Soil and Cultivation.—Tobacco requires a warm, rich soil, not too dry or wet; and, though it will succeed well on recently turned sward or clover-turf, it gives a greater yield on land that has been cultivated the year previous, as it is less liable to be infested by worms, which sometimes destroy the plants in the early stages of their growth. The land should be twice ploughed in the spring; first as soon as the frost will permit, and again just previous to setting. Pulverize the surface thoroughly by repeated harrowing and rolling, and it will be ready to receive the young plants. The time for transplanting is from the 1st to the 20th of June; taking advantage of a damp day, or setting them immediately after a rain. If the ground is not moist at the time of transplanting, it will be necessary to water the plants as they are set.
"The ground should be marked in straight rows three feet apart, and slight hills made on these marks two feet and a half apart; then set the plants, taking care to press the earth firmly around the roots. As soon as they are well established, and have commenced growing, run a cultivator or horse-hoe between the rows, and follow with the hand-hoe; resetting where the plants are missing. The crop should be hoed at least three times, at proper intervals; taking care to stir the soil all over.
"When the plants begin to flower, the flower-stem should be broken or cut off; removing also the suckers, if any appear; leaving from twelve to sixteen leaves to be matured."
Harvesting and Curing.—In ordinary seasons, the crop will be ready for harvesting about the beginning of September; and should all be secured by the 20th of the month, or before the occurrence of frost. The stalks must be cut at the surface of the ground, and exposed long enough to the sun to wilt them sufficiently to prevent breaking in handling. They should then be suspended in a dry, airy shed or building, on poles, in such a manner as to keep each plant entirely separate from the others, to prevent mouldiness, and to facilitate the drying by permitting a free circulation of the air. Thirty or forty plants may be allowed to each twelve feet of pole. The poles may be laid across the beams, about sixteen inches apart.
"When erected for the purpose, the sheds are built of sufficient height to hang three or four tiers; the beams being about four feet apart, up and down. In this way, a building forty feet by twenty-two will cure an acre and a half of Tobacco. The drying-shed should be provided with several doors on either side, for the free admission of air."
When the stalk is well dried (which is about the last of November or beginning of December), select a damp day, remove the plants from the poles, strip off the leaves from the stalk, and form them into small bunches, or hanks, by tying the leaves of two or three plants together, winding a leaf about them near the ends of the stems; then pack down while still damp, lapping the tips of the hanks, or bunches, on each other, about a third of their length, forming a stack with the buts, or ends, of the leaf-stems outward; cover the top of the stack, but leave the ends or outside of the mass exposed to the air. In cold weather, or by mid-winter, it will be ready for market; for which it is generally packed in damp weather, in boxes containing from two to four hundred pounds.
A fair average yield per acre is from fourteen to eighteen hundred pounds.
To save Seed.—"Allow a few of the best plants to stand without removing the flowering-shoots. In July and August, they will have a fine appearance; and, if the season be favorable, each plant will produce as much seed as will sow a quarter of an acre by the drill system, or stock half a dozen acres by transplanting." A single capsule, or seed-pod, contains about a thousand seeds.
Green Tobacco.
