after it is cut, before ‘ housing.”
Tue Hovusinc or THE Crop is done as fast as it is
cured up on the seaffold, or as the indications of rain
make it necessary, care being taken not to bruise or
tear it in hauling. The sticks of tobacco may be piled
upon the wagon or cart, and hauled to the barn and
hung up, commencing in the highest part of the build-
ing, and filling up as you go downwards. If the leaves
are pretty well cured, you may hang it so as to touch,
without crowding it; if not, there should be a little
space between. If a cold, rainy spell comes on, you
will need to intr»duce some means of artificial drying.
A trench is sometimes dug, and a log or two of wood
placed in it, and a fire made, taking care to remove
the tobacco immediately over the fire, and avoiding
much blaze. This is dangerous, and a better plan is
to make a trench across the floor of the barn, of ma-
son-work, covered with sheet-iron, and leading froma
furnace outside the house on one side, to a chimney at
a safe distance on the other. The color and quality
of tebacea may be improved by hanging it clasely and
40 HOW
curing by artificial heat, watching that it don’t become
“funked,” or molded, while curing; but the best
plan for a beginner is to dry it safeiy, and make a
sure crop, experimenting as he goes along, in order to
improve the quality, as he may safely do so. When
the stalk becomes dry and entirely cured, which will
not usually be for some weeks, the crop is ready to
“strip.” The hanging tobacco yields to the influence
ofarainy day or a foggy morning, and ‘comes in case,”
or softens, so it will not crumble. It must never be
handled when dry. When it is just soft, not damp,
or when it is barely so soft that it can be handled, (if
it is approaching that softened state,) it may be taken
down and taken off the sticks, and “ bulked,” by pil-
ing it alongside a partition, or by itself, with the buts
of the stalks outward in every direction, and the tops
or leaves in the center. Several hundred pounds may
be thus bulked down, and can be worked up while the
hanging tobacco has gone out of case, and can not be
touched.
‘Stripping ” is performed by holding the plant, top
own, with the left hand, while with the right hand
the leaves are pulled off, taking care to have the stems
all even in the hand, so that the ends are together.
When ten to fifteen leaves have thus been grasped by
the right hand, change the handful to the left hand,
and with the right, select a leaf and wrap it around
the stems at the end, so as to bind them altogether
and cover up the ends, then split the other leaves
apart with the finger, and pull the end of your wrap-
ving-leaf through, and you have a “hand ” of tobacco.
A small ‘‘hand” of leaves, uniform in size and color,
TO RAISE TOBACCO.
will be found the most desirable shape to tie ii in
The bottom leaves of the plant, and all corn and
defective leaves, should be
tied up by themselves,
and are known as “lugs.”
These ‘“ hands” should
be “bulked” again, with
the wrapped end out, and
covered with straw, or any
thing that will retain the
‘“‘case,” and if subject to
immediate sale, may be
boxed up or hauled to
market. If boxed, it
should be put in tight
boxes—if hauled, it should
be kept covered until un-
| loaded. Care must be
{ taken to avoid “ high
case”—extreme dampness
or softness in bulking to-
bacco after it is stripped—
as it may be “ funked ” in
bulk, and ruined; and it
should not be packed in that
condition when it is liable to remain Jong. It is a crop
that is never off of hands. The writer on one occasion
sent a last load to market,and next day made a plant-bed.
The present high price of the article, and the fact
that boys and men not able-bodied may be profitably
employed, will doubtless attract the attention of farm:
ers, and an enhanced production be the result.
Hand of Tobacco.
No. XI—BY A. C. LIBHART, LANCASTER COUNTY, PA.
Soi, anp Srrvation.—If it is intended to raise a
crop of tobacco, a primary and very important consid-
eration is the situation and quality of the soil. The
dest situation can not always be chosen with accuracy,
as much depends upon the season; if it be dry, a
meadow or other low piece of ground is preferable to
a more elevated tract; and if, on the contrary, it
snould prove to be a wet one, then the cultivator runs
a great risk of losing his whole crop by mildew, frost,
or inundation by heavy rains. The safest and surest
isa moderately elevated situation, which may be either
level or gently rolling; hill-sides or steep declivities
being objectionable on account of the liability of the
plants being washed out by heavy rains. The soil
best suited to growing heavy tobacco is a deep sandy
loam, made as rich as possible with barn-yard manure
and thoroughly plowed and worked. Any soil that
will hold water long about the roots of the plant will
not do for tobacco, as in such situations it becomes at-
tacked with a disease vulgarly called ‘“ fox-tai!,”
which the new leaves, as they appear from the keart
in
of the plant, are of a sickly, transparent, yellow color,
spotted with greenish specks, and shriveled and curl
ed up, not half as long nor wide as they should be,
and if the plant is not divested of the diseased por-
tions, finally culminating in a mass of worthless vege-
tation. Astiff clay soil should be avoided as being too
liable to bake and become hard, thereby checking the
progress of the minute fibrous roots of the plant. If
the land be in sod, it should be plowed in the fall, and
even if it be open, it will be benefited thereby, as the
frost will destroy a great many of the larvae of the cut-
worms, which are a great nuisance among the young
plants when just set out.
Srrp-Brp.—In the preparation of the plant-beds and
sowing of the seed great care is required, as a good
crop of tobacco depends greatly upon a good and
abundant stock of plants. Select a situation free from
the blasts of the north winds and which receives ag
much sunshine during the day as possible. Then ma-
nure strongly with well-rotted compost, hen-manure,
ashes or other good fertilizer, and spade to the depth
EXPERIENCE OF
of about a foot; then rake or otnerwise pulverize the
ground to as fine a condition as it is capable of. When
she bed has been thus prepared, the seed should be
sown in about the quantity of a teaspoonful to every
one hundred square feet, and in order to get it distri-
bnted more evenly, it may be mixed in dry wood-ashes
orsand. Sprouting the seed previously to sowing is
not a good practice, as the germ is so delicate that it
is apt to be injured by handling or drying up in the
eun, besides being entangled in bunches, and thus com-
‘ng up very irregularly. After the seed has Leen dis-
tributed over the bed, it should be rolled or beaten
down pretty firmly with the back’ of a spade; this
presses the earth around and against the sced, which
enables it to germinate quickly, as, owing to its minute
size, it is not enabled to do when lying loose and ex-
posed to the air. In this latitude, 40° north, the time for
sowing the seed varies from the fifteenth to the thirty-
first of March, according to the season ; this renders the
plants fit to set out about the latter end of May or be-
ginning of June. They may be had two or three weeks
earlier by forcing under glass; and in high latitudes
this will be necessary tc insurea ripening of the crop
before frost. Whenever the surface of the ~ed be-
comes dry, it must be watered with tepid water ; this
should be done in the morning or evening. It is
scarcely necessary to add that the bed must be kept
perfectly free from weeds; tobacco differs from most
weeds when making its first appearance above the
surface of the ground, by its bright green color and by
lying very flat upon the soil. After the leaves of the
plant have attained the size of a quarter-dollar they
may be set out in the field, but they will be all the bet-
ter if double that size, as they are then not so easily
destroyed by the cut-worm. The main point, and that
upon which success greatly depends in raising a good
crop of tobacco, is to have good plants enough to
fill the patch at one planting, so that the tobacco may
be of a uniform size and ripeness when cut off.
VarieTies.—The best variety for cultivation in a
high northern latitude is the Connecticut seed-leaf, as
it ripens two weeks earlier than most any other varie-
ty, cures and colors better, and commands the highest
price in the market. The Pennsylvania seed-leaf out-
strips the Connecticut in size and weight, but owing to
its requiring a longer time to mature in, is not so well
adapted to climates north of 41° or 42°.
PREPARATION OF THE Sort.—The manure should be
spread and plowed down several wecks before it is in-
tended to plant; there is scarcely any limit as to the
quantity of manure that may be put to the acre, it
seeming that the richer the ground is, the larger will
be the tobacco. As an instance verifying this fact, a gen-
tleman in this place raised the past season, on a half-acre
of land, fourteen hundred lbs. of tobacco, of the aggre-
gate value of $230. There was $25 worth of barn-yard
manure put upon it at about the rate of fifty cents per
one-horse lox4 j tae average crop in the vicinity was only
PRACTICAL GROWERS. 41
about tweive hundred Ibs. to unc acre After the land
is plowed and a few days before it is in.ended to plant,
the soil should be well worked with a harrow or large
cultivator until it is free from lumps or clods, when it
is ready for ridging; this is performed with a common
plow ; beginning on one side of the field, take a light
furrow, so as to throw up a ridge about five or six
inches higher than the surrounding surface of the
field; when arrived at the end, return another furrow
alongside, so that the earth thrown up by the plow
unites with that of the former furrow, leaving a ridge
apparently about’ten inches in hight, but really only
five or six, above the general level; so proceed, making
the apex of the ridges three and a half feet apart, untii
the whole is finished, Measure off the distance of thirty-
six inches for the plant on the top of the ridge, with
an instrument constructed as follows: take two strips
of board, two and a half feet long and an inch square,
make one end of each pointed; then spread them in
the form of a pair of compasses until the points are
the desired distance apart, making the other ends lar
each other; fasten them and put a brace across about
the middle to keep them stiff; with this instrument
one person can go before, and, planting one point at »
time on the apex of the ridge, measure off rapidly and
correctly the place for each plant. Now take a hoe
and at each indentation made by the compasses, cut off
about two or three inches in depth of the top of the
ridge, and tap it lightly with the back of the hoe.
This forms a platform or “beici for the reception
of the plant.
TRANSPLANTING,
When the ridge has been thus pre-
pared, one person goes ahead with a basket of plants
and drops one on each “ bench,” another person fol-
lowing and planting as rapidly as possible, as it is
injurious to the plant to leave its roots long exposed
to the air. In inserting the plant, a hole may be made
with a pointed stick, but the most expeditious as well
as the best way is with the hands. The roots of the
plant are carefully inserted and the earth pressed mod-
erately tight upon them; care must be taken not to
press the delicate heart-leaves, for upon their preserv-
ation depends the future vigor of the plant. The best
time for planting is during a warm, drizzling rain; but
if no such oceasion presents itself when every thing
is ready, then immediately before or after a shower
will do nearly as well. If it is necessary to plant with-
out any rain, it should be done in the evening, and
each plant watered slightly. Unless absolutely neces-
sary, never plant when the ground is in the consistence
of mud, as the roots are doubled up and stuck to-
gether, and there is considerable time lost in starting the
plant, if, indeed, it ever becomes vigorous. In taking
the plants from the bed, if the earth is not previously
well moistened by rain, water the ground sufficiently,
so that the plants will come up with some earth at
tached to the roots; they may be pulled by taking
hold and gently doubling up the several large leaves
42 HOW TO RAISE TOBACCO.
of the plant at once; they are very nicely raised with
a common table-fork. After the whole area has been
planted, it should be gone over every few days, and
such plants as have been destroyed by the cut-worms
or otherwise replaced by a new one; if, however, a
plant shows signs of remaining vitality, it should nut
be destroyed, but a new one placed alongside, as it of-
ten happens that a plant of the first setting, even
though it be injured, will eventually outstrip in growth
oue of a subsequent planting; either can be used to
advantage in replacing any missing plants at the first
hoeing, transplanting them with a large ball of earth
to the roots.
Cuttivation.—When the weeds begin to appear
pretty abundantly, and after the plants have made visi-
ble growth, a cultivator must berun between the rows,
taking care that it does not throw up the earth on the
ridges and cover the plants; a cultivator that can be
regulated in width is the best.
nences of the ridges to a level with the plants, and
eradicate all weeds that have come up between the
leaves of the plants, also transplant from any double
plants to such hills as have become vaeant. The
plants will now begin to grow vigorously and require
no attention beyond transplanting to fill vacancies un-
Hoe down the promi-
til a new crop of weeds appear, when the cultivator
must be again run through and the plants carefully
hoed, fresh earth being drawn up after the weeds have
been scraped away. Care must be taken not to hoe too
deep close to the plant, as it destroys too many of the
fibrous roots, which have begun by this time to per-
meate the soil in every direction. When the weeds
and grass have been thoroughly killed by the sun, the
shovel-plow or hook may be run between the rows,
and following after, uncover such leaves as may have
been buried by the earth thrown up by the implement,
and hoeing the ridges into an even shape, rather flat
upon the top and rounding off gradually till they meet
in the center between the rows of tobacco, forming a
ditch or furrow not too deep, but answering the pur-
pose of a drain. This is all the cultivation it will re-
quire, but if the weeds come up between the rows
thereafter it will benefit the tobacco as well as the
ground, if they are scraped off with a hoe.
Worms.—Now no attention is required until the to-
pacco-worms appear, which, in this latitude, 40°
north, is about the latter end of July, when it must
be gone over every few days and the worms picked off
and destroyed. The moth that produces these worms
ig nocturnal in its habits, and in the twilight may be
seen hovering over the plants and depositing its eggs
on the under side of the leaves; these are of a trans-
parent green color, and very hard to detect on account
ef their similarity in color to the leaf. The worm be-
gins to feed as soon as it emerges from the shell, and
grows and increases in size so rapidly that it soon be-
comes a formidable enemy to the farmer, and
taptured will s)0n cut the plant te shreds; ana not
if not
content with spoiling one plant alone, will visit and
demolish several more before entering the earth ana
becoming a chrysalis. Continue to visit the field regu-
larly every three or four days until the time for top-
ping arrives.
ToppinG.—There can be no stated time for this, as
it depends upon the stage of growth in which the plant
may be, and the latitude or climate. As a general
thing it should be topped before the seed-buds are vis-
ible, for when these appear the plant has expended
most of its vigor and is no longer able to mature the
upper leaves; and it must be done at least four weeks
The number of
leaves that may be left to a stalk depends upon the
quality of the soil; if it be very strong it will mature
twenty or twenty-four leaves, but in general from six-
teen to twenty is amply sufficient to leave on a stalk
in any situation. In topping it is better to pinch out
enough of the crown of the plant to leave the first two
leaves not less than three or four inches long, as they
grow more vigorously and mature more rapidly than
the small and tender leaves found about the blossom-
In pinching out the heart of the plant, care
must be taken not to break or injure the upper leaves
that are left. When topping, the plants intended to
produce seed for the following year’s crop must be
spared; they should always be chosen with regard to
the heaviest, as well as the longest and broadest leafed
plants, as weight and size of leaf is the chief consider-
ation of tobacco-growers. The seed-stalks should be
left stand until the pods are fully formed and begin to
before the period’ of heavy frosts.
buds.
turn brown, when the leaves may be stripped off and
saved, and the stalk be spaded up and placed beyond
the reach of frost until the seed is fully ripe.
SuckerinG.—Soon after the tobacco has been top-
ped the ‘“‘suckers”’ begin to appear from the junction
of every leaf with the stalk ; they must be pinched off
as soon as they are large enough to be caught Fy the
thumb and finger, and every new one that appears
must be served likewise, for if left they consume much
of the nourishment that would otherwise go to the
leaves, besides much impairing the process of curing
when the stalk is hung up.
Cutting AND Housinac.—When the top leaves have
attained the size of the lower ones_and begin to be
dotted with reddish spots, the tobacco is ripe and
ready to be cut off and hung up to cure. There are
several methods of banging up tobacco, but the follow-
ing two are the best and shortest: first, splitting and
hanging it upon lath or poles and leaving it to partially
cure in the field; secondly, nailing it to rails with
lathing-nails, at once in the shed. The former method,
for high northern latitudes, is by far the best, as it
will cure ina much shorter time, (and thus prevent the
destruction of the crop by freezing in the shed,) by
the drying of the pith of the stalk, which is the main
reservoir of moisture. Jt is performed as follows:
nave ‘& Chisel about a foot long aud three inches
EXPERIENCE OF PRACTICAL GROWERS. 43
bread, the sharp end not beveled on one side, but com-
ing to an edge by a gradual taper on both sides, (a
common tenon-saw will do pretty well;) place the edge
of the chisel in the center of the stalk upon the end
where it has been topped, and push it down, guiding
it in its course so 1s not to break or cut off any leaves,
to within three or four inches of the ground; the stalk
may then be cut off with a hatchet, or with the chisel
if it be made pretty strong. The splitting may be done
in the morning when the leaves are too brittle to ad-
mit of the stalk being cut down, and then when the
sun has sufficiently wilted the leaves, the stalk may be
cut and left to lie until it will bear handling without
breaking the leaves. The lath being previously pre-
pared, four feet in length and about an inch in thick-
ness on one edge, and one half inch on the other, and
two inches broad, (or poles cut in the forest will answer
pretty well;) then have trestles prepared high enough
‘o allow the stalks to hang suspended without touch-
ing the ground, and set far enough apart in the field
to admit of the lath reaching from one to another ;
now place the stalks of tobacco upon the lath, (pre-
viously laid across the trestles,) by slipping them over
and down until they will hang perpendicular and six
or eight inches apart, so they will merely touch, with-
out crowding too much. It may be left hanging thus
exposed to the weather until the leaves are so wilted
that the stalks hang apart without touching and the
lower leaves begin to dry, when it is taken off the tres-
tles, each lath entire, and laid upon a wagon and
hauled to the
Suep or Dryinc-Hovse.—The shed must be con-
structed of timbers strong enough to resist storms, and
should be boarded “up and down.”’ About every three
feet one board should be hinged, to readily open and
shut. If it is intended to split and lath the tobacco,
the inside of the shed must be divided by rails into
widths to accommodate the lath, and likewise into
tiers, one above the other, far enough apart to al-
low the stalks to hang from, well separate. The
frame of rails aud timbers inside the shed destined to
sustain the weight of the tiers of tobacco (which, when
green, is exceedingly heavy) should be strongly con-
structed, so as to preclude the possibility of breaking
down, for if this should happen to the upper tier, in
all probability the whole would be tumbled to the
ground. When ready to hang up, beginning at the
top tier of the shed, slip on one lath after the other,
until the whole is filled. The process of nailing it up
co rails or strips of board, in some respects may be
acperior to the former method, as the tobacco is more
expeditiously secured in the shed and does not require
so much handling, but in general there is more tobacco
lost by being frozen in the shed **sn will pay for the
difference in time and labor. Tas stalk should be cut
down after the dew is off in the morning and left to
wilt. If the sun be very hot the tobacco must be
watcued that :t does not scorch, aud if this be found to
be the case, it should be thrown in heaps about a foot
high and three feet or less in width, and then hauled
into the shed ; here it must not be piled more than a
foot high, or it will soon heat and spoil. It should be
nailed up as rapidly as possible; one person sticking
the nail in the pith of the stalk exposed by cutting it
off from the ground, and shaking it to loosen the leaves,
hands it to a second person, who nails it to the rail,
far enough apart to allow of the circulation of the air
throughout. After the crop is in, the doors and shutters
should be opened all round, so as to allow a strong
draft of air to pass through the tobacco and prevent
what is technically called “burning.” This is literally
nothing more than a partial decomposition of the leaf,
consequent upon the exclusion of air from passing
through it while in the green state, which destroys its
When dried it has a blackish
brown color and crumbles beneath the touch. When
the tobacco is pretty thoroughly cured, and during dry
weather when it is very brittle, the high winds that
prevail about that season will damage it very much if
allowed to blow through the shed, hence at such times
the shed should be closed on the sides whence the
quality and texture.
wind comes, and opened again when it has ceased to
blow. When the leaves are all dry, or after the
weather has been severe enough to freeze the remain-
ing green ones, the tobacco is ready to be stripped.
Srrippinc.—At the setting in of a warm, drizzling,
wet, fogey spell of weather, the shed must be opened
on all sides to allow the damp atmosphere to pervade
the whole interior; after the dry leaves have become
damp enough to allow handling in any degree without
breaking, the stalks must be taken off the lath or
pulled down and laid in heaps about eighteen inches
or two feet high, and any desired length ; if it is not
intended to strip it immediately, it should be conveyed
to a cellar or other apartment, where it will remain
damp ; it should not, however, be suffered to remain
longer than two or three days in heaps, without ex-
amination, as there is sometimes sufficient moisture
remaining in the stalks or frozen leaves to create heat
and rot the good tobacco, If found to be heating, it
should be changed about and aired and be stripped
immediately. If found to be drying out, further evap-
oration may be checked by covering the heaps with
damp straw or corn-fodder. Tobacco is usually strip-
ped into two qualities, ‘‘ground-leaf,” or ‘‘ fillers,”
and “wrappers ;” the leaves that lie next the ground,
generally from two to four, are always more or less
damaged by sand beaten on by the rain and other
causes, hence they only command about half the price of
the good tobacco or ‘‘ wrappers.” The ground-leaves
are taken off first and tied up separately in bunches
or “hands;” this is performed in the following man-
ner: take off one leaf after another, until there is
contained in the hand a sufficient number to make a
bunch about an inch in diameter at the foot-stalks,
which must be kept even at the ends, and homing tar
AA
puneh clasped in one hand, take a leaf and wrap it
around, (beginning at the end of the bunch,) confining
the end under the first turn, continue to wrap smoothly
and neatly until about three inches of the leaf remains,
then open the bunch in the middle and draw the re-
maining part of the leaf through. This forms a neat
and compact ‘‘hand,” that will bear a great deal of
handling without coming open. After the ground-
leaves have been removed, the good leaves are stripped
off and tied up the same as the ground-leaves, with
this exception: the leaves of each stalk should be tied
in a bunch by themselves, to preserve a uniformity in
color and size, as tobacco is sold in the market ac-
cording to color and size, therefore if the leaves of a
large and a small plant, or of a dark-colored and a
light one, be tied up together, it at once diminishes
the appearance and value of the crop.
Buikina.—As soon as a quantity of tobacco is strip-
ped it should be “ bulked down,” or if intended to be
immediately delivered at the packing-house, put up in
bales. A place to bulk it in should be damp enough
to prevent the tobacco from becoming dry, and not
damp enough to cause it to mold. A platform raised
a few inches from the ground and open to let the air
circulate under, must first be laid down, and then the
“hands” of tobacco piled upon it crosswise in suc-
cessive layers and lapping each other about three or
If ‘‘ bulked”
beside a wall, a space must be left behind for air to
It may be thus
“ bulked” four or five feet in hight without danger of
four inches at the points of the leaves.
pass through to prevent molding.
spoiling. In most sections the crop is sold to mer-
chants who have packing-houses, and who pack it in
cases of about three hundred pounds each, and store
it until it has gone through the “sweating” process
by which it becomes fit for manufacturing purposes,
and then dispose of it to manufacturers and specula-
tors in the city markets,
PackinG.—In order to transport it more readily, it
is put up in bales of about one hundred pounds each.
The process of baling is performed thus: make a bot-
tomless box about thirty-four inches long (inside) by
On each side nail two upright
cleats one and a half inches thick, each ten inches
from the end.
sixteen high and wide.
Across these cleats, parallel and even
eo
HOW TO RAISE TOBACCO.
with the top of the box, nail a narrow strip of board
These strips or rails are to confine and keep the enda
of the straw bands out of the way while packing. Now
have a duplicate box the same size in length and
breadth, but about six inches deep, to fit down on the
top of the first box; there must be three notches cut
in the bottom of each side of this box for the bands
to pass through. It should fit down close on the top
of the true box. There must also be a lid made to
slip up and down easily in the box, with three notches
in each side to allow it to slip past the bands. When
ready to pack, have good bands made of rye-straw,
and wet to render them more pliable. Twist them, and
getting inside the box, lay one band down on the
ground, with the knot in the middle, and within three
inches of the end of the box, and place one foot in
each corner of the box upon the band, then push the
ends of the band down between the outside of the box
and the rail. There must be three bands in all, one
at each end and one in the middle. When the bands
are in the box, the ‘hands ”’ of tobacco are laid in the
same asin the ‘t bulk,’ keeping the ends of the bunches
well against the end of the box, until it is filled, then
put on the lid and press it down with lever or screw,
whichever may be most convenient; after it is pressed
sufficiently solid, remove tle lid and place the upper
box in its proper position, fill up to the top with to-
baceo and press it down again, and so until the box is
sufficiently full to come within the limits of the bands
to confine. Now remove the upper box and tie the
middle band first, (this prevents the mass from ex-
panding further,) and lastly the end ones, and give it
another pressure to set the bands and restore the shape
of the bale; now pull off the box and there remains a
neat, square bale of tobacco of about one hundred
pounds’ weight, that will bear handling and transporta-
tion almost any where without injury or coming open.
If the tobacco should become too dry in the “bulk”
to pack, it may be restored by sprinkling it lightly
with hot water, using a small corn-broom, and re-
“bulking ” it, taking down and sprinkling one layer
at a time and allowing it to remain about two days,
when the water will have become diffused throughout
the whole, and it again be fit to pack.
No. XIIL—BY JOHN J. PURSLEY, FRANKLIN COUNTY, MO.
[Four experienced growers attested to the correct-
ness of the process described in this essay. ]
T have grown this plant for over ten years, and have |
There
tried many different modes of cultivating it.
are more than twenty distinct varieties, of which I will
only mention the most valuable:
The Yellow Prior, Blue Prior, Orinoco, Little Fred-
eric, Big Frederic, Cuba, and Spanish tobacco. These
are considered. the most valuable in this State. The
Follow Prior and Orinoco are the most profitable.
I prefer the Yellow Prior, as it is the casiest culti-
vated and is the most fine and smooth of the many va-
Some growers prefer the Orinoco, on account
of it being the heaviest. I do not for various resgone :
it has large stiff fibers and ruffled stalks, which afford
hiding-places for insects; it molds easier, is harder
to cure, and generally does not bring as good a price
as the Yellow Prior.
SeLectinG Seep. —In gathering seed, the largest
and ripest bolls should be selected and put away in a
rieties.
EXPERIENCE OF
4ra place. When proonring seed, at a seed-store,
always be careful to get mew seed. When it is new it
is of a dark brown; when old it is lighter in color.
The seed should be sown any time, from the first of
February till the tenth of March; bat I have known
it to be sown as late as the twenty-fitth of March and
do well.
Tue Seep-Bep should be made on a south hill-side,
in new loamy ground, not too dry. Cut off the timber,
and separate the trash from the coarse wood; then
rake off the leaves and brush, leaving the ground per-
fectly bare ; so as to admit the heat of the fire. Then
put the brush on four or five feet thick; then put on
a thick layer of the coarse wood, and then set fire to it.
This should be done when the ground is in good work-
ing order. After the bed is burnt, the ashes should
lie on till the ground is cool; then the brands should
be raked off, and the ground dug up five or six inches
deep; this is best done with a grub-hoe; rake and
pick all the roots out, making it loose and mellow.
Level the surface of the bed, and it is ready to be
sown. Mix the seed with dry ashes, so as to sow them
regularly. One table-spoonful of good seed will sow
a bed twenty-five feet square, and will raise enough
plants to set five or six acres. After sowing as regu-
larly 2s possible, the bed should be rolled or tramped
with the feet until it is solid and level; then cover it
up with brush till spring opens ; tuen the brush should
be removed to admit the rays of the sun, which will
soon bring the plants; keep the weeds and grass out
of the bed till the plants are large enough to trans-
plant. They are handiest to transplant when their
Jargest leaf is three or four inches long.
Som AND Pxiantine. — Tobacco can be raised on
most qualities of soil; but the best is new first year’s
land; white oak, hickory, hazel, or pawpaw land is
preferable. After plowing, the ground should be har-
rowed thoroughly, making it as mellow as possible.
Checker it off with a shovel-plow, so as to form the
hills about three feet apart ; make up small flat mellow
hills. This should be done by the time the plants are
large enough to transplant. Transplanting is usually
done with a peg, sharp at one end, making a hole suf-
ficiently large to admit the plant; press the earth
closely around the roots, in the same manner that cab-
bage is transplanted.
We generally commence setting out tobacco about
the first of June and continue till the twenty-fifth ; if
set out after this, it is not apt to get ripe before
frost.
Cu.rcurr. — As soon as the tobacco is set out there
is a great destroyer lays hold of the plant, and often
eutting the stem off, thereby ruining it. It is a spe-
gies of black ground-worm, usually known as _ the
eut-worm, These must be looked after every morn-
ing, for they do their mischief in the night, conse-
quently their sign is easier detectni in the morning,
ard they have not entered deep into the ground.
PRACTICAL GROWERS. 45
| When the plant makes a start to x ow it soon gets out
of the reach of the cut-worm; then all the vacant hills
should be replanted.
As soon as the weeds and grass start tc grow, the
hills should be scraped down with a hoe, nyt disturb-
ing the roots of the plant. By the time the grass
makes its appearance the second time, the tobacco is
large enough to admit the plow. A narrow shovel-
plow does the neatest work ; run three furrows to the
row, not close enough to fracture the tobacco, then
work it over thoroughly with the Lve, putting a small
mellow hill to each plant.
Worms. — By this time you will observe the work
of the green tobacco-worms, They must be looked
after at least once a week. There are two different
species of this worm —the red-horned and the blue-
horned, each equally destructive. One of these worms
will soon destroy a plant. When it has finished its
work, it enters the ground to come up next spring, iv
the form of a fly. This fly lays her eges on the tobac-
co, which hatch out young worms. The ege is hardly
as large as a mustard-seed, and of a yellowish color.
Many of these flies may be caught about Jamestown
weeds and destroyed. They may be seen of evenings
sucking the Jamestown blooms.
insects off of the tobacco while it stands in the field.
The bud-worm was very destructive in the years
Keep all destroying
1860-2; it works in the bud of the plant, making
great havoc with the young leaves.
When the tobacco is about a foot and a half high,
it should get its last plowing and hoeing, and should
have a large flat hill put around it.
PRIMING AND Toppinc. — When the buds that con-
tain the blooms make their appearance, it should be
primed and topped. Priming is done by pulling off
the bottom leaves,so that those remaining will not
reach the ground; then pluck out the buds, leaving
twelve or fourteen leaves on a stalk.
We generally go over the field three or four times,
topping and priming. First, topping that which is
large enough, and letting the smaller remain till the
next week, and so on till itis time that all should be
topped, to escape the frost. We generally finish top-
ping by the twentieth of August.
If the transplanting is finished by the twenty-fifth
of June, which it should be, the tobacco will be
amply large enough to top by the twentieth of August,
which will give it time to ripen by the twentieth of
September.
Some seasons tobaceo may be planted later, but it is
unsafe in this locality, for the frost may come and lay
waste a summer’s labor.
Srrp-PLants.—The earliest plants should be left for
seed; do not top them, but trim the leaves off at the
top, to about ten to a plant.
Four flourishing plants will yield one half-pint of
good seed. The bud-worm should be kept from the
seed-plants, as they wil’ enter the pods and eat the
46 uow TO RAISE TOBACCO.
seed. I have caught as many as twenty bud-worms on
one neglected seed-plant.
SuckertnG.— After the tobacco has been topped
about a week, there will be little sprouts or suckers
put forth on the stalk, at the bu: of every leaf. If
ther are neglected, they wil! grow up and go to seed,
aud take all the nourishment from the stalk, giving
the plant a haggard appearance, and literally ruining
the tobacco. These suckers must be strictly attended
to; they should be pulled off as soon as they have
grown long enough to be conveniently taken hold of
by the fingers.
There are generally three sets of suckers, sometimes
four. After one set is pulled off, in a week or so there
will be another set put forth, in the same place, and
so on until the tobacco is ripe.
The better the worms and suckers are kept off, the
better the tobacco will be.
Harvesting anp Curinc. — When the tobacco is
ripe it has a yellow faded color, and becomes brittle ;
the surface of the leaf is rough and ridged. By bend-
ing the leaf short between the fingers, it will break
before it will double.
The sticks to hang it on should be in readiness.
The best mode of hanging or stringing, is with a V-
shaped spear, made of iron or steel. The spear has a
socket, large to admit the end of the stick. The
sticks should be sharpened at one end, to fit the
socket; should be four feet six inches in length, two
inches wide, and one inch thick. <A stick of these
dimensions will hold eight plants.
The tobacco should be cut off just below the bottom
leat, then turn the plant upside down, and let it remain
go till the sun wilts it. When it is wilted it can be
handled without breaking; then it should be taken up
and laid w piles of eight stalks each, placing the buts of
the stalks towards the sun, to prevent it from sun-
burning When it is sun-burnt it turns black, and it
can not be cured any other color than black, which
ruins its sale.
The sticks should be strewed along, one stick to a
pile ; place the spear on the end of the stick, and set
the stick upright ; then take up the tobacco, one stalk
at a time, and thrust it on the stick, letting the spear
pass through the stalk, about six inches from the but
end; then take the spear off and take up the stick,
and shake the tobacco out straight, and set the stick
up with the buts toward the sun
Some tobacco-growers prefer splitting the stalk
from the top down to within about six inches of the
but, then hang it on the sticks. But I can not agree
with them, for it is more difficult to handle, and is apt
to sip off of the stick, when moving it; besides, the
tobacco cured in this manner is not so heavy asif it
was speared. It dries out quicker by being split, but
the substance evaporates instead of remaining in the
leaf. Iam not certain that it injures the taste of the
tobacco, but I am certain that split tobacco is lighter
than that which is speared.
Some prefer hanging the tobacco on scaffolds in the
field until it is ready to be put in the barn and cured
by fire. But it is the safest to house it as soon as it is
strung on the sticks.
Scaffolding is done by placing poles on forks, about
four feet apart, and four or five feet from the ground;
then hang the tobacco between the poles, letting the
ends of the sticks rest on the poles. This procedure
is unsafe, for the rain may come and saturate the
tobacco and wash off the gum, thus making it light
and chaffy.
Tobacco should not be exposed to the weather after
it is cut. It should be immediately conveyed to the
barn and hung up. As scon as it gets about half yel-
lowed, a slow fire should be started under it; if made
too hot at first, the tobacco will turn black. About
the second day the ends of the leaves will begin to
curl up ; then the fire should be gradually increased,
till it heats the tobacco blood warin ; it should be kept
up so till the leaf is thoroughly cured.
If this rule be strictly adhered to, the tobacco will be
cured bright. The brighter it is cured the better it sells.
Our barns, in this State, are generally built of logs,
some have frames. The barn should be made tight up
to the tobacco, which should hang about eight feet
from the ground ; above this leave cracks or air-holes
sufficient for free ventilation.
A barn to hold two and a half acres of tobacco,
which is as much as one man ¢an attend to, should be
twenty-four feet square. It should have five tiers of
poles, the lowest about six feet from the ground ; these
should extend across the barn, and be fastened at each
end into the walls. The poles should be four feet.
apart, and the tiers directly one above another.
The sticks which contain the tobacco should be
placed within eight inches of each other, on all the
poles except the bottom ones, which should be left
vacant directly over the fire. When tobacco is nearly
cured, it very readily catches fire.
If there be a wet spell of weather before the stalks
are thoroughly dry, build a fire under the tobacco suf-
ficiently hot to keep it dry. It should not get damp
and pliant until the stalks are dry, then it may be al-
lowed to get damp.
Srrippine will be the farmer’s labor during damp
weather, until his tobacco is stripped and ready for
market.
The lugs, shipping, and manufacturing, which are
worst, medium, and best qualities, should be separated
at stripping. The /wgs, or worst quality, are found at
the bottom of the plant; they are chaffy and light
leaves, and should be stripped from the stalk and tied
in bundles by themselves with all of the ragged,
black, and injured leaves.
The second quality, or shipping tobacco, is a grade
EXPERIENCE OF PRACTICAL GROWERS. 47
above the lugs; it is the red or brown tobacco ; this
should also be tied in separate bundles.
The best, or manufacturing, is the finest axa cright-
est leaves, and should be put in bundles by itself.
In stripping, the stems of the leaves should be
broken off as close as possible to the stalk ; this adds
te the weight of the tobacco,
In forming a bundle, the buts of the leaves should
ye placed evenly, and closely together, and pressed
tightly in the hand; then a leaf should be folded to
form « wrapper two inches in width; then wrap it
tightly and smoothly around the buts of the leaves,
winding it from the end down, about two inches and a
half; then open the bundle in the middle, and tuck
the wrapper-leaf through the opening, and draw it
snug, so that when the opening is closed the wrapper-
leaf will remain; this forms a bundle which we call a
“hand of tebucco.”
The hands should be strung on sticks, and hoisted
up in the barn on the tier-poles; eighteen or twenty
hands may be put on each stick, at equal distances
apart.
Butkine ann Packinc.—Let the tobacco hang in
the barn until within a week or two of hogsheading,
take it down, remove it from the sticks, and put it in
a bulk. This is done by making a platform, and cov-
ering it with straw or hay; then lay the hands of to-
bacco, side by side, in layers around, with the buts
outward; in the same manner as wheat or oats are
stacked. :
If the atmosphere is dry, the bulk should be cov-
ered up closely, so that the tobacco will retain its
moisture. It should not be too damp, for there is
danger of its molding in the bulk.
If it should mold, hang it up again in the barn, and
put fire under it. The mold that it gets in the bulk
is generally the yellow mold, which is the most fatal.
It sometimes gets a white mold on it, while hanging in
fhe barn, when the atmosphere is very damp and
warm ; but this does not materially injure it, for it
will rub off while drawing the tobacco through the
hands. It should be drawn through the hands every
time it is handled, to keep it straight, and to give it a
silky texture, which adds to its price.
We generally send tobacco to market in hogsheads,
and sometimes in boxes. A hogshead four feet in
length, and three feet in diameter. is the medium size.
One thousand pounds is considered a full hogshead ;
but one of the above dimensions can hold one thou-
sand five hundred pounds, by hard pressing ; but this
blackens the tobacco, and injures the sale of it. Pack-
ing in the hogshead is done by first laying a course or
layer of bundles straight across the bottom, keeping
the buts even and close together ; then fill up on each
side of the center course, placing the buts against the
staves; then the buts of the hands that lie against the
hogshead should be covered up with two or three
others, pressed closely down. The next center course
should be laid across the first, and done in the same
manner as before, and so on, crossing each course in
succession, until the hogshead is two thirds full; when
the press should be applied till the tobacco is pressed
down to within a foot and a half of the bottom of the
hogshead.
The press should remain on an hour or more, in
order that the tobacco may settle together; then the
press should be raised, and the packing resumed as
before, till the tobacco is within a foot and a half of
the top; then the press should again be applied till
the tobacco is pressed half way down the hogshead ;
the same proportion should be observed until the
hogshead is full. Then put the head in, and it is
ready for market.
No. XIII—BY JOSEPH H. DAVIS, NEWARK, N. J.
[Tue following is extracted from a very elaborate
essay, but as its matter was from observation only, it
could not compete for a prize. |
A beginner would ask what ‘kind of soil” is best
adapted to the growth of tobacco? and I should an-
swer that “kind of soil” which is best adapted to
the growth of corn, potatoes, and red clover.
To raise either of these, the soil must be rich, deep,
warm, and well-tilled; free from weeds, and neither
wet nor dry. When one wishes to raise a good crop
of tobacco, on soil destitute of any one of these qual-
ities, he should supply the deficiency in some artificial
way. Deep working is not to be omitted on any ac-
count. A lot of land with a southern inclination,
sheltered by hills or woods from high and cold winds,
would produce better tobacco than another lot desti-
tute of such protection, for the reason that cold winds
check the growth, and high winds break the tender
leaves badly, and thus depreciate their value. Deep-
worked soil drains better, stands a drouth and takes
in the air and gun’s rays better, and is every way
more suitable to tobacco than shallow-worked and wet
soil.
It is an established fact thet tobacco draws largely
on the soil for its growth, and it is absolutely necee-
sary to have a deep and finely-worked rich soil, if the
grower wishes large profits on his outlay.
I will here add that I have never seen soil so rich
that a little manure would not benefit it, and I have
seen tobacco growing on land naturally so rich as to
yield forty to sixty bushels of oats, or from fifty to
eighty bushels of corn, to the acre, one or ‘he other
of these crops having been grown on the ot evezr
year for forty-two years, without a particle of manure,
48
and the owner said to me that he had cultivated this | for each square rod of seed-bed.
field the entire time, and that a little well-rotted stable-
manure did his tobacco good. This field was in the
eastern part of Kentucky.
While tobacco luxuriates in a deep, rich, warm,
new soil, abounding in the salts and acids of decayed
and burned wood, it can be profitably raised on an
old, exhausted soil, even if it be sandy and left for its
poverty. The ashes of wood, peat, or muck, as well
as their pyroligneous acids, are excellent fertilizers, as
is the ammoniacal water from gas-factories. I should
not hesitate to cultivate tobacco on an old exhausted
soil, even if it were a light sandy one, provided I had
near by one of the beds of the New-Jersey green sand
or a bed of peat, turf, or muck, in which case I would
draw from either at least fifty ox-cart loads, in the
fall, on to each acre I intended to cultivate the next
year, and spread it evenly over the intended lot, so as
to let it have the freezings and thawings of the win-
ter. As soon as the spring season would permit, I
would harrow the ground, so as to break and mix the
muck well, and then plow eight inches deep. When
the tobacco-plants were ready for transplanting, I
would cross-plow the field twelve inches deep and
harrow across these furrows, so as to again give the
soil, and muck, peat, or sand a thorough mixing. Then,
with the “New Jersey corn-marker,” I weuld mark
it and cross-mark it three feet each way. At every
intersection, I would put one quart of the following |
compost: fifteen bushels of wood-ashes, two barrels of
the gas ammoniacal water or urine, and three bushels
of fine-ground gypsum and one hundred and thirty
bushels of the green sand, peat, or muck that had had
a winter’s frost. Hen manure would be a zood sub-
stitute for the gas-water or urine, but it would have to
be soaked well. These several substances to be com-
pletely mixed. This quantity should be prepared for
every acre, or 450 bushels would about give a quart
to every nine square feet of an acre. I should prefer
to dress the ground thus, and rotate with corn, clover,
potatoes, and tobacco, and I would not change the ro-
tation or manuring, except to use less as the soil I
cultivated was richer. There are many substitutes
for each part of the fertilizers named.
I must now return to the seed or plant-bed, which
should be near the field where they are to be set, and
in a sheltered corner for preference. The bed should
be as thoroughly worked and enriched as the field, or
as one would prepare a garden for choice vegetables,
having two bushels of the compost well raked into
each square rod. The seed may be sown in drills,
wnien are easier to hoe, while broad-cast is easier to
sow. I should prefer the drill-sowing, and not more
than four or five inches apart, to be done as early as
spring will admit.
The quantity of seed to be sown is the next to be
censidercd. I have heard some growers say that a
common pipe-bowl twice full of seed was about right
HOW TO RAISE TOBACCO.
A Virginia grower
told me that he planted the seeds of five of his best
tobacco-stalks for every two acres of the field he
wished to set with plants, thus making allowance for
waste and the numerous casualties attending the young
plants. But the most definite statement I received
was from a gentleman in Maryland, who said his prac
tice was to sow three ounces of seed for cach ten
acres he intended to cultivate in tobacco. J have
some ounces of Cuban seed, from which I have
weighed, and counted enough to find eight hundred
and seventy-five thousand seeds in an ounce. Should
every seed perfect a plant, it would be about sixty-
seven times the number needed. Perhaps, owing to
the imperfect seeds and all other circumstances that
tend to the destruction of the young plants, it may be
best to sow an ounce of seed to every four square rods
of bed, and a plant to stand on every six square
inches would give one quarter more plants than need-
ed, allowing a rod of bed for an acre of tobacco.
Curinc. — The usual custom is to let the stalks
hang until the stems of the leaves get dry enough to
break when pressed in the hand.
The Cuba tobacco-grower would force the drying in
wet weather and retard it in dry weather, as either
extreme is injurious ; the wet is injurious, as the leaves,
when they change from the natural color to a pale
yellow and light brown, easily mildew ; when dry, a3
before-named, it is taken down. Damp weather ie
best, so as not to break the leaves, which are imme
diately stripped from the stalks and sorted into as
many grades as the market may require, from one ta
four and even more grades, as ‘“ bright yellow, dull,
seconds, and ground-leaves.” But I see no necessity
of but three grades, as the over-ripe, the unripe, and
the just ripe at cutting, and when properly dried they
show their grade plain enough to sort. After being
stripped and sorted, they are to be separately piled
(‘‘ bulked” some say) in courses of leaves — two, four,
or six tier of leaves, stems end out, and three to four
feet high. The leaves should be kept straight in all
these handlings. The heap should be made up each
day separate, as it begins to make tobacco in twelve
hours or so, by fermenting, which is variously called
“curing, sweating, conditioning,” ete. Soon as the
heap begins to get warm it should be repiled, putting
the inner tier out so as to equalize the fermentation ;
some repile several times and some none; but the
fermentation should be kept equal, and if covered with
old sail-cloth it can be reguiated. This fermenting is
allowed to proceed for from four to six weeks by care-
ful manufacturers; as it is the process that makes the
tobacco to suit the taste of tobacco-epicures it should
be carefully done, yet many do it in a careless man-
ner, and thus have an article so poor as to not find
many lovers.
At the end of the four to six weeks the Cuba grower
would have one side of each leaf slightly moistened
EXPERIENCE OF PRACTICAL GROWERS. 49
with the decoction of tobacco, which is made by let-
ting some leaves rot in clean water, and then he would
tie it up in hanks of twenty-five or thirty leaves, and
hang one day for drying, then take it down and pack
it in tight casks as being best. From these leaves he
would make the best Cuba segars. The Virginian
grower would not wet his tobacco after it had fer-
mented, but simply tie it in hanks so ttsat five or six
would weigh a pound, and then pack “te in his hogs-
heads for market; and this, after it nad lain from
one to six months in the ‘‘ conditioning bulks.”
GENERAL FACTS CONCERNING TOBACCO.
BY 8. 8. NOBLE, PONTIAC, MICH.
[Tue following interesting general facts are ex-
tracted from an able essay by the above-named author ;
want of space precluded the publication of the whole
of this and many other valuable articles contributed,
We only intended to print thirty-two pages, but there
were too many good essays to stop short of forty-eight
pages. A supplement may be issued hereafter, though
it is probable that this work contains all that is needed. ]
Lovpon enumerates fourteen different species of
tobacco. Of these, but two are cultivated to any
amount, namely, Nicotiana rustica —Viscid-pubescent,
leaves petioled, ovate, entire, tube of corolla cylindrical,
longer than calyx, round, obtuse. Nicotiana Tabaceum
— Viscid-pubescent, leaves lanceolate, sessile, decur-
rent, tube of corolla inflated at the throat, tube acute.
The Vicotiana rustica is but little cultivated. It is
the most hardy sort, and is grown in the colder cli-
mates of Europe, and to some extent by the North-
American Indians. The Wicotiana Tabaceum is the
species generally cultivated; of this there are several
varieties, each possessing qualities peculiar to itself,
or qualities supposed to be derived from the various
modes of cultivation and curing. Each cultivator se-
lects such variety as suits him best, having reference
to soil and climate. The kinds more generally culti-
vated are the Cuba and the Connecticut seed-leaf; the
latter is best adapted to Northern States, in nearly all
of which it is raised to a very considerable extent.
History. — Tobacco was first introduced into Eu-
rope by John Nicot, ambassador of the King of France
to Portugal, by whom the first plant was preseated to
Catharine de Medicis: it was afterwards known as the
Queen’s plant. Nicot is said to have received the seed
from a Dutchman, who obtained it from Florida. The
name Tobacco, by which it is now universally known,
originated by its having been mostly introduced into
Europe from the island of Tobago, in the West-In-
dies. By the French it is called Yobac, German Ta-
bak, Spanish Zobaco, and by the Italians and English
Tobacco.
Linneeus says tobacco was known in Europe as
early as 1560. It was introduced into England about
the year 1536, in the form of an herb, and used by
Walter Raleigh for smoking. Raleigh reccived it
from Cavtain Ralph Lane It has sines been intro-
duced into almost every European country and some
parts of Asia. The English Parliament prohibited
the cultivation of tobacco as a crop, and it is now only
grown as a curiosity in the gardens of amateurs. Some
of the European governments impose excessive duties
on imported tobacco, France received one year ten
million dollars revenue from it. It is estimated that
an aggregate revenue of over fifty million dollars is de-
rived from tobacco by all the foreign governments.
Tobacco, asa staple, has long been cultivated in Mary-
land, Virginia, North-Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee,
and Missouri, but for a few years past it has been
largely raised in New-England, New-York, Michigan,
and Illinois, and it will soon become a staple in most
of the Northern States.
MepicinaLt Properties. — Tobacco is a powerful
narcotic. Taken in small doses it is sedative, gently
quieting the nerves, producing sleep; in larger doses it
acts as an emetic and diuretic. If taken in excessive
doses, it produces nausea, vomiting, spasms, and con-
vulsions, which often terminate in death.
CuHEmIcAL Properties, — An analysis of the ashes
of tobacco, by Professor Johnston, shows the follow-
ing constituents in their several proportions per cent:
BOtASH eitarciatelese tate silicic ereaias 12°14
BOG fae: dveiststoyaisielale se steetsiesteroen 0:07
AIIM Ore oraja\alalaounra aisiainneisaeictetcistasts 45°90
Maenesiag a .jc1cctecis ces.cctecsenics 13°09
Chloride of sodium, ........... 3°49
Chloride of potassium, ......... 3°98
Phosphate of iron,............. 5-48
Phosphate‘of lime,.... Jace =< 1°49
Sulphate/of limes cree ecieee se sro 6°35
SUNCIAy elece ey taceteaste siseeciecioe CIOL
100-00
From the above analysis, it will be observed that of
the mineral matters contained in tobacco the following
predominate: silicia, potash, lime, and magnesia, with
a large proportion of the phosphate of iron and sul-
phate of lime. There is in tobacco a volatile alkali,
which may be known by its smoke changirg the color
of flowers— turning red to purple, and purple to
green. Diffzrent kinds of tobacco are distinguished
by the peculiar odor emitted: this variation is im
part due to the different modes of curing the leaf.
50 HOW TO RAISE TOBACCO.
TIN)
MEH
Ce fe)
THE TOBACCO WORM.
TE above engraving represents one of our most
yoracious and destructive insects. It is shown in its
different stages of larva, chrysalis, and imago, or moth.
The larva or worm, fig. 1, is a great pest upon potato |
and tomato vines, and upon tobacco. It is especially
injurious to the latter crop, as it perforates the leaves
and rerders them ragged and worthless. The worm
as it comes from the egg is so small as to be unob-
served, but having an enormous appetite, it devours
rapilly, and soon grows to about twice the size repre-
sented in the cut. When not feeding, it lifts up the
head and fore-part of the body, and remains apparent-
ly lifeless. From its resemblance in this position to
the Egyptian Sphinx, Linnzeus gave the name Sphinx
to the genus. The larva is of a light green color, with
whitish oblique stripes, and has a horn upon the rear
end of the body. Though it is repulsive in appearance,
it is perfectly harmless to touch, and may be picked
off with the hands without fear. After it has reached
its full size, it leaves the scene of its ravages and goes
into the earth, where it throws off its skin and be-
comes a brown-colored chrysalis, fig. 2. The curious
projection, like a handle, is a sheath which holds the
tongue of the future moth. The moth or perfect in-
sect, is represented in the engraving, fig. 8, of tha
natural size. It isof a gray color, with orange-colored
spots on each side of the body. As there are five of
these spots on each side, it is called Sphinx quinque-
maculatus, or Five-spotted Sphinx. The moths may be
seen towards night flitting about the flowers, from
which they suck the juices by means of their remark-
able tongue, which is five or six inches long. When
the tongue is not in use, it is closely coiled up and hid-
den between the two feelers. From the manner of
their flight and feeding they are frequently mistaken
for humming birds and are ealled ‘ humming-bird
moths,’ and ‘‘horn-blowers.” The moths should
always be destroyed if possible ; by so doing we pre-
yent the production of several hundreds of most de-
structive worms. Naturalists make one or two other
species, which closely resemble the Five-spotted Moth,
and are only distinguished by characters which would
not be noticed except by the entomologist. [The il-
lustrations above were in part re-sketched and en-
graved from figures in Harris’ valuable work on In
sects. ]
— ee Ee
aa
SSeS ae oe
DAVID W. JUDD, Pres't.
ardening for Young and Old. ©
eT en
CULTIVATION OF GARDEN VEGETABLES in the FARM GARDEN
By JOSEPH HARRIS, MS.
Author of ‘“‘ Walks and Talks on the Farm,” ‘ Harris on the Pig,’ ‘‘ Talks on Manures,” etc.
The object of this work is to skow how garden crops may be grown in field culture, and the
teachings of Mr. Harris are mainly from his own experience, presented in that familiar style sv well
known to those who have read his other writings. We are sure that the work will be welcomed by
a large class who are concerned over the problem, ‘‘ How to make the farm pay.’ If his work is
properly studied and its teachings followed, it cannot fail to be of great service, espectally to the
coming generation of young farmers, and may have much to do in ‘‘ keeping boys on the farm.”” A
small share of the work is devoted to the easily grown flowers, which will add to its value in the
estimation of the mothers and sisters as well as of the boys.
CONTENTS.
Introduction.—An Old and a New Garden.--Gardening for Boys.—How to Begin.—Preparing
_ the Soi!.—Killing the Weeds.—About High Farming.—Competition in Crops.—The Manure Ques-
tion.—The Implements Needed.—Starting Plants in the House or in the Hot-bed.—The Window-
box.—Making the Hot-bed.—Cold Frames.—Insects.-~The Use of Poisons.—-The Care of Poisons.—
The Cultivation of Vegetables in the Farm-Garden.—-The Cultivaticn of Flowers,
ILLUSTRATED.
Cloth, I2mo. Price, Post-paid, $1.25.
ORANGE JUDD COMPANY, 751 Broadway, New York.
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{Established in 1842.)
A Good, Cheap, and very Valuable Paper for Every
Man, Woman, and Child,
In City, Village, and Country.
American Acriculturist
Farm, Garden, and Household, |
Including a Special Department of Interesting and Instructive Reading
for CHILDREN and YOUTH.
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The Agriculturist is a large periodical of forty-four quarto pages, beautifully
printed, filled with plain, practical, reliable, original matter, and containing kun-
dreds of beautiful and instructive Engravings in every annual volume.
It contains, each month, a Calendar of Operations to be performed on the Farm,
in the Orchard and Garden, in and around the Dwelling, etc. |
The thousands of hits and suggestions given in every volume are prepared by
practical, intelligent working men, who know what they write about.
The Household Department is valuable to every Housekeeper, affording very
many useful hints and directions, calculated to lighten and facilitate in-door work. |
The Department for Children and Youth is prepared with special care, to fur-
nish not only amusement, but also to inculcate knowledge and sound moral principles.
—— oe
SUBSCRLPLIIOMN, Tia iaias
61.50 a year, postage included; single copies, 15 cents each.
(as- Try IT A YEAR.
A GERMAN EDITION, containing all the principal articles and engravings of
the English edition, and other matter of special interest to German Americans, is
furnished at the same rates as above stated for the English Edition, postage prepaid
by the publishers.
ORANGE JUDD COMPANY, 751 Broadway, New York.
DAVID W. JUDD, Pres't. SAM’L BURNHAM, Sec.
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