IC-NRLF 2T3 GH- SB 71 525 00 sO CO x o TOBACCO CULTURE PUBLISHED BY GERMAN KALI WORKS, New York, N. Y, Baltimore, Md, Chicago, III, Havana, Cuba NOTICE. Every farmer can obtain, free of charge, a copy of the following agricultural books: POTASH IN AGRICULTURE PRINCIPLES OF PROFITABLE FARMING FARMERS' GUIDE COTTON CULTURE TROPICAL PLANTING STASSFURT INDUSTRY FERTILIZING TOBACCO FERTILIZING SUGAR CANE SUGAR BEET CULTURE SUGAR CANE CULTURE THE COW PEA PLANT FOOD TRUCK FARMING WHY THE FISH FAILED FARMERS' NOTE BOOK STRAWBERRY CULTURE ORANGE CULTURE V *LUE OF SWAMP LAND State which of : the above mentioned publications you desire, and it will'bV mailed tol^ou free of charge. ADDRESS : /. v J \i r i \. . { GERMAN KALI WORKS. NEW YORK, N Y, BALTIMORE, MD. CHICAGO, ILL, HAVANA, CUBA 93 Nassau St. Continental Bldjj. 562 Monadiiock Blk. Empedrado, 30 PREFACE. The growing of Tobacco has become a large and im- portant industry, especially in Cuba and in ihe United States. In both countries millions of dollars are invested not only in the plantations, but in factories and the manuf- actured product. Besides, the Tobacco business gives em- ployment to many thousands of people, and the better the crops, the greater their prosperity. It is believed that this will give the Tobacco grower many " suggestions " which may be of value in a practical way. Thus, there are described the various Plant5, Soils and Manures, and how the successful Tobacco planter uses them in order to produce the very best, as well as largest crops, for quality in Tobacco culture is a more important item than quantity. INTRODUCTION. TT IS an interesting fact that three of the most important plants of the world are indigenous to American soil. Two of these, Corn and the Potato, have become important food crops for millions of people, while the third, Tobacco, supplies the world with its most popular and least harmful stimulant-narcotic. The commercial importance of Tobacco can best be shown by its average market value, which has increased 40 per cent, in thirty years, its acreage being but 30 per cent, greater than it was thirty years ago. At present, more than 700,000 acres of land are planted each year in this country with Tobacco. According to statistics, the average annual crop amounts to over 600,000,- ooo pounds, valued at over $50,000,000. The Tobacco crop ranks high among the crops of the country in point of value, and the value of the manufactured products of Tobacco for the country has been carefully estimated at over $200,000,- ooo, or nearly one-half the value of our flouring mill prod- ucts. These and many other facts show the commercial im- portance of the Tobacco crop in this country. CLASSIFICATION. The tobacco plant is cultivated over a wide area, or range of territory, owing to its wonderful adaptation to dif- ferent soils and climates. And yet, it is probably more de- pendent upon its environment, and more greatly modified in character and in quality by its surroundings, than almost any other cultivated plant. Thus while Wisconsin and Sumatra, Virginia and Cuba, make the production of tobacco special features of their agriculture, and have become centres of its production, still each locality produces its dis- tinctive class or kind of tobacco. The variations in the grade of Tobacco are so clearly the result of soil conditions influenced largely by methods of cultivation and plant feed- ing or fertilizer used, that they will be discussed separately in this book. The location, soil and climate in which the tobacco crop is grown, and the widely differing properties of these crops lead to very marked differences in cultivation. In the trade there are many sub-divisions for each class, or type, of to- bacco handled, but for our purposes here, we will treat of four classes, as follows: (i) Cigar Leaf, (2) Export Tobacco, (3) Bright Leaf and Manufacturing and (4) Perique. (i) Cigar Leaf. Tobacco for cigar manufacture, in- cludes three different types of leaf, viz , the Connecticut seed leaf, the Cuban, and the Sumatra varieties. Moreover there are different grades, resulting either from crossing or from local conditions of soil, climate, planting or methods of fertilizing employed. 6 TVOS.A C CO CULTURE. Cigar tobaccos are grown for two distinct purposes, namely: for flavor or aroma, and for texture of the leaf, which properties adapt it for use as cigar wrappers. For aroma, the Vuelta Abajo may be accepted as typical, while for wrapper purposes, Connecticut seed leaf and Sumatra tobaccos are typical. (2.) Export Tobaccos. These tobaccos include several different types, each meeting various demands of the trade. Usually they are of rank growth, heavy, coarse-grained and strong flavored. They are used for manufacturing smoking products required in foreign countries. Their value lies in their strength, as they are chiefly used in mixtures, either with inferior tobaccos, or with other vegetable adulterants. (3.) Bright Leaf and Manufacturing Tobacco. Bright Leaf is produced largely in the Carolinas, Virginia and Eastern Tennessee, and is valuable for its flavor and aroma; its bright yellow color adds to its popularity. It is used al- most entirely for pipe and cigarette tobaccos, and for wrap- pers for plug tobacco. White Burley Tobacco is grown in the Southern counties of Ohio and in the north central counties of Kentucky, and is used for plug tobacco. It is very mild, has a good flavor, and is an excellent absorbent, and for these reasons, it is popular with manufacturers. (4.) Perique. This tobacco belongs to the coarse, heavy type of tobaccos. Its distinctive properties are the result rather of the method of curing than of the quality of leaf. It is grown exclusively upon the moist alluvial bottom lands of St. James River, and one or two other Parishes in Louis- TOBACCO CULTURE. 7 iana, but its commercial importance is comparatively small. Peculiarities of flavor and form of marketing, however, make it necessary to consider this class under a special heading. All classes or types of tobacco, belong to a single spec- ies, Nicotiana tabacum, closely related to wild and cultivated plants, among which are: the petunia, Irish potato, egg- plant, and " jimson " weed. Tobacco plants of all varieties have much the same habits of growth and characteristics. They grow from three to nine feet in height, possess wide spread, lanceolate leaves attached spirally and alternately to the stalk, at distances of about two inches. The flowers form large clusters with pink-tipped white corollas, which, when grown in masses, present so attractive an appearance, that the plant is fre- quently grown for purely ornamental purposes. SOILS FOR TOBACCO. While all crops are true to seed, grades are the result of soil differences, peculiarities of climate, of planting and cul- tivation methods, and of systematic and intelligent fertiliza- tion, etc. As the market calls for these distinct grades in tobaccos, this point becomes a very important one for the planter to observe. It is doubtful if an expert could dis- tinguish between wheat, or corn, or potatoes produced in Connecticut, Virginia, Pennsylvania, North Carolina or Wisconsin. Tobacco seed, however, taken from any one of these localities to another, will, in a single season, produce TOBACCO CULTURE. a crop so distinct from that of the parent plant, as to be very noticeable, and in a few seasons' growth it will have lost nearly all resemblance to the original type. Climate cannot be held wholly responsible for these variations nor can they be wholly attributed to the peculiar- ities of soils. Il is worthy of note that even the chemist's analysis fails to show such differences in the compositions of these soils, as might reasonably explain the marked changes in the character of leaf, noticed after the transfer of the plant to new localities. Tobacco growers are well aware that the nature of soils to a considerable degree, influences the color of tobacco leaf ; that the light soils of the Connecticut Valley produce a lighter colored cigar leaf than the richer and darker soils of Pennsylvania; that the dark and heavy soils of Tennessee and Kentucky, produce a heavier and darker leaf than the lighter soils of North Carolina, the home of the famous " Bright leaf" tobacco. That certain regions are peculiarly adapted to cigar leaf production is good evidence that the nature of tobacco is considerably influenced by the kind of soil. Sumatra, Cuba, Florida, the Connecticut Valley and Wisconsin are centres of " cigar leaf " production, but climatic conditions in the various localities are as different as they are geographically widely separated. The tobaccos grown in these places are often widely different in grade. These differences in grade are not alone a matter of climate, as for example, there is a vast difference between the climate of Cuba and that of TOBACCO CULTURE. 9 Wisconsin, yet both produce good cigar leaf. The time of harvesting and manner of curing have much to do with fix- ing special types or grades of tobaccos, and even more im- portant is the intelligent cultivation of the plant, and its proper fertilization. Bearing in mind that growing crops are perhaps as much dependent on the physical condition as upon chemi cal composition of the soils in which they grow, the texture of the soil may be accepted as possessing great influence on the quality of the tobacco produced thereon. Prof. Whit- ney's investigations showed that soils producing tobaccos of similar type, closely resemble each other in the propor- tions of the different classes of soil particles. Thus it may be well to compare the proportions of sand, silt and clay in the tobacco soils of the two typical "wrapper" States, and in two typical "filler" States. New York and Massachu- setts, and Pennsylvania and Ohio furnish the desired local- ities. Sand Silt Clay (Wrapper) New York, 68.81^ 18.18$ 7.43^ " Massachusetts 60. 10 33-6o 3.31 (Filler) Pennsylvania, 17.27 49.02 29.27 " Ohio, 23.31 44.01 27.52 The close resemblance between the physical properties in each of these two groups is apparent. The great dissim- ilarity between the properties of the two groups is equally plain. These facts partly explain the similarity of grade and character between tobaccos of New York and the Con- 10 TOBACCO CULTURE. necticut Valley, and those of Pennsylvania and Ohio ; also the marked differences between tobaccos of the " wrapper" states, and those of the " filler " states. The work of Prof. Whitney demonstrates another fact of great importance affecting the practical details of tobacco culture. He appears to have conclusively proved that the character of the tobacco produced by any soil, depends to a marked degree upon the average mean moisture of the soil. When this point has been more carefully studied, and is more fully understood, it is probable that the usefulness of a soil for growing any particular kind of tobacco can be determined with a reasonable degree of certainty. A good illustration of this condition is supplied by the results of the moisture records of the soils at Quincy, and Fort Meade, Florida, two widely separated localities, with soils superficially quite different, yet producing nearly ident- ical grades of cigar tobacco. Investigation showed the moisture of one of these soils to be 8.26 per cent, and of the other to be 8.6 per cent. The closest approach in character of tobacco to that grown in these localities by any other region of the country is the Counecticut Valley, where the average moisture is found to be about 7 per cent. It is quite probable that the recognized value of natural forest growths, as indicators of good -tobacco soils, depends on this relation between plant and average water supply. The "wrapper" producing soils of Connecticut Valley, Florida and New York are fine in texture, light in color and low in moisture. They are strongly sandy in character, av- TOBACCO CULTURE. II eraging over 60 per cent, of clear sand, but contain very little (less than 3$) clay. They are, therefore, early lands, easily worked, warm and responsive. The " binder" and "filler" soils of Pennsylvania, Ohio and Wisconsin are heavier in character and finer in texture. They contain about 20 per cent, moisture, an average of say 25 per cent, clay, and from 30 to 35 per cent silt. They are consequently more fertile, more generally productive, later, slower, and harder to cultivate, than are the soils producing the lightest cigar leaf. The "Bright Leaf" soils of North Carolina and Virginia are sandy to a depth of from one to ten feet, always un- derlaid by a heavy clay sub-soil. The surface soil averages 8 to 9 per cent, clay, about 15 per cent, silt, and nearly 60 per cent. sand. These soils are not fertile or productive, though easily worked, early and quite liable to drouth. " Export" tobaccos come from heavy, fertile soils, con- taining high percentages of silt and clay, with considerable iron, and pebbly material. These soils are stiff, but easy to work when properly broken. They hold moisture, and are slow and late. The White Burley soils contain a large percentage of carbonate of lime, and they are filled with small particles of limestone rock, which contains a considerable amount of phosphate of lime. These soils are not so stiff as the soils adapted to the growth of heavy shipping tobacco. The " Perique " soils of Louisiana, differ greatly from all other tobacco soils, as much so as the product itself. 12 TOBACCO CULTURE. Their cultivation differs also from that of other tobaccos. These soils are deep, alluvial bottoms, dark in color, fertile, line in texture, and contain about one-fourth part of sand. They are easily worked and high in moisture. THE SEED. The quality of seed from which tobacco is to be grown is of the greatest importance. This is because the quantity of the yield (with most kinds of tobaccos,) is of less impor- tance than the quality of the crop. In other words, quality of each class of leaf usually regulates its value. Seed plants should be grown from first class seed only, and each kind by itself. When different kinds are grown close together, they mix badly, though in outward appearance the plants give no indication of this mixing. The practice of growing seed plants by themselves is necessary because tobacco has a decided tendency to depart from fixed types, and to adapt itself to local conditions, through its extreme sensitiveness to climate and soil condi- tions. The pollen of the plant is carried long distances, and the presence of different types of tobacco nearer than a mile from the seed plants is likely to result in mixing, or crossing of varieties, a condition which usually results in deteriora- tion. The seed plant should not be allowed to develop suckers, and the seed pods should be borne only upon the main stem of the plant. When seed plants are grown by themselves, only perfectly developed plants, with all dis- tinctive qualities of the leaf, should be reserved for seed TOBACCO CULTURE. I 3 purposes. A few of the upper leaves of the plant should be removed for the purpose of preventing injury from storms, or wind, and also in order that the entire vigor and strength of the plant may be devoted to the perfection of its seed, rather than for the development of the leaf. Only the earliest maturing seed pods should be allowed to ripen, and all others should be removed before maturity. What the planter thus loses in quantity, he makes up in quality. However, the number of seeds developed in a sin- gle pod is enormous, reaching as high as 5,000, and an ounce of clean seed will easily contain from 300,000 to 400,000 individual seeds. After the pods have turned brown (thus indicating ripeness) they should be cut with the stem on which they are borne, and preserved in their natural condition, protected against air and moisture, and kept at a temperature varying as little as possible, until needed for sowing. The selection of seed should be regulated by the variety or character of crop desired, bearing in mind that this latter feature is controlled largely by the soil and climatic condi- tions of the locality in which the crop is to be made. The seed should be bright, hard, and free from chaff and impuri- ties. Cuban growers retain a large admixture of chaff with the seed as a protection against mould and deterioration. Seeds remaining in the pods, if well dried and bottled, should not be susceptible to deterioration or mould. The Cuban practice is not a desirable one to follow, and it seems to be the result of careless practice, or crude and imperfect 14 TOBACCO CULTURE. methods of separation and cleaning. Thus, a given weight of Cuban seed only contains one-half the quantity of actual tobacco seed as the same quantity of seed, when cleaned and prepared for market by American methods would yield. TESTING THE SEED. All seeds, tobacco seeds included, have their periods of longevity, or vitality, beyond which the germinating power, or life of the seed begins to wane and finally disappears. Many authorities claim that the vitality of tobacco seed may reach ten, or even fifteen years, but it is a well established fact, that deterioration begins after the fifth year, so that beyond that time its use involves a risk and possible loss. Therefore, no seed of unknown age should be used un- til first given a germinating or other test. This is done by dropping some of the seed upon a hot stove or shovel ; good seed will burst or pop. Any seed not affected in this way, maybe counted as bad, arid should not be used for sowing. The seed may also be tested by actual germination, thus: sprinkle the seed into a small mass of cotton wool in a tumbler, which should contain a little water in the bottom. If the tumbler be then kept in a warm place, at the end of three or four days, all the good seed should germinate. The proportion of unsprouted seed will then indicate the relative percentage of bad seed present in the lot. Another satisfactory way of testing seed is to take a small piece of board covered with a piece of cotton cloth tOBACCO CULTURE. 15 die ends or edges of which dip into water. Sprinkle the seed to be tested over the surface of the cloth thus raised above the water, and keep in a warm place. At the end of five days time, all good seed will have sprouted, and by counting the unsprouted seed, the actual proportion of bad seed can be accurately determined. It is not necessary that seed tested by either of these methods be finally discarded unless the proportion of bad seed is very large, for by know- ing the amount of bad seed present, enough seed may be used to secure a full stand and crop. GERMINATION. Under certain conditions it may be desirable to gain time by germinating or sprouting the seed before it is sown. This may be done by taking a strip of cotton cloth about six or eight inches in width, sprinkling the seed even- ly over this surface, and then rolling the cloth into a com- pact roll. If one end of this strip be placed in a basin or tumbler containing a little water, the roll of cloth will absorb moisture as a lamp wick absorbs oil. If the roll is kept con- stantly moist, the seed will germinate, and if carefully re- moved from the cloth as soon as sprouted and sown in a prepared seed-bed, a few days time will be gained. Great care however, is necessary not to injure the tender, young sprouts, and the danger of such injury is so great that this method is only to be recommended in exceptional cases. Another good way is to sow the seed in a box, or pan of earth, which is watered daily and kept in a warm place, l6 TOBACCO CULTURE. either in the sun or near a stove. When the seed in the earth has sprouted, the entire mass may be sown in the same way that ungerminated seed would be sown when mixed with earth, meal or other material recommended in the sowing of seed THE SEED BED. The use of the seed bed is two-fold : First, to gain time in starting the crop, and second, to furnish better protection to the young plants than is possible with field planting. As the first need in the selection of the seed bed is warmth, a protected and sheltered spot with Southern exposure is best. In the northern states, a wall, a building or fence is utilized for shelter. In the south, planters, take advantage of the pres- ence of a strip of woods. Fine, warm, mellow, thoroughly pulverized soil is necessary. In the south, new ground is preferred ; in the north, old ground. The same place may be used year after year for the seed bed. In the southern states, particularly Florida, where Cuban methods are closely followed, the ground selected for the seed bed is pre- viously burned over by laying sticks of wood or small logs lengthwise on the bed, and covering the same with brush or light dry wood. When the soil has been thoroughly heat- ed for about half an hour, the fire is removed, and put on another part of the bed. The object of burning is first, the destruction of weed seed, and secondly, to improve the mechanical condition of the new land to be used for the bed. It is a question if either l8 TOBACCO CULTURE. of these two objects is important enough to warrant the considerable cost involved, and this plan is being gradually abandoned by tobacco growers in the north. Burning is still practiced in Kentucky and Tennessee, where nearly half of the tobacco crop of the United States is raised. The growers there still think burning the land a necessity. Burn- ing the soil is supposed to aid in breaking it up. A small quantity of wood charcoal from the incomplete burning of the wood is added to the soil, and also considerable quanti- ties of available potash are supplied by the ash of the burnt wood. The land is burned until it has a reddish cast. A great many growers in selecting a place for the seed bed, plan to have it near water, and, if possible, so located that the beds can be irrigated. In Florida especially, a very dry spell of weather often occurs at the most critical period of the plants' growth, late in April, and through May. Irri- gating the beds is the surest way to success in growing plants. This irrigation differs somewhat from the ordinary methods, in that the water furrow or trench is made along on the outside of the bed. No water is allowed on the bed, and the plant simply gets the water through the natural drainage of the soil, as care is taken that this water trench is on a higher level than the bed. PREPARATION OF THE BED. The location having been decided on the first step in preparing the bed for the seed depends somewhat on the size and shape of the bed. Long narrow beds are the best shape. The width should not ex- ceed four feet, and the length will depend on the amount of TOBACCO CULTURE. 19 land to be used. For a large area, a uniform width should be used ;narro\v beds with walks, being the most economical shape, since by this means, every part of the bed is accessible either for working or removing plants. The same plan may be followed with a square bed by subdividing it into narrow four foot beds, as is done in the heavy tobacco districts, where some of the beds cover 1,600 square yards. The ground should be thoroughly plowed, dug with a mattock or spaded, and then made as mellow as possible by the use of the harrow rake, or hand cultivator. The surface should then be smoothed over with a garden rake, and all litter, unbroken lumps, and other incumbrances removed. Only chemical fertilizers which are quick acting and free from weed seed should be used. These should be applied broadcast, and raked in. The first application should be light, as it is desirable to apply fertilizer in the form of sol- ution from time to time during the growth, of the plants. Thorough raking with an ordinary garden rake is the most effective way of properly fining the soil, and in finishing off this raking process the rake should be carefully drawn across the bed evenly as possible, thus leaving very small furrows from its teeth in the fine soil. The seed is sown in these furrows. Seed thus sown will come up in perfectly uniform rows, and after the plants put on their second set of leaves, the bed may be gently raked, so as to break any crust formed after rains, and to loosen the soil about the young plants. TOBACCO CULTURE. 21 SOWING- The seed selected and previously tested should be mix- ed with some foreign material before being sown. There are two reasons for this course. First, the seed is so small and dark colored, that it is not easily seen after it has been sown. Therefore, a light colored, foreign substance should be mixed with the seed, and then the area covered will be shown up, and any unevenness in the work can be remedied. The second reason for mixing with foreign ma- terial is on account of the extreme minuteness of the seed. A small quantity is sufficient for a large area, and without the admixture of other material, an even sowing of the seed is extremely difficult. For mixing purposes, corn meal, plaster of paris or flour may be used. The seed should be carefully sown by hand, and by going over the ground in two directions at right angles to each other, even sowing of the seed is assured. A good method for mixing the seed with the soil is by tread- ing it in by foot, but for large areas, the hand roller should be used. AMOUNT OF SEED. The quantity of seed required per acre of ground varies very materially. The allowance of seed should be one ounce per acre of land, and this quantity will cover a bed about 40 square yards of surface. 22 TOBACCO CULTURE. PROTECTION. The beds are generally protected from birds, insects and cold by being covered with a layer of brush. Muslin cloth, however, is now extensively used for this purpose, being stretched over the bed from side to side and tacked to logs or planks, thereby raising it high enough above the bed to clear the growing plants. The cloth cover must be taken off occas- ionly for weeding or fertilizing the bed when the plants are ready for the field. Not only insects and other enemies of the plant are thus prevented from attacking the young plants, but the additional warmth secured to the bed by the radiation of the soil heat hastens the growth, and makes earlier transplanting possible. It is not necessary to remove the muslin cover of the bed to water it, as it can be thor- oughly watered by using a sprinkler. The advantage of watering through the muslin is that the moisture of the cloth helps to keep the bed moist longer than if the cloth were removed, and replaced immediately after watering. THE CROP. The location, the climate, and the soil in which the crop is to grow will decide the class of tobacco to be culti- vated. The type or variety, however, is dependent on these conditions, and also more or less on individual notions or desire of the planter, knowledge of the kind grown, facilities for working the soil, etc. Thus the Florida grower has the option of growing either Sumatra, Cuban, or Florida Spec- kled Leaf, while in the Connecticut Valley, it may be either Seed leaf or Havana seed. 24 TOBACCO CULTURE. PREPARATION FOR THE CROP. In New England the common practice is to select for tobacco, land which is intended to remain for years in this crop. This is only possible by very heavy fertilizing. But the New England grower claims that this gives him more perfect control of the crop, whereby he can feed it directly for the qualities worth most in the market. It is, therefore, no difficult matter to find in the Connecticut Valley fields, that have produced tobacco annually for from ten to twenty years, with improvement in quality of product, and no dim- inishment of yield. The Pennsylvaniagrower has his favorite tobacco fields, but practices rotation of crops for which his heavier soils are adapted. In the South and West, rotation of other crops with tobacco is the rule. The Southern grow- er of heavy shipping tobacco, as well as of cigar leaf, how- ever, uses new soil for tobacco, and then takes two or three leaf crops from the soil before changing the crop. The grower of Burley tobacco also prefers new land, but after two crops, he rotates with grain and grass. The Bright Leaf tobacco is generally produced on old land, put out in tobacco every third year. The question of when to piow tobacco land next arises; fall or spring are the two seasons for plowing. No rule can be laid down, though the methods of successful growers of each kind of tobacco afford a safe guide. Generally speak- ing, heavy clay soils require fall breaking, so as to be further broken up by the frosts of winter. In cigar leaf regions, fall plowing is almost universal, TOBACCO CULTURE. 25 except in Florida, where early spring plowing, usually in February is the rule, followed by a later plowing, immedi- ately preceding the putting out of the plants. The coarser kinds of fertilizer are distributed in the furrow at the time of the first plowing, and covered by the next trip of the turn-plow. In Pennsylvania, Ohio and Wisconsin, the turning un- der of " stubble " or sod immediately after harvest or hay- ing is a favorite practice. In the south, manure is frequently applied broadcast, previous to this plowing. A second plow- ing is the rule just before final freezing of the ground occurs and tobacco stalks, "chopped," are turned under at this time. The best growers plow in the spring some two weeks before the planting. Growers of Bright Leaf favor deep breaking in the fall, usually with two-horse plows. This is followed in February by shallow furrowing with the "scooter," at which time the manure, litter and any coarse fertilizer to be used, is covered in the furrow. In the region where heavy shipping tobacco is raised, successful planters believe that most of the culti- vation should be done before the plants are set out. Deep fall breaking with heavy turn-plows, is general. This break- ing should be so early that vegetation turned under may be still green, for then its decomposition is hastened, and its fermenting action in the soil is increased. In early spring the manure is applied broadcast and turned under by a sec- ond but more shallow plowing. Burley Tobacco is mostly grown on land broken in the TOBACCO CULTURE. 27 early spring; a sod usually being turned under, unless the land be new. in which case two or three, successive crops of tobacco may be grown. The soil is fined chiefly by the use of the disk harrow, in April or early May. The Perique grower plows twice ; first in January when the land is broken about eight inches in depth, as soon as dry enough for the purpose. In February, beds four or five feet wide are thrown up and later smoothed by means of horse rake or harrow. Just previous to planting in March, other beds are turned on top of these and smoothed by hand rake. On these beds the plants are set by hand. The meth- ods of fining the land are about the same in all the tobacco growing districts. Tobacco is usually produced by growers who make its cultivation a specialty. They are, like all specialists, intel- ligent and painstaking. They use in their work every im- provement determined by field practice, and study the sug- gestions of scientific men. Thoroughness of cultivation is recognized among all intelligent growers as indispensable to success. For Cigar tobacco, everywhere except in Florida, the last plowing is usually followed by the disk harrow, and the fertilizers spread broadcast are then harrowed in, and the surface brought to the desired fineness by the smoothing harrow. If hand planting is practiced, a ridger is used foi throwing up slight beds and marking off the spaces for the plants. Where a transplanter is used, which is now almost universal except among the growers of real Cuban and Sum- 28 TOBACCO CULTURE. atra leaf, the smoothing harrow fits the soil for the plants. In Florida the closeness with which the Cuban and Su- matra plants are set in the rows, (for increased thinness of leaf) prevents the use of the transplanter, which has here- tofore not been gauged more closely than 18 inches. When plants are set as closely as 8 inches in the row, (which is not uncommon among Cuban growers), extremely rapid planting can hardly be done with a machine worked at the speed of walking horses. The Cuban grower in Florida plows and cross-plows, the latter working of the soil preceding the transplanting by some three weeks. Just before setting the plants, the har- row is used until the ground is thoroughly pulverized. The "scooter" is then used for running furrows two and one-half feet apart, into which the fertilizer is scattered and then cov- ered by the turn-plow, running back and forth. The plants are then set on the ridge thus made. The grower of Cuba leaf in this country has modified this practice by placing his rows from three to three and one-half feet apart for Cuban, and four feet apart for Suma- tra leaf; and this makes horse cultivation possible. How- ever, he grows as many plants to the acre as does the Cuban planter, by placing them nearer together in the row. The most successful way of transplanting tobacco in Florida is, by running furrows with a small Scotch plow about 5 J feet apart, and setting the plant in the bottom of the fur- row. This insures a perfect stand, and the plants being down below the surface are not apt to be destroyed by cut- TOBACCO CULTURE. 31 worms. Later cultivation will fill up the furrow, and the plant has thus a better hold on the ground, and will get more moisture than if set in the usual way. The most suc- cessful hand tool for making holes for the plant is a narrow piece of board about three inches wide and sharpened. It makes a cut in the soil, not a hole. Then when the plant is inserted into this cut, its roots can be spread out and firmed better than in a round hole. The Bright Leaf grower follows the Cuban method of fit- ting his land for the crop after the second plowing, except that he drags his beds flat with a log drag, and places his plants thirty inches apart on these beds. In the Burley re- gion, a flexible slab drag takes the place of the log, and a marker is used for indicating the distance of the rows, and the plants are placed level without either ridges or hilis. Shipping Tobacco is grown in checks and cultivated both ways. After the second plowing, thorough harrowing follows, and then the marker is run both ways, three and one half feet squares being the result. At the points of crossing, hills are raised by the hoe, a handful of commer- cial fertilizer being usually dropped at each of these points? over which is made the hill on which the plant is to stand. Following the preparation of the land, and its being placed in condition for growing the crop, the application of fertilizer or plant food for growing the crop is the first con- sideration. The application of fertilizer being a separate and distinct operation, will be discussed in a chapter by itself. 32 TOBACCO CULTURE. FERTILIZING. In taking up this important branch of the subject, it will be well to give a brief review of the object and value of fer- tilizing, together with some of the more important facts which seem to influence the field practice of successful growers. Tobacco is a rank, rapid growing, and heavy-feeding plant, and requires liberal supplies of plant-food. The care- ful experiments of Dr. Goessman, of the Massachusetts Ex- periment Station, and of Prof. Stockbridge, of the Florida Experiment Station, furnish information of great practical value to the planter. As a result of these investigations, the quantities of Phosphoric Acid, Nitrogen and Potash per acre suggested by these two authorities are as follows: Phosphoric Acid Nitrogen Potash. Dr. Goesmann 60 Ibs. 100 Ibs. 300 Ibs. Prof. Stockbridge 75 Ibs. 180 Ibs. 300 Ibs. Average per acre 67 Ibs. 140 Ibs. 300 Ibs. The plant food found by chemical analysis in the to- bacco plant furnishes a fair guide in determining the kind and amount of fertilizer to use.. Of course, not only the leaf but the whole plant must be accounted for in figuring out the actual plant food taken up. While the leaf is the object of tobacco growing, the leaf cannot be grown without the stalk, roots, etc. The analyses of the whole plant made t>y Prof. Stockbridge indicate the following plant food re- TOBACCO CULTURE. 33 quirements. He found the average Florida tobacco plant to contain: Phosphoric Acid Nitrogen Potash 0.99 per cent. 2.58 per cent. 4.34 per cent. This indicates that the crop requires its plant food in the proportion of 260 pounds of nitrogen, and 440 pounds of potash for every 100 pounds of phosphoric acid actually taken up by the plant. As phosphoric acid is apt to change into insoluble forms in the soil, allowance must be made for such losses in making up special fertilizers. Again, many soils accumulate supplies of nitrogen through the growth of legumes in rotation, and a too free supply of nitrogen in the fertilizer may prove very undesirable by inducing a too rank growth of leaf. For these reasons, many experienced tobacco growers use a higher proportion of phosphoric acid, and a lower proportion of nitrogen than the chemical com- position of the crop would seem to require. Prof Stockbridge's recommendation for fertilizer appli- cation is based on these condiiions, and his formula supplies the necessary plant foods, (as shown by the analyses) which will be removed from an acre of land by a fair crop of tobacco. Dr. Jenkins, of Connecticut, as the result of his analy- ses, estimates the quantities of the three essentials removed from the soil by an average Connecticut crop per acre as follows; Phosphoric Acid, i<> Ibs.. Nitrogen, 100. Ibs., and Potash 150 Ibs. 34 TOBACCO CULTURE. Notwithstanding the material differences in the com position of tobacco grown in different places, particularly as to the total quantities of the different plant-food constitu- ents removed from an acre of land; all practical planters now agree that the crop requires large amounts of potash as compared with phosphoric acid. The conclusions of accepted authorities may be thus stated: The demands of the crop for phosphoric acid are small, for nitrogen they are large, but the greatest demand is for potash in fact, greater than that of any other cultivated plant. The general rule of practice for cigar cobacco planters to follow may be stated thus: Nitrogen, 4 to 6 parts, pot- ash, 8 to 15 parts, and phosphoric acid, i to 3 parts. This may be more concisely expressed as follows: Ammonia 4 to 5 per cent. Potash 8 to 9 per cent. Available Phosphoric Acid 2 to 4 per cent. Commercial fertilizers are valuable as plant food only to the extent that they contain nitrogen, potash and availa- ble phosphoric acid, provided always that proper proportions of these ingredients are used. An excessive amount of any one of these three plant foods in a fertilizer will not make up for the loss caused by the lack of either of the other. The old saying that "a chain is no stronger than its weakest link" applies here, for, the value of any fertilizer will de- pend on the proportions of all three nitrogen, phosphoric acid and potash which it contains, 36 TOBACCO CULTURE. The sources from which the different forms of plant bod are obtained is of importance as affecting results. /uriate of Potash and Kainit, on account of the chlorine they contain, will affect trie quality of tobacco leaf unfavor- ably. High grade Sulphate of Potash should therefore be used as a source of potash, as it is practically free from Chlorine. Sulphuric Acid, a necessary ingredient of Sul- phate of Ammonia and Superphosphate, is believed to pos- sess an injurious effect similar to that of chlorine when used in excess. This is an additional reason for discouraging the excessive use of Acid Phosphate, beyond the fact that too much phosphoric acid will not do any good, or in other words, it is just so much money and labor wasted. These disadvantages can be greatly reduced by fall application, and neither phosphoric acid nor potash is as susceptible to very great loss by leaching, as is the case with nitrogenous fertilizers. The science of tobacco fertilizing is much further ad- vanced in the Connecticut Valley than in any other tobacco district, and there the use of fertilizer is most general, and the yields are for that reason heaviest. The average for Connecticut per acre is 1402 Ibs. of leaf as against 373 Ibs. in North Carolina. (Cigar tobacco is heavier than yellow tobacco.) White Burley and Perique tobaccos are the only classes of leaf largely grown without manure or fertilizers. Rotation, however, is there strictly followed. Tobacco is fol- lowed by wheat, which is seeded to Timothy, or bluegrass with clover, and the clover is allowed to remain two or three TOBACCO CULTURE. 37 years, before the sod is turned up for a second crop of to- bacco. Commercial fertilizers are as yet practically un- known on this crop (the soil being very rich), while barn, yard manure is used only in exceptional cases. In time though, fertilizers will have to be used to return the plant food removed from the soil by even this method of culture of White Burley and Perique tobaccos. In growing Bright Leaf Tobacco, fertilizing with both barn-yard manure and commercial fertilizers is practised. The manure is generally plowed under at the second plow- ing. It usually contains large quantities of litter and pine straw, which is believed to aid in yellowing the leaf. The rcws are later on laid off by a "scooter" and 600 to 1000 Ibs. per acre of some standard commercial fertilizer, which should contain about 2 per cent Ammonia, 6 per cent Potash and 4 per cent Phosphoric Acid are sowed in the hill, and covered by the turn-plow. The plants are then set on the ridge thus formed. "Shipping Tobacco" is a product of heavy, manuring, heavy soils and slow ripening. All kinds of manures, and large quantities thereof, are used by its growers. These are applied to the land, and turned under in Autumn, as a pre- caution against "firing" or blasting." Hog manure was once a favorite for manuring tobacco, but the leaf grown on such manure is not of good quality, and is not as highly prized as formerly. Commercial fertilizers are more and more being used, especially on old lands, in conjunction 3 TOBACCO CULTURE. wilh. stable manure, as the country develops and the lands become impoverished. Cigar Tobacco is chiefly produced by the use of com- mercial fertilizers made specially for tobacco, chemical manures or vegetable by-products. Barn-yard manure, strengthened by chemicals is used somewhat in Pennsyl- vania, Ohio and Wisconsin. In the Connecticut Valley, ap- plications of 3000 Ibs. of concentrated chemical fertilizers per acre is the rule rather than an exception. Experience shows that better results follow where the nitrogen is sup- plied in various forms and at several applications; hence it is common to apply nitrate of soda, or dried blood, with cot- ton seed meal, or castor pomace, as a second application for "working in" after the plants are well started. The full quantity of phosphoric acid and potash should be applied at one time, and "broadcasted" before planting. The use of high grade fertilizers made expressly to meet the requirements of cigar-leaf is extremely common, and these are generally based on the actual needs of the crop as shown by chemical analysis. The formulas of fertilizers and applications used are numerous. The general aim and practice is, to provide the three essentials in the proportions of about 60 Ibs of Phos- phoric Acid, 75 Ibs. Nitrogen, and 120 Ibs. of Potash per acre. This would correspond to an application of 1500 Ibs. per acre of a fertilizer containing 4 per cent available phos- phoric acid, 5 per cent nitrogen, and 8 per cent actual pot- ash. If doubled, this would make about the maximum ap- TOBACCO CULTURE. 39 plication used by the best Connecticut Valley,growers, who depend on fertilizers solely for producing tobacco year after year on the same soil. The Cuban grower of Florida still adheres to his so- called Peruvian, or Damaraland guano. The usual applica- tion is from 600 to 1000 Ibs. per acre. The more progressive growers, however, obtain best results from mixed fertilizers containing 4 to 5 per cent Ammonia, 4 to 5 per cent availa- ble phosphoric acid and 9 to 10 per cent potash. MOST EFFECTIVE APPLICATIONS. The following suggestions as to the most economical and productive use of fertilizers are based upon actual prac- tical experience. Of the three principal food constituents, phosphoric acid is in least demand. It should not be supplied greatly in ex- cess of the actual needs of the plant. The best form is the high grade acid phosphate, and 20 to 60 pounds of available phosphoric acid per acre should be the limit used. Nitrogen is required by tobacco in proportions of from two to three times the amount of phosphoric acid. Nitrate of Soda and Cotton Seed meal are both popular forms of nitrogen; of the two, nitrate is much quicker in its action. Potash is the most important plant food for tobacco. This crop is distinctively a potash feeder. The quantity re- quired is from four to six times that of phosphoric acid. The best form of potash is the high grade sulphate of pot- ash, containing an average of jo per cent of actual potash, TOBACCO CULTURE. 4! As above mentioned, Muriate of potash or K.-iinit should not be used on account of the chlorine which they contain. TRANSPLANTING. The soil having been prepared for the growth of tobacco by the incorporation of the fertilizing material, the first step towards the field growth of the crop is, the transfer of the young plants from the seed-bed to the open field. Strong, vigorous plants only should be selected for trans- planting. For a day or two previous to removal, the seed- bed should not be watered, in order that the young plants may be somewhat hardened for their transfer to the open ground. However, just before removal, the portion of the bed from which the plants are to be taken should be thor- oughly watered. This is done to moisten the soil so that it will adhere to the roots of the plants removed, forming a ball of earth which will greatly aid a rapid recovery from the shock of transplanting. It is best to remove the plants early in the morning, while they are still moist with dew. The removed plants should be packed closely in boxes or baskets in which condition, if kept covered in the shade, or in a cool place, they may remain for sever.il days without injury before being set out. Meantime, the plants should under no circumstances be watered or laid in a horizontal position, as such practice leads to injury through heating, or rotting, or "crooking" of the stems of the plant. The method of transplanting is controlled almost en- tirelv by the character of tobacco. With all varieties except 42 TOBACCO CULTURE. Sumatra and Cuban tobacco, when grown expressly for wrapper purposes, requiring very thick planting, transplant- ing machines should be used. Fully five-sixths of the crop is set out by hand with a peg. Where the plants are to stand nearer than 16 inches in the row, the machine cannot be used and hand planting is unavoidable. The best kind of machine for this purpose, (drawn by, two horses and driven by a man) waters the ground previous to the drop- ping of the plants, two rows at a time being planted; two boys riding upon the machine and dropping the plants as fast as required. For hand planting, cloudy weather, or time just preceding or following showers, should, if possi- ble, be selected. Hand-transplanting is done by the same method used for other plants, that is, either a peg bluntly sharpened, or the fingers are used for making the hole into which the plant is placed, and the soil is then pressed around the root- lets by a single effort of the peg or fingers. The selection of a particular time is hardly practicable where large acreages are to be planted, though planting late in the day is preferable. However, watering just after setting is usu- ally necessary, and if the planting is followed by hot weather, the tender plants should be shaded. A very little water used upon the soil before setting out the plant is much more effective than large quantities ap- plied after the transplanting. An economical and effective method is the running of a furrow along the row into which the water is easily turned, and in the bottom of this wet fur- TOBACCO CULTURE. 43 . row the plants may be, set with almost certain satisfactory results. Large crops in the south are often transplanted by making a hole with a peg about three inches deep. Into this a half pint of water is poured and then the plant set with the dry soil pressed about the stalk. The roots of the young plant should not be crowded or cramped by the process of transplanting, but should be spread as naturally as possible. The depth to which the plants should be set is controlled by the variety. Cuban tobacco requires far deeper setting than other kinds. In any case, care must be taken that the bud, or "chit" be left uncovered by the soil. CULTIVATION. Tobacco especially requires clean cultivation and un- remitting care. Level culture is preferred with all varieties of tobacco, although in certain sections of the southern states a great deal of tobacco is still grown by the ridge or hili methods. Because of the enormous surface of leaf ex- posure in the tobacco plant, its water requirements are very great. It is easily damaged by drought. This can be guarded against by repeated shallow cultivation during dry weather By this means, a thin covering of fine earth stops evaporation of soil water. It is, in fact, a mulch. This is particularly important, because the quality of the leaf so largely controls its value. The hill method is adapted to heavy tobacco as the tips of the leaves are somewhat pro tected from the injury which they otherwise suffer by com 44 TOBACCO CULTURE. ing in contact with the ground ; for the leaves of this tobacco in growing bend downward until they touch the ground. To secure the finest leaf there should be a steady con- tinuous growth, without check or set-back by spells of dry weather. It has been found that the use of Sulphate of Potash and Nitrate of Soda as fertilizer ingredients tend to conserve the moisture in the soil. Worming. The matter of protection against worms and other injurious insects will be discussed further on. Of course, the prime object is to secure a perfect leaf. This is particularly the case of all wrapper varieties, the market value of which is almost ruined by worm-holes. Worming by careful hand-picking is a necessary work, while poisoning of the plants by the use of arsenates, (Paris green, etc.,) is a practice not to be recommended. TOPPING AND SUCKERING. The tobacco plant is forced, in effect, the same as hot house plants. The crop cannot be allowed to make its na- tural growth, bloom and produce seed, without seriously in- terfering with the character of the leaf required. "Top- ping" which results in increased leaf production, or enlarge- ment, is therefore indispensable. Each individual plant must be topped separately by breaking off the flower stem by hand. There is opportunity for the exercise of much judgment in this process, and strong and thrifty plants require less severe topping than weaker ones. The variety of tobacco, 46 TOBACCO CULTURE. or object for which it is grown will determine the actual amount of topping to be performed. From ten to eighteen leaves should be left to mature, according to the character of the plant, and the kind of tobacco raised. Checking the natural growth of the plant, by removing the flower stalk, results in the pushing out of large numbers of suckers. These must be carefully removed before they attain suf- ficient size to sap the vitality of the plant, or divert growth from the leaves. "Suckering" is very necessary just before harvesting for, if not removed at this time, suckers will con- tinue to grow during the curing of the plant, and seriously lessen the quality of the crop. Cigar Tobacco is usually suckered twice; heavy shipping tobacco from four to five times. The latter is not harvested as early after topping, as the former. HARVESTING. Tobacco, like all other crops, has a well-defined con- dition of ripeness, at which time it should be harvested. If delayed too long, deterioration results. A tobacco planter without experience usually has much difficulty in determin- ing the proper stage of ripeness. To an expert, the proper condition is readily detected by a characteristic change in color of the leaf: the dark green appearance is succeeded by a lighter shade, which first appears in mottles, or spots, gradually spreading until the entire leaf is involved. A test is often made by pressing a folded leaf between thumb TOBACCO CULTURE. 47 and finger, and, if it cracks at the fold, it is a sure indication of ripeness and readiness for harvest. Cuban tobacco should be harvested in a somewhat greener condition than other varieties. The method of harvesting depends greatly on the kind of tobacco. Suma- tra tobacco is more commonly "primed," that is, each indi- vidual leaf is examined and picked as it reaches the highest grade possible. They are strung upon strings for curing, and this is done to a large part of the yellow tobacco. Other tobaccos are harvested by cutting the entire plant close to the ground. The plants are then hung up, by one of several meth- ods, in the curing barn for drying or barn curing. The Cuban grower cuts the entire plant into sections, each hav- ing two leaves. These sections of plants are hung, or "straddled" upon single poles which are carried upon the shoulders of two men to the curing barn. By this method the top leaves of the plant must be less mature than older ones. With cigar tobaccos the method of priming, or pick- ing a few lower leaves before the entire plant is to be har- vested, is recommended although not in general use. After the plant is cut, it should be allowed to wilt thor- oughly before further handling. By this means, serious in- jury from the breaking off of brittle leaves is avoided. Care must be taken, however, lest the leaves become scorched, or sun-burnt; brief exposure to the direct rays of the sun will do serious injury. Most American tobacco is suspended in some manner 48 TOBACCO CULTURE. upon slats, laths, or sticks, before being removed to the cur- ing barn. The method most commonly used in the seed- leaf districts is that of stringing the plants upon a lath, one end of which is held in a portable " horse, " while the other is fitted with a needle, or spear the butt of which is provided with a socket into which the end of the lath is inserted. In the White Burley and Heavy Tobacco districts, the plants are split half-way down, and straddled on sticks. Bright Leaf Tobacco is cured by artificial heat, and is more commonly straddled on a stick, though frequently the leaves are pulled from the stalk and tied by twine to the sticks. White Burley Tobacco is generally allowed to remain suspended from a scaffold in the field two or three days be- fore removal to the barn. The most satisfactory way for hauling the crop from the field to the barn consists of a frame placed upon the bed of a two-horse wagon, so high that the suspended plants do not touch the bottom of the wagon, and so wide that the ends of the lath rest upon the side pieces of the frame. By this means space is saved, and the tobacco has very much the same position as when it hangs in the barn, and little injury is done by the hauling. HOW TO BUILD FRAME AND LOG CURING BARNS, After the curing of Bright tobacco, the most important .iiing is that the curing barn should be well built. The planter may raise fine tobacco crops, but without good TOBACCO CULTURE. 49 barns, he runs a great risk in curing them. The frame barn is more expensive to build than the log, but it gives better satisfaction. A good size for the building is 16x16, or 16x20 feet in- side measure. 18 feet from the ground to the plate, with brick foundation 2-J- to 3 feet high. The bricks can be turned the nine inch way, which greatly economizes ma- terial and answers every purpose. The pillars at each cor- ner must be built strong. The building is an ordinary frame structure, weatherboarded, with studding 17 inches apart from center to center; manila paper being on stud- ding on the inside, and ceiling half an inch thick and 8 inches wide, is nailed on the top of this. The roof is sheathed and shingled in the ordinary way, with an opening 6 inches wide left under the comb the entire length. A board fast- ened with hinges is arranged to open and shut over this place at will. Ventilation is given from the bottom. The tier poles are made of 3x4 scantlings, fastened securely to the side of the building, the first set being 7 feet from the floor, and forty- five inches apart from center to center. The next set must be directly above and 18 or 20 inches higher, and so on till the body and roof of the barn are filled in like manner. The space between weather-boarding and ceiling can be filled in with sawdust, in addition to the paper. A curing barn, if built of good material, will last for years. It is an absolute fact that tobacco cured in the frame building has a sweeter flavor than that cured in the old- fashioned log barn The difference is accounted for in this NOT FERTILIZED. FERTILIZED WITH 3% NITROGEN, 8$ PHOS. ACID, IO# POTASH. Plot, Treatment. J 'ields (leaf, . Value. No. i. No Fertilizer 1152 Ibs. (a 12 cts $138.24. No. 2. Potash, Phosphoric Acid and Nitrogen.. 1458 Ibs. @ 16 cts 233.28. [ No. 3. Phosphoric Acid, Nitrogen (No Potash) 1320 Ibs. @ 15 cts 198.00. Value of increase due to POTASH $35.28. TOBACCO CULTURE 51 way: In the process of curing, the leaf attracts the moist- ure from the mud and logs while it is in the drying state. This fact is especially noticeable, and the flavor more im- paired, during damp weather. The ordinary brick furnace and ii inch flue furnish the heat in both barns. Farmers who cannot afford to build frame barns at the start will find the following directions for the erection of log barns useful: The best size is 16x16 feet inside, and 16 feet from the ground to the plate. Cut poles about the size of those used in an ordinary log building, and 18 feet in length. Remove the bark from them. Place blocks at each corner 12 inches high. Put the poles in position, and notch them into each corner, till the building measures 15 feet high from the ground to the plate. In carpenter's par- lance, put on a "square roof" covering it with shingles or boards, leaving an opening 6 inches wide under the comb the entire length of the building. Fit a 12 inch board over this space, and fasten it to the comb with hinges, so that it can be opened and shut as desired. The poles commence 7 feet from center to center, the next set comes in directly above, 18 to 22 inches higher, and so on t.ll body and roof of the building are filled in. Fill in the open space under the sills with logs. Make the building tight by daubing in- side and out with clay or lime mortar. The heat of curing is furnished by a brick furnace and flues. Over the door end there should be a shed 12 feet wide to protect the tobacco from the sun while it is being strung, and at the furnace end, one 5 or 8 feet wide. Those who are building frame 52 TOBACCO CULTURE. barns will please note that sheds front and rear as described with this building, are necessary. BARN CURING- Two methods of barn curing are practiced for most varieties of tobacco. These are: (i) natural curing, and (2) fire curing. As a rule, the latter method is followed only with Bright tobacco, and heavy shipping tobacco, while the natural method is that commonly used with other varieties. However, artificial heat is generally recommended, and it is used by successful growers especially for cigar tobacco. By either method, slow drying during the first, or "yel- lowing" stage is important. After this yellowing, the more rapid the drying, especially with yellow tobacco, the better. In curing heavy shipping tobacco, the practice now is to keep up only heat enough to prevent house-burning or pole sweating. The fires are often drawn so that the leaves may come in case, or be pliant. The barns should be as nearly air-tight as possible. They should be provided with thorough ventilation and con- venient means for controlling the same. Ventilators in the ridge pole, which may be operated by pulleys from the ground, are very desirable. Horizontal ventilation, or ven- tilating shutters in the sides of the barn, is more desirable than the usual vertical openings. Tight construction of the barn, and provision for ample ventilation, easily controlled give results that are usually better than where the ventila- tion is more or less a matter of guess work. TOBACCO UNFERTILIZED. EXPERIMENT FARM, NORTH CAROLINA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY, SOUTHERN TINES, N. C. 20.32 TOBACCO CULTURE. rianure Salt is another product of the Stassfurt mines and contains a minimum of 20 per cent, actual potash. Sulphate of Potash=Magnesia is known also as Double Manure Salt, or low grade sulphate of potash This mate- rial comes from the German mines and contains 26 to 28 per cent of actual potash. It also contains 32 to 36 per cent, of sulphate of magnesia. Carbonate ( f Potash=riagnesia contains about 1 8 per cent, potash and 19 per cent, magnesia, both as carbonates. It is practically free of chlorine. It is also a product of the German potash mines. Wood Ashes contain more or less potash, which is pres- ent chiefly in the form of carbonate. There are several very inferior sources of ammonia, such as hair, ho.>f meal or horn-dust, leather scrap or meal, etc. While all these materials contain much ammonia, they de- cay so slowly in the soil that they have a very uncertain fer- tilizer value. These substances are from their very nature slow to decompose, and when used with other materials, are sure to cause disappointment from the lack of available am- monia to accompany the potash and phosphoric acid. TERMS USED IN STATING FERTILIZER ANALYSES. Fertilizer dealers, and the Experiment Station Bulletins treat the different forms of fertilizer materials separately .and it is important that the farmer should be familiar with ihese trade names, and understand what they mean. TOBACCO CULTURE. 73 The following list contains most of the terms used in stating fertilizer analyses: Ammonia is expressed as (a) Nitrogen, (&) Ammonia, ( ^N ^ ^, IM CM ^v "^ b*s *v : : -CM C CO M - CO vo - ^ ^ ct K-J ^: CO S ^o, ^ H^ O ^| H^ 1 ' -^' 1 "K. Tf JJ-J f^. ,_, co CN t> ^J* 1-1 CM 1-1 - 1 HH HI " d O - U < V W V ^- -hi -*N H^ CO CO Tj- CM ^O vC O n CO ^O CM M M h- VO CM 4}- -kN ^ 1 1 w CM M O - " 1 u-> C\ CM O M u-> l> ON ^O 10 M s-^ ^ 'oT rt rt T3 bi) . C bO cti O j. bf, ^ ... & bo 43 % TJ ^^ ^;>. o "^ S o 1 IP Z c Q ^ S CD "C Q Concentrated Tan g 4 | co" U S U C ^ ^ g -S o & CD :^ C/3 0- bo bo fe A . u rt oj _. g VH ^ - ^ 2 2 e c .2 ti to ja rt oj >- O rt O H H Q O U H TOBACCO CULTURE. 8l c< !->. fO IO N tOONtOlON t^tOt^. t< tO fO to to "i (0 ! ^ 4-'"*'* x * V ""*'* s *'* > *'* V " M to N to to M SOURCE ^PHORIC * Available, Per Cent. 10 "O vo r CO ir> CO o o o o ^ 3 M to to *O to to (0 ^ -"s o. ... u (0 fi VO toto*O ^ ^ ^ N t^-O -O O . f A ^j xT sk ^* ^* r^"* ^o *\ Q ^ O 3 < ? ^ k *w- S t^ IE Uo fefF ~4 .5 < ^ H N N *** rt ?i *^ ^ ^i So **** ""Ki ^ \^ ; ', o - J- ** *-* ^ J" t>H \J *S ^ cr Q. {j 0) ^ ^ ^ ^ N O rJ" 1>J ^l ^L S/v ^i ^T " J Q. ^ "O o k . 4-> " .Vi k C frfsi -^ u * *s LL o || U. : j2 : o ' '- - : ^j fi t +** COMPOSITION 8 : % ' H : ^ 3 : g< o v> . 'g .^^ o art^^A^ ^^c-c-cllgSSS? oo^^^gSoooofe UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY BERKELEY Return to desk from which borrowed. This book is DUE on the last date stamped below. SJan'SOCSA 181975 U ft 45 18T5 LD 21-100m-9,'48(B399sl6)476 A CO., PHINTIH* vj