SB 273 .RU UBRARY CONGRESS -^ '?m^.^ ^^'<■ ■'^^^^• V *-.,.•''# '^.'♦•Vo' .0- IJip |jn.MT|p„n,i||F'nip..,„||,nn,|||, |||lHH,|||nn„|, ,|||„n„ipHm,|[|,M.n|||„n„^,FnM,l||rn.n||||| V9 i.^ '^ ^1 -^/fElt^^i Mlfclli^lU III By MAJOR R. L. F^AGLAND, Proprietor of RAGLAND'S TOBACCO SEED FARM, HYCO, VIRGINIA. L PUBLISHED AND PRESENTED BY ^ t FERTILIZER MANUFACTURER, -^ f 217 AND 2 19 BOWLY'S WHARF, 1 f BALTIMORE, MD. 1 r U. S. A. J :ii1l„ Il Ili„„illlf In, Ili„„illli,.., iilh llhniillln.Hill illli lIlH.nllh, h illh 1 Cable Address, "RED BAG" Baltimore. FERTILIZERS. OFFICE OF I x^aC^K owner Ol w. s. POWELL/T.^u>ECK^MAl!K,Powel^s Prepared^ BALTINtORE, MD. Mg^ I For luakina- Fertilizers at Home. JAIMUARY 1st, 1889. TO TOBACCO PLANTERS. Success ill tobacco cultm-e so greatly depends iip<^'ii th( pro])er selection of adapted soil and -N-arieties suited to tin several types, and the propor preparation, culture, curinu- and management of the crop, that, desirous of funiishinr dark heavij shipping tohaccos. A gravelly or sandy soil, with a red or brown subsoil, is best adapted to the production of sweet fillers and stemmiiiy tohaccos. Alluvials and rich Hats produce the best cigar stock. Experience has proved that a gray, sandy or slaty to])- soiJ, with a yellow porous subsoil, is best for yellow n-rappers aiul smokers. And these grades are in such great demand, and command so much moi'e in price than any cithers, that we propose, in this short treatise, to devote to them most space. For, in the production* of these the author has had most experience and sucicess ; and while the production of "brights" re(iuires more skill and careful management, they seldom fail to make ample compensation for all the attention bestowed ui)on them. But unless the planter makes provision by building or arranging suitable barns provided with Hues, or prepares charcoal, he need not expect to succeed, and had better aim at some other grade requiring less preparation, cost and skill. Log barns, ranging from sixteen to twenty feet squai-e, are the sizes mostly used. These should be built about twenty feet high in the body, and covered with shingles or boards. Large logs may be used imtil the pen is built about seven feet high from the ground. Then if the size is twenty feet, lay otf for live rooms, four feet a])art, and place tier jtoles across to fwrm the lower tier. Kuise two logs liigher all aro\nid, and l)ut oil aiiotliei' coul'8e ol' tici' poles directly ovel- the tirst. Then, using smaller logs (cabin size), place on three logs liigher all around, laying on tier poles as before, and continue to elevate the body of the barn until you have five tiers. Then place two more logs around a'nd the plates, and the pen is ready to be roofed. You will then have a barn with five rooms and five tiej's high. Mark you, the lf)wer tiers are not tiring tiers but placed in the barn for the convenience of hoisting, and for storing cured tobacco when necessary. B.\' this arrangement, the tiers are about three feet apart verti- cally, the body of the barn a cube— as high as it is wide and deep— and the whole arrangement conformable to the process of ciu'ing. The roof is so constructed, cf)nforming to the plan of the tiers below, as to contain three tiers above the joist, \iirying in length . Such a barn will hold about 6o0 to 700 sticks of medium tobacco, six plants to the stick. To prepare foi- cui'ing brights, it must be chinked and daubed close in- side and out. FLUES AND FLUE-CURING. Flues have almost entirelj' superseded charcoal for cin-ing yellow tobacco, as being cheaper and better every way. The heat is more readily controlled l)y the use of flues- an impor- tant item in successful curing— and the tobacco cured there- with is cleaner, brighter and sweeter than that cured with c;harcoal. The flue is moreover the best mode for applying heat in the ciu-ing process for aiiy type of tobacco requiring the application of artificial heat, and may be used to good advantage in drying out and seasoning those types cm-ed mainly by the sun and air, and preserving them from injury. Its use is fast "superseding the open wood fire with its objec- tionable smoke," as predicted by the writer yeai's agf). The following cut represents the "Furnace and Pipe" flue, more extensively used at this time than any other, and is not patented. It is cheap and reliable, easily controlled, safe, and may be relied upon to work well. Cut out two or three logs from the end of the barii as rep- resented by the brick work (see diagram). Then first construct the two furnaces A B and A B with brickor stone, as follows: Let the mouths of the furnaces, A A, project fifteen inches outward beyond the wall—the cut fiwls to show the.projec- tion properly— and extend the furnaces to B B, aboutfive and a-half to six feet. The outer wall of the furnaces should -be about fifteen inches distant from the logs or sills of the barn. Huikl the walls oi" the i'lu'iiaccs (.'ighteou inches apart and eighteen inches high at A A, running- back to fourteen inches high at B B, and let the bottom of the flues slope iipAvard from four to five inches from A A to B B. The f uiniaces should be arched with brick or covered with fire-proof stf)ne, or No. 16 or 18 sheet iron, from A to B. "W Be careful to see that the furnaces at every point are so constructed as not to come iii near contact with the sides or walls of the barn, lateral or vertical, and that the exits of the pipe are protected by brick or stone, as seen in the diagram. Insert sheet-iron pijies at B B on cast-iron eyes made for the purpose and placed into the ends of the furnaces, as near the toi)s thereof as possible. The eyes are not absolutely neces- sary, but they greatly protect the pipe from biu'ning, and bci 11 n- fixed into the onds of the furnaces, the pipe is more readily adjusted. For a 20 by ^0 feet barn use pipe eleven or twelve inches in diameter— for barn 16 by 16 feet use ten-inch l)ipe. Extend the pipe all arovmd from BBtoDD, witha gradual elevation of one foot rise from B to C, and, with two feet elevation from C to D. Cap the ends of the pipes with an elbow. For small barns, the pipes may be brought together mid- Avay between C and C, by a V-shapcd connection into one- twehe inch return i)ipe, through the middle of the barn. This flue operates Avell and is ^'ery popular with the planters working a small force and using- only small barns, which are better for them than larg-e ones, and is the cheapest good flue made. Au.\' tinner can make the i)i|K', and fovnidrics and hardwan? stf>res t'lirnish the eyes. 'J'he cost of ])ipe varies from five and a-haif to six and a-half Vents per pound, and ten-inch east eyes cost about two dolltirs a pair, and twelve-inch eyes about two dollars and tiftj- cents. The cost of i)iping- for a small barn varies from eight to ten dollars, or less. Patented flues cost more, and some of them are well worth the difference in the cost over the plain flue. The "Regulator" is one of the best, and costs verj^ little more, and as a fuel- saver alone will more than compensate for ditterence in cost in one season's cxiring-. By the use of this flue the heat is more easily imder the control of the curer— the temperature being regulated at will by throwing the heat into or out of the barn. The "Kegulator" is manufactured at South Bos- ton, N'a., by Jordan & Easlcy. SELECTION OF SEED. There is no farm crop grown as a staple in the United States that pays better than yood tobacco; and to grow good tobacco re(iuires, in the first place, good seed ; for good seed is at the foundation of all successful farming, and more essen- tial, if possible, as regards tobaccf), than in any other crop. For in this, the range of types, grades, and prices, are wider than in any other crop, while the seed affect and control all these more than any other factor. Soil, climate, and manage- ment, next to variety, operate to determine the charactei- of the product. The variety must be suited to the type which the planter intends to i-aise, and the soil must be adapted to the type, or failiu-e is certain. Bright yellow tobacco cannot be produced on dark rich soil, nor rich dark ''shipping" on poor gray soil: nor will the rich, coarse varieties produce fine silky yellow goods, or the thin silky varieties make heavy, fat, tough ex- jtort tobaccos. There has been a wonderful im])rovement in Aarieties of tobacco during the past generation— improvement by selec- tion in the old kinds and the introduction of new varieties, with superior (lualities and characteristics for every type of tobacco. None but an old fogy will continue to plant the old, iminiproved varieties because they were his father's oj- grandfather's favorites. The world moves, seeds are im- ])roved, and industries developed and advanced. Our ances- tors succeeded with the varieties of tobacco they planted, when there was mainly but one type-the dark shipping— but fit.st(» and fashion cliango, new typos are wanted and new \arieties suited to these tj'pes, and planters who naeet tlie de- mand are those who make the most money by tobacco plant- ina-. Where is the successful farmer who now soavs the old wheats once used by his ancestors? Look at the improvement in \ arieties in veg-etables, fruits, farm and horticultural, in the past century. Seeds, like animals, are g"reatly improved b.\- propagation of selections and judicious crossing-; and espe- cially is this true as regards the improvement of seeds, when carried on under the most favoring conditions of development as to soil, climate, and cultivation. Virginia is the home of the tobacco plant, and here it develops to the highest perfec- tion, and, consequently, here have originated the best and finest varieties. She grows now all the types used in plug- to- bacco and for pipes and cig-arettes ; and she has some sixteen hundred squai-e miles of soil suited to another type— Cig-ar Tobacco— and these soils lie mainlj- in the Piedmont countr>', Avhere our people are striving to compete with the West in growing grain. Here is an opportunity that ought to be im- pi-oved. It is a recognized fact that where any flora develops to greatest perfection, there is where the hest seed can be grown. It would pay planters in the South and West, who g-row tlie yellow and dark export types, to get their seeds every year from Virginia, as market-gardeners get seeds from localities Avhere the several varieties develop to greatest perfection, rather than grow their supplies at lower cost, but under less favoring conditions, as to adaptibility of soil, climate, &c. They know where to get the best, and are aware of the ten- dency to degeneration in seeds generally, and the importance of "a fre(iuent recurrence to first principles," to promote healthy normal growth and maturity. Planters have no excuse for using poor seeds when pedigree seeds of all tjpes may be so cheaply procured. The cost of tobacco seed per acre ranges from ten to twenty cents— the cost of seed of no other farm crop is so little. VARIETIES FOR SPECIFIC TYPES OF TOBACCO. We al] premise by stating that only an approximate guide may be given for the selection of varieties suited to the sev- eral types. The variation in soil and climate in different localities greatly modify the selection. For, what is best in some localities is not best in otliers; and trial, at last, must determine what is best in every case. When this is ff)und, it is well to stick to i^ and plant mainly of this variety, and spa- ring-ly of others until a better is found, if possible. VAKIETIES SUITED TOR THE VARIOUS TYPES. For dark, rich "shii)ping-," nothing' has been found superior to the following" James Kiver Blue Prior, Lacks or Beat-AJl and Medley Prior. For sweet tillers: Sweet Oronoko and Flanagan. For stemming: Linig- Leaf and Broad Leaf Gooch, Hester, 'J'uckahoe, Big- Oronoko, and Lacks. For mahog-any Avrappers: Tuckahoe, Sweet Oronoko, Fhin- agan. Primus, Long'-Leaf -Gooch, and White Stem. P^)r cutters: Hyco, White-stem Oronoko, Yellow Oronoko, Gi-anville Yellow, Sterling-, Lacks, Yellow Prior, and Hester. For yellow wrappei'S and tillers: Sterling-, Primus, Gran\'ille Vellow, White-stem Oronoko, Tuckahoe, Hester, Long- Leaf Gooch, Tellow Oronoko and Yellow Prior. Trial Avill determine what variety is best for any locality-, as no one variety is best for all locations. To plant varieties unsiiited to the type, or on soil luiadapted thereto, is to invite failure every time. The leading cigar Aarieties are: Connecticut and Pennsyl- vania Seed Leaf, Imported and American Grown Havana^ (general Grant, Bradley Broad Leaf and several Spanish Strains. In" localities liable to early frost it is safest to i)lant the earliest varieties of the several types, such as Sterling-, Prim- tis, Granville Yellow, H>co, Hester, Sweet Oronoko and Brad- ley for the manufacturing- types, and Havana, Big- Havana and Persian Rose for cigars. White Burley, when grown on rich lime-stone soil, makes a mild type of tobacco in great favor, but this type cannot be successfully produced on silicious soils, such as are best adap- ted to all other Leaf types ; and for this reason, it has invari- ably proved a failiu-e in the old leaf producing- States East. Soutliern Ohio and Eastern Kentucky ])roduce the best grade of this type. Sweet Oronoko— the Eastern Burley— makes mild, sweet, substantial cheAving and smoking- goods, iniexcelJed by Bur- ley or any other tpye, Avhen properly groAvn on silicious soils. Hyco and Lacks cure readily and more certainly of colors desired in types for which they are recommended. 10 Hester and Long- Leaf Goocli possess g'reatei* atlai)til)iUty to soils than any othei'S, and thei^ef ore succeed wliere others fail. Sterling-, Tellow Oronoko and Yellow Prior are luiexcelled for producing- the finest Lemon Yellow goods, while Long- Loaf Gooch, Tiickahoe and Hester make the finest OraiKjr Yellow. Bradley makes fine manufacturing and good Cigars. Big Havana is the best Americanized Havana and Persian Rose, the earliest Cigar leaf, is one of the most promising- for- eign varieties. PREPARATION OF PLANT BEDS. There are two modes for raising plants- in hot bed or cold frame, or in the open air— one oi- the other of which has pref- erence according to locality ; the former being- more prac- tised north of forty degrees latitude, while the latter is pre- ferred south of that line. We will here give both, that plan- ters may choose. The Hot Bed.— Select a southern or southeastern exposure, sheltered on the north, dig- and shovel out a space five by twelve feet or any required length, to the depth of eighteen inches. Place straw to the depth of three or four inches in the bottom of this trench, and cover with fresh uurotted ma- nure from the stable to the depth of six or eight inches ; then cover the manure with Sf)il— wf)ods-mould is best— five inches deep. How to cover the bed with canvas will be presently described. Tobacco seed is sown on the bed thus prepared at the rate of two teaspoonfuis to a bed five by twelve feet. To sow reg- ularly, mix the seed with a fertilizer, ashes or plaster, and sow in drills three inches apart. When the plantshave pretty Avell covered the siu-face of the b€?d, remove the canvas during the day, and only replace it when there is danger of frost, or to keep off the flea-bugs. There is the advantage of having ear- lier plants by this mode and perfect security against the flea- bug-, which will repay for the additional cost of raising- at least a portion of the plants needed for the crop l\v this safe mode. Open Air Be(fs.— But there is no question that open air beds are cheapest. And where this mode of raising plants is prac- ticable, it is greatly to be preferred for the main supply of plants. It is a well-established opinion that plants raised in the open air stand transplanting- better and usually grow off quicker than plants raised in hot bed or cold-frame. 11 >ielecit(ni of Locai/Yi/. - On the seicctioil of a i»i'oper locality lor a plant bed, and its preparation, largely depends the timely supply of strong-, healthy plants, without which it is impossible to raise a crop of tine g^rade. The planter, there- fore, cannot he too careful in choosing a sheltered spot, nei- ther too wet nor too dry, as rich naturally as can be found, and located so as~to possess different degrees of moisture. Go into the woods, original foi-est, if possible, and select n spot near a branch or stream of water, embracing both hill- side and flat, and having- a southern or southeastern exposui-e, protected by woods on the north. Burn over the plat intended for plants, either by the old or ncAv method. The first consists in placing down a bed of wood on small skids three to four feet apart on the ground well cleared and raked. Then fire tliis bed of wood and permit it to remain burning loiig enough to cook the soil brown for half an inch deep. With hooks, or old hoes fastened to long poles, pull the burning mass of brands a distance of four and a half or five feet, throw on brush and wood, and continue burning and moving the fire until the bed is biu-ned over. Never burn Avhen the land is wet. It will require from one and a half to two hoiu-s to cook the soil properly. Or, better still : Rake over nicelj'' the plat to be burned, then place down i)oles from two to four inches iji diameter, three and a half to four feet apai't, over the entire surface to be burned. Then place brush thickly over the plat and weight down with wood, over which throw leaves, trash or other combvistible material ; over this sprinkle kerosene oil, and set tlic whole on fire and burn at one operation. Hut any mode of burning the plat Avill suffice, provided that it is effectually done. After the plat has been burned and has cooled, vake oft" the larg;e coals and brands, but let the ashes remain, as they are essentially, '<^ ftrst-class manure. Then covilter over the plat deeply, or break with grub hoes, and make fine the soil by repeated chopping and raking, observ- ing not to bring the subsoil to the surface, and remove all roots and tufts. Manure from the stable, hog pen or poultry .house, or some reliable commercial fertilizer— such as "Tij) Top"— should be chopped into and thoroughly incorporated with the soil Avhile preparing the bed to be sown. E.xiierience has denumstrated that it is better to use both. Powell's Tip Top Bone Fertilizer mixed withecpuil quantity of poultry house droppings and thoroughly incorporated, makes a most excellent manure .for plants, and so does a com- post made with Powell's Prepared Chemicals, stable manure jiiul rich moist earth . The latter when compostefl in time is the best and surest. But beware of using manure containinjj- g-rass seed. The .iudgment of tlie planter must g-uide liim in the amount of fertilizing material to be applied at this stage; but it is well to remind him that the tobacco plant rai-ely responds to homoepathic doses of plant food, but that the allopathic usage suits it best. Sow at the I'ate of a tablespoonful of seed, which is about half an oxmce, on CACry fifty square yards at first sowing, and later resow with a heaping teas]>oonful over the same surface, to secure a good stand. Injury by frosts or bugs may reiiuire a third or fourth sowijig. Sow a little thick rather than too thin to meet contingencies, and secure a good stand in time. The best Avay to sow the seed is to mix them thoroughly witli a fertilizer or dry ashes, and sow once regularly over the bed, reserving seed enotigh to cross sow to promote regularity. The tobacco seed is the smallest of all farm seeds, and conse- (luentlj' re(]uiresalight covering. If the seed are sown before the 20th of February, the best Avay is to firm the surface of the bed by treading it over closely, but if sown later, sweep liglitly over with a brush or light rake. Then i-un surface drains through the bed, with inclination enough to ])ass ott' the water. To do this properly, run them ofl" four or five feet apart with. the foot, then o})en with a luirrowgrubbing-hoe to the depth of three or four inches. Then trench deeply around the outside of the bed, to ward off surface water and pre\'ent washing. Mulcliimj and Corer/ny.— Hog hair whipped fine and scat- tered over the bed, attracts and retains moisture, protects the plants from frost, and acts as a manure. There is no better covering for aM>laut-bed, but unfortunately it is rarely ever in full supplr- T'iiio brush should be placed thickly over the bed, or if not handy, cover with straw or chatf free from grain. A covering of some such material is necessary-, or the young plants are likely to be killed by frost or suffer from drought, and they thri^ e better with some protection. Canvas Covcrimj for Plant J^eds.— A covering of thin clotli has been found to hasten the growth (^f plants and protect them from freezing and injury by the flea-bugs This makes the bed warmer, and acts as a cold-frame, the canvas taking the place of glass- The "Water-Proofing Fibre Company, New York, prepare a cloth for plant-beds by a process Avhich greatly promotes du- rability, Avhile rendering- the cloth unfit for domestic use, and 13 Ihcrcforc not able to be stolen. It is a good thing, as the writer knows from trial. The (?ut on the fore^oinj^- page Is intenJed to show how to construct a canvas covering- over a plant bed. First, boards should be placed all around the bed close, so as to prevent the little black beetle, or tlea, from creeping througli, eighteen or twenty inches high on the ui)per side and sloping to ten or twelve inches on the lower. Then pre- l»ai'e a lot of small stakes, small round poles, one and one half inches in diameter (make good ones), sawed into lengths graduated from two feet to eighteen inches long, and shary)- ened at one end. Drive these stakes six feet apart, in rows, through the bed for the laths, two inches wide and one inch thick, to rest upon. The middle lath should be a plank one inch thick and six inches wide. Then drive ten-penny nails, eighteen inches apart, all around the out^de of the boarding, and from five to six inches from the top edge. Also dri\e nails in the middle board, eighteen inches apart. Make the covering in two pieces, each the size of half the bed, say ten by ten yards, and seAV on the outer edge, all around each cover, loops of cloth, made of common domestic, eighteen inches apart, to receive a cord or twine, which run through loops all around and tie, and the cover is ready to be placed over- the bed and fastened by pulling the twine or cord o^er the nails all around, letting the two covers meet in the middle over the six inch board. By this arrangement the cover is kept fast over the bed at the right distance above the plants, and may be removed and placed over it at will in less time than by any other known contrivance. A StaudUnj Plant-Bed.— Bvery planter oug-ht to have a standing plant-bed, which may be secured in the following Avay : Sometime in July or August select one of the best of the old plant-beds, and with hoes shave down the green plants over its entire surface, and cover over thickly with straw or leaves, then place green l)rush thickly over the bed and weight down with wood. When the whole is dry, some time in the late fall or early winter, set on fire, and thus re-burn over the bed. Then chop and rake fine, sow and trench as when first prepared. Repeat the same operation every jear, and, if the bed is manured properly, it Avill impro\e and prove a stand-by for many years. Unhunicd Beds.— Plants may be raised by going into the forest, selecting a moist rich plat, and after raking off the leaves, coultering or chopping the surface fine, manuring heavily, and sowing the seed. But such beds rarely hold out well if the season be dry. They never "repeat" well after the 15 first "drawing'' like burnt beds, Avhich are more reliable for a suece8si\'e supply of plants as the season advances. Time of Sowing Seed.— The time for sowing varies with the latitiide, varietj- aud season. Between the parallels of 35 and 40 degrees north latitude, compassing the great tobacco belt, iH^ds may be sown any time between the 1st of January and :?(>th of March, and the sooner the better for the bright grades, Avhich ought to be planted early to mature, ripen and yellow, preparatory to being cured early in the fall, when the most successful curings are usually made. Yellow tobacco oug"ht to be planted out in May, but June plantings iisually do best iu heavy dark grades. The planter will consult his intei'est by sowing at a ])roper time to suit the grade he desires to raise. Plants set out after the 10th of July rarely pay tor growing and handling, and if not planted by that time, it will be wise to plant the hills in ])eas, potatoes, or something else. Hastening the Oroivthof Plants— As soon as the plants be- come '.'square," (. e. have four leaves, you may be^gin to force their growth, if necessary. Nothing is better at this stage of their growth than to apply dry stable manure, rubbed fine, and sowed over the bed— applying at the rate of live bushels to every one hundred square yards. Be sure to have it dry and fine, and apply when the plants are dry. This is a favor- able time to apply a goodfertilizer,*and the best time to apply it is during a shower, or when it is apparent that one is im- pending. Every planter should compost in time stable manure free from grass seeds along with Powell's Prepared Chemicals; using just enough moist rich earth to promote fermentation. Nothing is better than this compost for a top dressing on plants to promote rapid, vigorous, stocky growth, defying the ravages of the flea beetle and hastening their preparation for transplanting. Look (nit for the '' Fiea-Bug. ""-If the "fly," as it is called, begins to devour the young plants, apply plaster, in which rags saturated with kerosene oil have lain for a few hours, coN'ering the plants with the plaster, if necessary, to keep the little pests from devouring tbeni. Kepeat the application after every rain unless the flies have left. A covering of green cedar brush has driven off the fly when other remedies failed, and saved the plants. If the flies are lunuerous, the planter can save his plants only by vigilant and constant attention. Hard burning, early and thick sow- ing, liberal and frequent applications of manure, are the best 16 safegnuirds, Avhich rarely fail to reward the planter with an early and full supply of stocky plants, and with some loft for his less provident neighbors. Some planters, if such they ma>- be called, alwaj's fail— some never. Follow the latter, and you will alM-ays be right. Canvas covei-ed beds- are the surest protection, and seem the best every way. SELECTION" OF SOIL, PREPARATION" AND MANURING. The tobacco plant thrives best in a deep, mellow, loamy soil, rich or made so with fertilizers. The subsoil ought to be suftl- cientiy porous to permit the water falling on the surface to pass dowuAvard readily, and not to accumulate to drown and stagnate. If old land is selected, it ought to be fallowed deep in the fall or early winter, that the frosts may jmlverize it. Turn under, if possible, some coarse farm manure, for its decay will greatly help to loosen the soil, while furnishing food for t"rie crop. As a coarse manure for yellow tobacco, nothing is better than wheat straw turned under in the fall and Avinter. The plants rarely fail to ripen yellow in color on land thus treated. In the early spring more nuinure may be applied, but it is better that this should come from the compost heap made with Powell's Chemicals. Follow the application of the compost Avith one-horse turning plows, ciosswg the previous ploughing, turning- not exceeding four or five inches deep- about half the depth of the first ploughing. Then, just before it is time to plant, run double-shovel ploughs over the lot, crossing the previous furrows, and follow with harrow or drag, crossing again to thoroughly make fine. These re- peated ploughings, crossing each time every previous one, never fail, if the woi-k is done when the land is in proper condition, to put it in proper tilth. __. Let the planter remember that " a good preparation is hall cultivation," and not stop until the land is in proper condi- tion. In preparing land for tobacco, be sure jou don't plant vari- eties unsuited to the soil or type, else failure is inevitable. The cause of so much mean, nondescript goods on the mar- kets every year is mainly attributable to failure in planting the proper varieties on the right kind of soil, and planters should carefully note this and sow seed suited both to soil and ti/pc. 17 If any one knows of a hetter way, then lot him pnfsne it— the writer knows of none better. And just here it may be Avell to state that perfection is not claimed for any mode or practice recommended in this book, but only the best methods known to the author are given, for g-uidance to the uninitia- ted. We live and learn, but life is too-short to learn every g-ood thing: by experience unaided. Every man owes some- thing- to those who are to come after him ; to freely give as he has freely recei\ ed. But the author is not writing for those who know more than he does— and doubtless there are very many— but for begin- ners, and those having but little experience in tobacco cul- ture. He gives no advice which he has not followed in his own work, and recommends nothing Avhich experience has not commended as the best in theory tested by practice. Those who possess a better knowledge of the subject, and whose practice is verified by.results, ought by all means to give the public the lieneflt of their knowledge and experience. Plan- ters will gladlj^ welcome their teaching, and honor them for their service. But, to I'eturn. Having put the land in nice "order/' lay off the rows with a shovel plough, three feet three inches apart, and follow, drilling along the furrow Powell's Tip Top Bone Fertilizer at the rate of some one hundred and tif ty to thi"ee hundred pounds per acre, according to the natural strength of the soil and the quantity of manure previously api)lied. Then follow with one-horse turning ploughs, lapping four furrows on the fertilized trench, and Avhen finished in this manner your lot is ready to be planted, Avhen the beds have been "patted" with hoes, with "pats" two feet ten inches apart, to mark points for setting the plants. In the older portions of the tine yellow tobacco country the ap])lications are becoming- heavier from year to year, some planters using as much as six hundred pounds to the acre. New ground, or old field that has grown up and been cut down, will reciuire different preparation from f)ld smooth land. But on the former our best brights are raised. Any prepara- tion that will put the soil in fine condition, clear of I'oots, tufts and trash, is all that is re(piired. Expei'ience teaches that if hmd is cut down two or three years previous to its being pre- pared for tobacco, it greatly facilitates the preparation and helps its fertility. Much of tlie vegetable material, both in and upon the soil, rots, the roots break easily, and the soil is altogether lighter and tinei-. 18 While it is economy to dispense with the hand-hoi' in making' hills on old land— the plough doing- all the work, as it ought; when it can be well done— yet on stvmipj-, rooty and rough land, the hoe is Indispensable in the preparation of a hill, as it should be made to receive the plant. But before the hills are made, it may be well, imless the soil is naturally rich, and such is not often the case with soils best adai^ted to yellow tobacco, to apply some fertilizing- material to hasten forward the plants, and mature them properly and early. Here com- mercial fertilizers have done, and are doing- their best work. Bulky, coarse manures often do more harm than good on new and puffy soils. The smaller the bulk, and the more concen- trated the fertilizing- elements the more readily they are appropriated and assimilated by the plants, if of the right material, and in the most available form. Nitrogen, phospho- ric acid, potash, lime and soda, are most necessary for the tobacco plant; and a fertilizer which supplies the relative quantity of each, and from the proper sources, will never fail to show g-ood ettects therefrom, if the rainfall is sufficient to (piicken their action. Most of the soils best adapted to the tinest tyijcs of tobacco, especially bright and sweet fillers, are thin and poor, and need plant-food to push the plants forward and rapidly in growth and maturity, so that, the product may be ripened and mel- lowed of yellow coloi", preparatory^ to being- housed and cured. Good crops of fine quality have been produced on these poor gray soils by the aid of fertilizers (commercial) alone; and it has been demonstrated, that Powell's Tip Top Bone Fertilizer, as well as compost made with Powell's Chemicals are wonder- fully effective in furnishing- the necessary plant-food at the ])roper time to insure full crops of extra fine (luality. Extensive areas of poor gray silicious soils in the yellow belt are rendered capable of producing- g-ood crops of fine yellow tobacco, by the aid of commercial fertilizers alone, when of composition suited thereto. Mode of A})plyiii, the im- portance of giving early and thorough cultivatioii. Any one who can raise good cabbages ought to know how to cultivate tobacco, as the cultivation is very similar. Sometimes it be- comes necessary to push the plants forward, Avhere previous luaniiriny has proved iua(le(iuate, to hasten vipeiiing, so as to (•scape frost and to cure well. I would advise the use of some {^ood standard fertilizer, applied aroiuid the plants, in (luan- tity about 150 pounds per acre, and earth scraped upon the fertilizer around the toi)5 of the hills as applied. Powell's Tip Top Bone Fertilizer has proved effectual and may be re- lied upon. PRUNING AND TOPPING. Under this head there is wide difference of opinion. Break- ing off the small and inferior leaves of the plant near the ground is called "priming,'" or pruning proper, which opera- tion is done along with the '"topping," if done at all. There are advantages for and against priming, but all resort to top- l)ing— plucking out the seed bud and adjacent small leaves with the thumb and finger. Some contend that pulling off' the lower leaves saps the iilants and retards the growth if the weather is dry. That permitting the lower leaves to remain on the stalk protects the upper ones from sand and grit, makes them cleaner an- required number of leaves on a plant wirhout coiuiting. The secret of this— no longer a secret to the initiated— is, that the topper soon learns to know that counting the bottom leaf and the ,leaf that hangs over it in the third tier going upward, make nine leaves, in- cluding both toi> and bottom leaves. Fixing this in his mind, the topper has oniy to add to or deduct from this index leaf marking nine, to leave any desired number of leaves on each plant with certainty and without coiuiting. Young man, if >ou don't know hoAv, get stnne old negro to show you. Toi»- ping, you will find, is a slow business if you have to count the leaves on all the i)lants toi>ped. If the plants are not "primed," then the "bottom" leaf must be fixed by the eye, looking upward for the leaf in the third tier,' which hangs over it, to catch the cue as before. If i)riming is done, don't err in pulling off too many leaves. No regular rule can be given, so the planter must judge for himself. The reason given for waiting until many plants are ready to be topped is mainly that more plants may ripen together, and be ready for the knife at the same time. This is an advantage that ap- plies with strong foi-ce to all tobacco intended for tlue curing. The number of leaves to be left on each plant varies ac- cording to the time the work is done, early or late, the appearance and in-ospective development of the plant, the season, whether i)ropitious or unfavorable, strength of the soil, and amount of fertilizing material applied. On medium soils, in ordinary seasons, the first topping should be from ten to thirteen leaves— rarely more— for brights. For sweet fillers from nine to ten, and for dark^ rich shipping, from eight to nine leaves are enough. As the season advances reduce the number of leaves accordingly; remembering that quality, moi-ethan quantity regulates returns. AVORMING AND SUCKERING. Many devices have been resorted to in order to lessen the niunber and mitigate the ravages of the horn worm, but the lack of general and continued efforts from year to year has brought only partial relief. Some years they come in gi-eat numbers, and, despite the best efforts of the planter, seriously damage his crop. Perhaps the next year they are few, and give him no trouble. It is the nature of this insect to raise at least two broods during the year. The hawk-moth or tobacco-fly usually makes his appearance in Virginia in the month of May. The eggs deposited by the first moths hatch out in from five to seven dajs larva; or Avorms. The worm sheds its outer skin twice before it^gets its growth. The grow- ing stage of the worm lasts from twenty-five to thirty days, and after it has attained its growth it goi-ges itself a few days longer, and then crawls or burrows into the ground, where it soon passes into the pupa state; and after some twenty- three or twenty -five days from the time of its crawling into the ground the pupa sends forth a moth to lay more eggs and hatch out more worms. Each moth is capable of laying on an average two hundred eggs. So that for ev^ery moth in May we may reasonably expect at least one hundred worms of the first brood; and if none of these are destroyed, but all allowed to change to moths, and these latter to raise a horde of worms, what wonder that the second brood sometimes ap- pears in such countless numbers as to defy all efforts to destroy them before the.y have ruined the crop. E\ery moth 23 MOST EVERY The Black SHOW Lqcations.where: ' fARMER // itnts to knozu how to raise Larqt Crops Cheaply. I^have just had printed a handsome new book entitled " Points About Fertil iZERS," -which contains explicit directions written by Iradinti n^rictilturisls on the land best adapted, its preparation, the cnl- tivation, fertilization and mar- keting of Wheat, Corn, Oatcs, Buckwheat, Iri'h and Swerf Pota- toes, Melons, Grapes, St7a7vbe>ries, Peanuts, Omons, Tomatoes, To- bacco and Cabbages, with minute directions for each month in the year for the general work of the Farm, Orchard and Garden. Hoiv Plants Feed, Hoiu They Get Nitro- gen, ""'Hovj to Treat the Boys,"" and many other things farmers are interested in ; tells all about how to MAKE GOOD FERTILIZERS AT HOME at about $12.00 per TON, with POWRLIv'S PRE- PARED CHEMICALS and POWEIJ/S RED- BAG FHR- TIIvIi^ERj a high-grade ammo- niated fertilizer. Send two 2-cent (4 cents) stamps to pay postage, and I will send you THE BOOK FREE. i^^^ Sent to Farmers onlv. GUGGENHEIMER, WeIL POTS ON THIS Map By advantageous Shipping Arrange- ments I am now pre- pared to furnish Farmers in the Eastern, Western and far Southern States with about SAME freight RATES as Purchasers in the Middle States pay. TESTIMONIALS FROM NEARLY EVERY STATE. W. S, POWELL PURE FERTILIZERS. BALTl]\IORE, MD. ought to be destroy otl as tliey appear, and this may be dt>ii«- to g-reat extent by injecting a lew drops of sweetened Cobalt (Which is a poison) into the Howers of the Petunia, Honey- suckle, or Jamestown (Jirapson) weed, which will give them their tinai (juietus. But this hunt lor the moth is n.ot g'cneral, and if it were some would escape. But if every planter woiihi wage a Avar of extermination on the flrst hrood of worms— - unfortunately a thing rarely done— they would never appear in such unconquerable hordes later in the season. The suck- ers should be pulled off every week as they a])pear, and ought never to be permitted to get over two inches long; for, if permitted to grow larg-e they abstract much that Avould other- wise go to perfect a rich, silky leaf. No planter need expect a crop of tine grade who does not pull off the suckers while small, and ])revent the horn-worms from riddling- the leaves. KIPENING. The Leaf type, as contra-di.ft.inguished from Ciyar tobaco, is known to be ripe when its color changes from green to i greenish yellow, thickens, so that Avhen the leaf is folded over — the under surface being outward -and pressed between tlie tlnunb and finger it cracks open. The upper surface of the leaf is roughened, for reasons stated under Science of Curiiii! YeUoir 7'o?)((eco, and generally of a mottled yellow and greei color. Ripening of this type usually takes place in Yirgin'i'. and North Carolina in about five to six weeks after the plant< have been topped, sometimes longer when growth has been retarded by drought. The Cigar tyi)e ripens about two week-^ sooner after topping. CUTTING AND HOUSING. T)o not be in a hurrj^ to Ijegin cutting your tobacco until r is ripe, and enough fully and uniformly ripe to fill a barn. . thin butcher or shoe knife, well sharitened, and wrai)ped witi a soft cloth around the handle and extending an inch alonj. the blade, will do the work effectually and be easy to tht hand. Try it. Put knives into the hands of experienced cur trrs only, men who know ripe tobacco, and will select plant uniform in color and texture, and will cut no other. Havo > our sticks already in the field, «nd placed in piles,i;onvenient - sticking a stick vertically in the ground over each pile that thej' may be more easily found when wanted. Pine sticks. ri\od three fourths ol" an inch by one and one-rourth iiieh, and four and one-half feet lony, drawn smooth, are best. Start together two cutters and one stick holder —the cutters carrying- two rows each and the stick-holder walking between them. The cutter takes hold of the plant with his left hand at the top near where the knife enters the stalk; with his right he splits the stalk down the centre (observing to guide the knife so as not to sever the leaves) to within three inches of the point he intends to sever the stalk from the hill ; and as the knife descends his left hand follows the slit or opening, and Avhen the plant is severed from the hill, by a dexterous movement of the left hand the plant is straddled across the stick in the hands of the holder. When the stick has received about six medium plants, if intended for brights, it is ready to go to the barn, either cax-ried by hand if near, or hauled on a wagon if distant. If it is necessary to use the Avagon, pre- pare a bed sixteen feet l', as it is bruised less than if handled by any other mode- Try it, planters, and knoiv for yourselves. Very heavy tobacco will break less if , after being cut by the above mode, the sticks are placed gently on the ground and the plants allowed to Avilt before being removed to the barn. But tobacco of m<'- dium size bruises less to handle it Avithout Avilting. Cutting and housing by this mode you never ha^'e any siui-burned tobacco. For brights, it has been found best to commence curing- at once, as soon as the barn can be tilled. "SUN-CURED TOBACCO." Just here it may be well to give our practice in sun-curing. If the crop is too rich and coarse for brights, then it maj^ be good policy to cure it sweet. To do this properly, erect scaffolds at or near the barns, on Avhich place the tobacco as soon as cut. But some, in order to obviate the hauling of heavy green tobacco, place the scaffolds in or near the to- bacco field. But it is never safe to scaffold tobacco away from the barn ; for after the leaf is partially dry it oug-ht never to be caught out in the rain; Avhich may happen if tobacco is placed on scaffolds away from the barn. When rain threatens, that on scaffolds near the barn may very soon be placed out of danger, but not so that on scaffolds afar f>ff. CURING S^VEET FILLERS AVITH FLUES. To cure fillers with flues, wheu the tobacco is placed in the barn as soon as cut, raise the heat in the barn to eighty- five or ninetj' degrees Fahrenheit, and then go about otlu-r business. Kindle Arcs in the flues ever3' morning, raising the heat to ninety degrees, and then leave as befoj-e, and continue to do this for four or five days until the tobacco is thor- oughly yellowed. If the tobacco has much sap, it may be nccessarj' to continue the yellowing process from five to seven days to yelh^w properly. After this very little flue heat will be necessary to dry out the tobacco. If rains occur before the tobacdo is thoroughly cured, raise fires in the flues and dry the leaf, as often as may be necessary. TO CURE IVCAHOGANY COLOR. After the tobacco has yellowed sufficiently on scaftolds or \Mider flues, and when the leaves have assumed a mottled, piebald appearance, run the heat to one hundred degrees iind let it remain at that point for three or four hours. Then i-aise •the heat tAvo and a half degrees an hour until one hundred and thirty is reached. Keep the heat at this point until the leaf is cured, and then move up gradually to one hundred and sixty or one hundred and seventy, and thus cure stalk and stem. If cured properly there will be much of the leaf ma- iKujanij, while the remainder Avill nui from a briglit dai)pk' to a cherry red. '♦SHIPPING TOBACCO." Dark heavy shipping"— and nothing which does not possess size and substance is fit for this grade— may be cured with flues better than in anj- other way. Smoke from the oi)en Avood tire is objectionable, and with the flue you get the heat, Avhich is all that is wanted, without the smoke. Cui-ing with opeii wood fires belongs to the past, and none but the old JJourbons will continue the old practice, because they know no better. Taste and fashion are against smoke, and nothing else is needed to banish the old and recommend the new mode. Jf a dai-k color is desired, which is not so fashionable as for- mei-ly, it can be secured as easily over flues as over wood fii-es. IJut the world wants colory tobacco, and this can be produced certainly better with the flue than in any other way. Besides, by the flue the leaf is cured sweet and free from smoke or soot. A skilful Ciller can procTuce the colors most in demand, and by the flue better, and with more certainty, than in any other way. The main object of the author is to induce ])lanters, who have never used flues, to try them for all grades. CURING "BRIGHT YELLO^W TOBACCO." There are two modes for curing- yellow tobacco— one with charcoal and the other with hues. The first is the primitive nu)de, but is fast giving" place to the latter, which is cheaper and more efficient, and is being adopted by most of our best planters. The chief agent in either mode is heat— a dry, cur- ing- heat— to expel the sap from the leaves, stems and stalks of the plants, and catch the color, veUou\ next to Nature's color, green, and >to fix it indelibly. This is the science of curing yellow tobacco. There are soAen prismatic colors— that of green tobacco occupying- the middle of the prism. Bj- the process of nature, leaves in drying descend in color from- green, first to yellow, then orange, then red, and finally lose all color as they go to decaj'. Now, a quick dry heat, so regu- lated as to dry out the leaf and catch the yellow, and fix it, is the modus operandi of curing fancy bright tobacco. A barn containing- seven hundred sticks of green tobacco, six medium plants on each stick, holds along with the tobacco four thousand five hundred to five thousand pounds of water, which must be expelle" process, of high heat at the start, must be of sliorf duration, or else great injury Avill be done to the tobacco. Following this mode the yellowing process is greatly short- cued, requiring from four to eight hours less to yellow suffi- ciently, and also hastens the second stage of curing, fixing the color. It is well to state that there is so great a difference in the character of tobacco grown in different localities that no rule can be given for the yellowing process applicable to all. The tobacco of middle and western North Carolina will yellow in much less time than that grown in middle Vii-giuia. Then again, tobacco will bear higher temperature in the yellowing l)rocess during some years than in others. Notably the season of 1884, was so dry and tobacco held so little sap when ripe, that many commenced yellowing at 100 degrees, and had the leaf cured in fifty hours. But this is exceptional, and for general practice would spoil both color and tobacco. The season, thei-efore, it must be borne in mind, greatlj- determines the amount of heat the tobacco will require to be yellowed and cured. Some of the patented fines are so constructed that the heat is easily controlled, and the tobacco smoked or steamed, or both, as may be necessary in the yellowing stage. Some 32 tobacco will requii-e neither to yellow rij-ht, while some other will drj' up {?reen or rod without yellowing, it smoke or steam be not used to assist the yelloAving- process. Smoke or steam will facilitate the yellowing- ot thin poor tobacco, holdinu- very little sap. Wetting the barn tioor from time to time will assist in yellowing tobacco. Then there is an occasional barn of tobacco that defies all the known modes and appliances to yellow or cure bright. Rut for all pi-actical purposes, whenever the curer has mas- tered a knowledge of the eifects of too much or too little heat, as evidenced in the color of the tobacco, clearly de- scribed heretofore, he possesses a key to solve the difficult problem in the science of curing tobacco. By close observa- tion this lesson may soon be learned and then success is easy. After curing, as soon as the tobacco is sufficiently soft to move, you may run it up'in the roof of the barn and crowd it close, or if the barn is needed for other curings, the tf)bacco may be carried to the storage barn or bulked down in any dry house on the premises. But be sure that nothing is bulked with green stalks or swelled stems, for if such are placed bowii in bulk it Avill be sure to heat an«l utterly ruin. THE SCIENCE OF CURING YELLO^\r TOBACCO. The first step in explaining the process is to give in outline the chemical constituents of green tobacco. Besides its inorganic (mineral) elements— lime, potash, sod:i, magnesia, alumina, ferric oxide, phosphorus, sulphur, chlor- ine, and silica— it contains the following organic substances : starch, glucose, albuminoids, resinous and fatty compounds 'and the vegetable acids, pectic, citric, malic, oxalic and acetic. And of the combinations of organic elements there are fovnid in tobacco, nicotine, nicotianine, celluloid and chloro])hyl. RIPENING OF TOBACCO. After the plant has attained its full growth, the leaves cease to expand and "granulation, due to the distention of the indi- vidual cells of the leaf through accumulation of inter- cellular substance begins/' which in North Carolina and Virginia usually takes place from five to six weeks after tc^p- ping, hastened or retarded according to season, soil and time of ]>lanting. Then, if the weather is dry and favorable for a few days longer, the color changes rapidly from green to a 33 pale yellowish gi'cen, as the plants get ready lor the knife. The main cause of the change in the color of the leaves is dne to the chlorophyl— the coloring m.-itter in leaves— beinji' changed to xanthrophyl. CHANGES IN TOBACCO INDUCED BY FLUE CURING. The temperature of W) to 1(X) degrees Fahr. continueelled, and thei-efore the "life" of the tobacco killed and thereby seriously damaged in other respects- evolving- and lixing- in the lea\es ammonia and acids which bite the tongue, and injure the flavor. Tlie unscientitic'i)lanter may know nothing- of the chemical constituents of tobacco or the rationale of the etfects of heat in inducing a pale green color in the leaf, or why heat and e\ aporation properly adjusted prevent oxidizing and red- dening thereof, or that induces sweating and sponging and wherefore: but every one who reads this short monograi)ii will the better luulerstand why the changes and meta- niorphoscs do occur and the reasons therefor. ORDERING. If, after the tol>acco is'cured, the weather remains dry and it fails to gvt soft readilj-, so that it can be moxed, it nia.>- be brought in order in the following way : Place green bushes with the lea\es on over the floor and sprinkle Ava'.er over them copiously; if the tobacco is very dry and the atmos- phere contains but little moisture, and if the weather is cool, a little tire kindled in the flues will assist in making the tobacco soft. Straw, \vet or made so, will ansAver the same purpose. If the weather is damp, there will b(; no necessit>' to use either straw, brush or water. But when it is necessary to use any means to order tobacco, it is best to apply them in the afternoon, that the tobacco may be removed the next morning. If the weather continues warm and damp or rainy, tobacco that remains hanging Avill be apt to change color, unless dried out by flues or charcoal. When this becomes necessary, build small fires at first, and raise the heat gradnally. * STRIPPING. Tobacco should never be stripped from the stalks except in i)lial)le order, and the leases on every plant should be carefully assorted, and every grade tied up sei)arately. risually there will be three grades of leaf, assorted witli referenee to cok)r and size, and two of lug-s. Of leaf tie six to eight leaves in a bundle, and of lug-s eight to ten. As fast as j'ou strij), either hang the "hands" on stieks-twenty- five to each stiek and hang up or bulk down in two layers, the heads of hands or bundles facing outward. The latter mode is best, if you intend to sell in winter order loose, on the warehouse floors. If bulked down watch frequently to see that it does not heat. If the bulk becomes warm it must be broken up, aired and rebulked, or hung up if too soft. It i,s safer always to hang up as soon as stripped, unless you design to sell soon, and strike down in "safe-keeping order" in spring or svnumer. It is considered in "safe order" when the leaf is pliable, and the stem will crack half way down the tie. I'ACKING. If you .sell loose, deliver in large luiiform piles— such will costless, and yoia- tobacco bring more in price. But to ^ell in a distant market, pack in tierces— half hogsheads make the best and cheapest -to weigh about four hundred pounds net, taking care not to press the tobacco so as to bruise it, or pack it too closely together. The best leaf is wanted for wrappers, and it must open easily when shaken in the hand. Pack one grade only in each tierce, uniform in color and length; but if it becomes necessary to put more than one grade in a tierce, place strips of paper or straAv between to mark and separate them. Pack honestly, for honesty is always the best policy. The man who "nests" his tobacco will certainly go on the "Black List," and buyers have good memories. If your tobacco is. ^/fe, t<(>u)i(l and niceJu ]iandle least, a remunerating piiee for it, although i)oor and nondescript stock may be selling for less than the cost of production. The world out- side of this country makes, as a rule, low grades plenty, and at a cast to raise much less than we can compass. We must l)lant less surface, fertilizer heavier, and culti\ate and man- age better, if we would get the best prices. RESUME. The following- is taken from a circvilar prepared for me by Major Ragiand, and Is the svibstauce of his manual "boiled down." The tobacco plant thrives best in a rich, warm, Avelbdrained soil, and can be successfully grown from the eiiuator to be- yond the fiftieth parallel of latitude, showing- a most wonder- ful adaptation to climate. Beyond any other field crop grown, tobacco requires "liigh farming," i. e., heavy manui-ing and thorough tillage ; and no crop responds moi-e readily or bountifully, Avhen the right types are planted on soils adapted thereto, and the product properly ciiltivated, cured and handled. Soils adapted to Types.— A deep, rich soil overlaying a retl or dark brown subsoil, is best suited for the dark, rich expoi-t type. A gravelly or sandy soil, with a red or liglit-l)iown subsoil, is best adapted to the production of sweet fillers and stemming tobaccos. Alhi vials and rich fiats produce the best cigar stock. White burley is most successfully groAvn on a dark, rich limestone soil. For yellow^ wrappers, smokers and cutters, a gray, sandy or slaty top-soil with a yellowish porous subsoil is preferable. The land must be loamy dry and warm, rather than close, clammy and cold ; and the finer and whiter the sand therein, the svu-er the indication of its toor- < )j)gh adaptation to the yellow type. The soil so greatly affects tlie character and (luality of the products, that success is attainable only where the right selection of both soil and \ ariety is made for each plat planted, and planters do well to hq^'d this suggestion. Varieties Suited for the Several Tt/prs— For dark, rich "ship- Iting," nothing- has been found superior to the following:— James Kiver Blue Prior, Lacks or Beat-All and Medley Prior. For sweet fillers : Sweet Oronoko and Flaiiagan, For steui- uiing : Long Leaf and Broad Leaf Gooch, Hester, Tuckahoe and Big Oronoko. For mahogany wrappers: Primus, Tuck- ahoe, Hobgood, Yellow Prior, Flanagan and Gold Leaf. For cutters: Hyco, White-stem Oronoko, Yellow Oronoko, Sillvy Pi-ior and Granville Yellows For yellow wi-appers and fillers : Sterling, Primus, Granville Yellow, White-stem Oronoko, Tuckahoe, Hester, Long Leaf Gooch, Yellow Oronoko and Yellow Prior. Ti-lal will (leterniine what variety is best for any locality as no one variety is best for all locations. To plant varieties unsiiited to the type, or on soil unartaptert thereto, is to invite failure every time. The leading- cigar varieties are : Connecticut and Pennsyl- vania Seed Leaf, Imported and Amei'ican Grown Havana, Cleneral Grant, Bradley Broad Leaf and several Spanish Strains. Start Ri(jht.— The planter should select and prepare land suited to the type he purposes to raise, and then sow seeds of \ arieties recommended herein for the types specitied, in g-ood time, on beds thoroughly prepared and fertilized— warm southern and soiitheastern slopes preferred -and cover the beds with thin canvas. South of 37° north latitvide seed may be sown from 15th of Decemoer to 10th of March— the month of January prefera- ble. Further north, sow later. Sow at the rate of one ouiice of seed to the 100 stjuare yards, and firm the soil Avith the feet or lightly brush them in. Raking buries the seeds too deeji for successful germination. If the seed beds are thoroughly nuuuired and canvassed as directed, they will reiiuire but lit- tle further attention, and the i)lants be ready for transplant- ing soon after 1st of May. Plant no tobacco after 1st of Jul>-, but fill up the missing- hills with field peas or other crop. FreiJfDations, Manurinu, Etc.— To grow a paying- crop of tobacco, the soil must be thoroughly i)repared and put in fine tilth and be heavily manured. No soil is naturallj' so rich that the product is not materially increased and made finer and better by the application of manure. Both domestic and conunercial manures are successfullj' used under tobacco. And e.vi)erience has demonstrated that it is best to use them in conjiinction— either tog-ether in comjiost which is best, or by applying the domestic manure broadcast and drilling- the conunercial material when preparing the land for planting. The usual practice is, for the leaf types, to run the rows three feet three to four inches wide— to facilitate through rultivation— and set the plants in hills or drills two feet ten to thiee feet apart. White Burley and Cigar Tobacco is set c- loser. ("ult ivat ion.— Commence cultiv ation as soon as the trans- jjlanted plants have taken root, which will be in from ten to fifteen daj'S after setting out, and continue to stir the soil with plow and hoe e\ ery two weeks until the lea\ es begin to lap across the rows; after which the hand hoe alone must be used. Frequent cultivation, when the plant is yoiuig, tends to pro- 38 rriotc rapid and vigorous g'rowth, early development, and ripening, essential to the yield and ({uality of the product. Any mode of cultivation which is frequent and thorough, and verj' similar for the cabbage crop, will suit tobacco. Different soils re(iuire different utensils and cultivation, and therefore the judgment of the planter must guide him, as no fixed rules can be successf ullj' followed. The diversity of soils and the vicissitude of seasons preclude any fixed line of action. Pruniiiu and Topiniiy. -So soon as the plants shall have at- tained sufiicieut size and the seed-button is discernible, prune otf the small lower leaves of the dark export type to six inches up from the ground and pinch out the seed-bud, leav- ing eight to ten leaves on the plant, the number left varying according to the fertility of the soil. An average of nine leaves to the plant makes the richest and most saleable product. For the yellow and other manufacturing types it is best not to prune, but to gather the lower leaves as they ripen and cure them for smokers. White Burley and Cigar tobacco may be topped leaving ten to fifteen leaves to the plant. Wormuig and Suckeriinj.— The bud and horn worms must be carefully picked from the plants as they make their ap- pearance, or they will inflict great damage to the crop. The former is most destructive early and before the plants are topped; the latter comes in two broods, the first in June, and if these are destroyed, the quantity in August and Septem- ber, (their second appearance), will be greatly curtailed. Various modes for destroying worms and moth have been resorted to, but none so sviccessfully as hand-picking and killing. Suckers will sprout at the axils of leaf and stalk after the Ijlants are topped, and these must be pulled off as fast as they attain the length of two and three inches. If permitted to grow longer they sap the juices of the plant and detract from the size and richness of the leaves. Cnttinu and Housing.— B,ipe tobacco of the commercial leaf type is known by the graining and thickening of the leaf and change of color— the leaf assuming a yellowish and sometimes mottled yellow and green appearance— and when the luider surface of the leaf will crack open on pressure between the thvniib and finger when folded over. White Burley and cigar tobacco are harvested not so ripe as indicated for the leaf types. 3y Tobacco or the .several types arc hung' in several waj'S : Some cut the plants by s[)litting-thera down the middle of the stalks and straddling' them across laths; some spear the I)lants, using a spear-like instrument hollow at one end to fit the lath; others string- the leaves, pulling them from the l)lants as they ripen and stringing thera upon wired sticks or laths, while others use cotton twine in the place of wire. Modes of Ct(,ri)tg.— The dark export type is still mainly cured in log barns dried over open wood tires. But it is only a i|iiestion of time when the flue, so indispensable for curing the yellow type, will be used for curing this type also. Creo- sote imparts no desirable qualities to any type, and the taste grows every ^ear more and more in favor of unsmoked tobacco. The sweet tiller is partially ^V^