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A. H. BUCKNER,
POWER IS EVER STEALING FROM THE If ANT TO THE FEW.'
Editor and Proprietor
VOL. 8 NUMBER 30.
BOWLING-GREEN, MO. SATURDAY, MAY 10, 1841.
WHOLE NUMBER 394,
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Front the Kentucky F armer.
rRIZE ESSAY.
pared and sown as early in Februyrv as the
weather will admit though it will bein good
time if sown any time in that month.
I obacco requires rich soil, and that which
is new, or nearly so answers best. Next to
ground which has been recently cleared,
and which has long been in grass, especial
ly if pastured by sheep, answers best for to
bacco. In preparing ground for tobacco,
great care should be taken to plough it deep,
and pulverize it completely. Grass land in
tended for tobacco, should always be plough-en.,,pre,vioU8fal1-
And 't ler that
u ,j. ' ,aDd "tended for that purpose,
should be ploughed in time to have the bene-
ni oi me previous winter frosts. It should
be kept light and free from weeds, hw wit.
ed ploughmgs till near the time of plan tin-'.
it snouid then be laid oil into ridges, by a
single horse plough, (to prevent the ridges
being trodden by the t.iT hore) from three to
three and a half feet from centre to centre,
M,.nnj.;..jk :.j.i. . "'".a l" u,c kmu 01 wacco wnich is
1 ill. uuunoiiiicu iuic ciullilHCU UIC CSS.UV8 intenHoH In Kin anloJ Tl I I I i
on Tobacco submitted to them by the Ken- be crod" .PtE dis't Z 7 3ZS
tucRy state Agricultural Society, and award plough or one with a double mn M Imnr.t
The ground will now be in a condition re-
quiring nothing more to be done to prepare
ior uie pianwng, out lo cut oil the centre ol
the square or ridge with a broad hoe. This
last operation should be performed when the
plants are ol sufficient size for setting, and
should lemadc only so many at a time as
there will be plants to fill the fust season that
happens. Hants can only be set alter a
rain, and much care should be taken in this
spear is inserted in the handle, the latter i where it is to be cured.
should be shaved flat on two sides to prevent I Tobacco plants may be split during the
the end of the handle next the spear from i heat of the day, without injury. It is on-
striking against the ton of the tobacco stalk 'v liable to be sun burned after it is cut.
as the knife is run down. With this instru- And hence the splitting process may pro-
ment a skilllul operator can split the "nd- gress, while part ot the hands are engaged in
mg plants with great rapidity. The ,uld hanging that which was cut in the morning,
not be split nearer to the ground . . six When the afternoon lias so far progressed
inches. The cutter may follow imntdiate- that tobacco may safelv be cut without the
ly after the splitter, or et any convenient I r's't f being sun burning, (which is usually
time alterwards. A common hemp hook is nrxui iour or nve o clock in August, and
the best instrument for cutting tobacco. The-
cutting season is a critical iiioe for the to
bacco crop. It is subject to a variety of
casualitics; and without particular care, is
liable to sustain great and irreparable injury.
It is subject to be bruised in handling, to be
sun burned, and to be greatly injured by
heating if suffered to lie too long in heaps.
r.'..i. r .i ...:n . 5- ii ' -
uuiii u muse win must materially inline
iviiicniiui ciuiici in ocuieiuuer,j uie culling
process snouid commence, and be concluded
as soon as possible, so as to give time for
uie pun is to tan suincienny to be handled
tho same evening, or the next day, before
me sun nas attained sutncient power to in
jure them. The first cutting of the after
noon, in the early part of the season, can
usually be hawlcdand hung the some evening.
against with the utmost vigilance. The first
is the most difficult to be guarded against.
v nen tobacco is cut in very warm weather.
After it is cut, it must lie long enough to fall
or wilt, so as to become sufficiently pliant to
handle without breaking or brusing'ibe leaves.
The hotter the weather the more difficult it
is to accocplish this object without exposing
the plants to the deterioating effects of being
sun burned. It is surprising how quickly
tins takes, when tobacco is exposed to the
mcrcdian ravs of the sun, in the month of
August, or early in September. The parts
ol the leaves winch arc sun burned burn
whith and soon become dry and crisp; and
when cured, assu.i.e a green color. The
parts thus affected arc completely ruined,
having lost all the qualities of good tobacco.
To guard against this casuality, when tobac
co is cut early in the season the operation
should be performed in the morning or so
late in the evening that the sun will not
have power enough to injure it. Cutting,
IkiUi in the morning and evening may be
practised as convemence may dictate, and
may be managed as follows.
The planter may commence cutting in the
morning, taking care to cut only so much as
he can secure before the sun has acquired
sufficient power to injure it. When the
cutting is complete and the plants have fail-
en sufficiently, he should commence biting it
in heaps with the buts towards the sun. ta-
bv kinircare to handle the plants irentlv.holiiinc
.k- I Ti.:. : . : ... i .. c . ., . . . - . J "i
uicnuiii nuiiu. i ins iuwli is ciy uesiruc- mem by the nuts, ana avoiding an v pressure
tive, and if not destroyed will ruin the crop, unon the leaves. Uv liandlinsr them thus.
Tl. ....,...- ;.. ii..r,.M : i r. i'ii- .i "i i .i - ii.
me uiiiiii i.iiii: uiciciinr, icijiiiuii iioiii ; ami laying tisein as iigiiuy as possible in
an early period of its growth, to save the to-! heaps, this process may be performed before
bacco crop. From the time the horn worm : the tobacco has completely fallen. The
makes its appcarace the crop should begone j heaping thould always commence with the
over once a week til! it is cut. Topping; plants first cut. so that they may as nearly
and priming are next to be attended to. i:,s uracticable. be exnoscd to the sun's r.ivs
'im. - - i i .: .i i i r- . 1 .
inc liiuiT ciiiiMMs in un-uhiii on mo leaves an equal portion oi time, or in equal degree.
for a nl int bed. and heaDed un sufficient! v to ed, and the season ol topping. 1 he first top-
make them burn readily. These must be" set VmS wil1 always admit of a greater numlier
the premium to that signed "A Beaty.
JUHIM UAL.IHXKV.
JOHN II. McIIENRY
JAMES F. BUCKNER
TIIOS. TOWLES, Jr.
Dec 31, 1840.
AN ESSAY ON THE CULTIVATION
OF TOBACCO.
mi . . i
tne nrst step in tne process ot tobacco
culture is to make provision for an abundant operation, for if plants are well set they will
suddIv of plants. Tobacco seed are verv i!row quickly, but if badly set they will be
mall,' and the plants, when they first spring kePl bac't son5e time, and many hills will re-
Irom the ground, grow verv slowly, and 4"e replanting, t ins win cause much addi-
would soon be smothered by weeds if not t,onal ,al'or aIu! renJr the crop irregular as
carefully guarded against. to the tune of ripening. V hen the cropse is
The places selected for plant beds should P'amea its cultivation must be carelully at-
be such as would not be likely to produce tended to. The firt thing to be done is to
many weeds. New ground or that which see lhat the cut worms do not destroy the
has been long set in crass, would be best for yu"g plants. These must be sought after
this purpose. To guard still further against and destroyed. The plants must be kept
weeds, and to ensure a thrifty growth of free fr01" weej!, In this operation both the
plants, it is essential that the place in which plough and the hoe should be used until the
the seeds are to be sown should be burnt, plants become too large to usj the former
A light burning with straw or other light without breaking the leaves. During the
material will not be sufficient. A good last ploughing, tobacco should be ploughed
coat of brush laid upon the eround intended ouy during the heat of the day, when the
. . . ii i -i. i . ..
to be used for a blant bed. and arranged so leaves nave tnitea anu win not easily brean
closely as to make it burn readily, serves best 1 obacco is very subject to be injured
ior the purpose
Care must be taken also, before laying on
the brush, to rake all trash from the ground,
so that the he it may readily destroy the
seeds of any weeds which may have been
desposited there. New ground is always to
oe prelerred for plant beds, and brush as the
material for burning the ground. But if the
tiih.ir.ro nianier nns no new rrounn men lie
must substitute grass land in its stead, and it noxl to the grounu. winch, to uie number ot and should so progress till the whole is h.-a
should be well burned by havin-r a range of ,Mlr or ,,ve are 1,1 no vap- J"e numbered. 1 he stems ol tobacco arc the last parts
... J -O c" Iri . i-i.i i iii. .. .. ... . . .. 1
lozi f those which are seasoned answer best) 01 ieavcs to w men touacco siiouui oe loppeu, that wilt, liemg large and ndgpd, these re
laid along one edge of the ground intended varies according to the kind ol tobacco rais-j quire more sun to make them lull, and hence
the necessity ol placing tne buts towards
the sun when heaping tobacco. Being thus
placed, the stems continue to be affected by
the sun, while the pi ints are laying in heaps.
The heaping of tobacco in some degree pro
tects it from being sun burned, but the un
covered leaves arc, of course unprotected.
Hence the necessity of halwling the tobacco
to the place of hanging it soon as possible
after it has failed fulhViently to admit of this
being done without breaking off the leaves.
Sleds are the most convenient vehicles for
transporting tobacco to the scaffold or house
where it is to be hung, if" near at hand.
These should have smooth plank on the bot
tom, to prevent the leaves of the tobacco
from being torn or bruised. There should
be no standards in the sleds, and the tocacco
should be laid on in two courccs, the tails
lupcdati'l huts out on each side. When un
loaded, the huts should all lie towards the
sun, unless the hanging is performed in the
shades of a house or trees. These precau
tions arc for the purpose of preventing the
tobacco from being sun burned. If the cut
ting take place late in the season, or when
the weather is cool, they will not be neces
sary. Planters who are largely engaged in the
culture of tobacco, will be under the neces
sity of raising it at a considerable distance
from the place of housing it. In that case
sleds will not lie convenient for transporting
it, and it would be a much better plan to
have a wagon coupled so as to hold a very
large body, and sufficiently high to hang the
tobacco, after being put on sticks across the
body. The sticks should be filled where it
grew, and put at once into the waggon, pres
sing tl em as close together as possible with
out pressing the leaves, lhis will protect
the plants from becoming sun burned, and
when the wagon arrives at the place of hous
ing it. the tobacco may at once be transier-
red to the place where it is to be cured. It
would be most convenient to have two wag
ons, so that one may be filled while the oth-
i i- I I 1
er is naunng ana aiscnargmg ns iouu, aim re
returning. So. also, if there be hands
enough, the smaller ones may be heaping to
bacco, while others are engaged in putting it
the crop, and they must all be guarded ! That part of it which has not fallen sufficient
ly to oe nanaieu witnout brusing or break
ing should be suffered to lie in the field, with
out heaping till the next day.
It is usual, when there is no time to hang
all the tobacco during the same evening it is
cut, to let a part of it over till morning, to
be hung while the dew is drying ofT that in
the field. This may be done to advantage
if hawl.-d on sleds, provided care be taken
to prevent it from beating during the night.
If suffered to lie in large heaps, it will be
greatly injured in the course of one night.
I o guard against this casuality, it shonld be
spread in long rows not more than three
or four plants deep, when the weather is
very warm. In cool weather the danger of
heating is not so great. A little experience
will teach the tobacco planter to guard
against the casuality ol which 1 have been
the bouse kept sufficiently warm to cure the
tobacco in a few days. In making kite foot
tobacco, the rules u I believe, that the to
bacco, stalk and all, must be cured in forty
eight hours from the time the fires are raised,
which, as I have already remarked, must be
when the leaves begin to turn yellow ar
round their edges. After thus commencing
to chage color, the entire leaf very soon as
sumes a beautiful yellow hue, and the object
is to cure it before it turns to a nutmeg
brown. If the curing is not very speedy t
ife will, or a gre-t part of it change to the lat
ter color Ltfore the operation is cuiT.piel-.
ed.
The next thing to be done, after the tobac
co is housed and cured, is stripping. This
must be delayed till the stem as well as the
leaf of the tobacco is thorouehlv cured.
Stripping can only be performed when tobao
co is in such high case as to render the stems1
perfectly pliable, or at least such a portion
of them as will supply a sufficient quantity
of tying leaves, that is, leaves to tie the tobac
co in hands. To perform this operation neat
ly, the stem of the leaf with which the hand
is tied should be soft and pliant. As sea
sons for stripping are precarious, whenever
tobacco, after being sufficiently cured,
comes into case, a quantity for future strip
ping should be taken down, and packed in
close bulk, with the tails in the centre and
the buts of the stalks out. This bulk should
be enclosed by the walls of the house on
two or three sides, and the plank on the
other, and should be well stuffed all around
between the enclosure and buts, so as to tx
cludc the air. Thus packed away, tobacco
will remain in case for a long time, but care
must be taken not to pack it down when in
speaking. It is very important that this too damp order, otherwise it will go through
..i i j i i . ' . i . ' i . i .i . . .. p
snuuiu ou uonc, as it is completely ruinous neai, ana oe greatly injured, unless it be
to so much of the tobacco as may become stripped out in the course of a few days. If
heated to a nigh degree, as it will do if suf- put down in proper order it may be stripped
fered to lie in large heaps over night. out at leisure, provided it is not packed in
There are two modes of treating tobacco , bulk before the weather has become cool, say
when it is cut, one is to hang it on scaffolds, I November or December. When stripped
exposed to tne weatner tne other is to hang ana tiea in hands it must be put in bulk, lap--
on fire, and after burning (he ground, which
they cover sufficiently, they must be moved
by means of hooks to adjacent ground not
yet burnt; and so on in succession, until the
entire space intened for a plant bed is burnt
If one set of longs is not sufficient to burn
a space as large as will be necessary, others
must be added to enlarge the space, or tbey
may be burnt at different places as mav be
most convenient.
Where sod ground is intended to be used,
it would be advantageous to have the sod
lightly skimmed off with sharp hoes, before
the space is burnt over.
After the ground is burnt it must stand
of leaves lioing left; and in proportion as the
season advances, fewer leaves should be left.
The heavier kinds of tobacco are generally
topped early in the season, to twelve leaves,
then to ton, and still later to eight. The
lighter kindsof tobacco are topped to a great
er number of leaves. The above rule is m
ly applicable to a rich soil, if the soil is light,
the topping should be regulated accordingly,
and fewer leaves left.
Su&r.rin" is a much more tedious opera
tion, Every plant requires to be twice suc
cored before it is readv for cutting. The
first succors are of quick growth, ami should
be removed before they become large, oth-
sufficiently long to cool, and then the ashes erwise they will not only injure the growth
.l,M h .irr,,lltr rernnvp,!- Tli rrrnnnrt of the plants, but Will SOII1C times break Oil
hnntrl now he Hnrr un with hoes, to the denth the leaves in removing them
-- c ' . ' i
of two or three inches, and so as to pulver
ize it as much as possible; and should be
well raked with an iron tooth rake, so as to
break up the soil into the most minute parts.
It will now be ready for sowing the seed.
It is important that this operation be as regu
lar at possible; and care should be taken to
Tobacco is usually planted from the mid
dle of May to the last of June. And the
cutting season usually commences about the
middle of August and is rarely finished until
late in September. Between the planting
and cutting of tobacco, the labor of attend
ing to it is light, but very tedious. It requires
.nt th nronermmntitv of seed unon th more hands than any othercrop, for the same
ground. If sowed too thick, the plants will number of acres, but weak hands and chil-
be so much crowded as to injure their growth ren can assit ana ao muu ui ui worn.
if tW.n .UfiVienrv of nlnni. mno When it begins to ripen, stouter hands are
Ibe the consequence. A common silver ta- required, though children may still aid in the
We spoonful of seed will be sufficient for fifty subsequent operations. A little practice w ill
square yards. More than that quantity enable the planter to distinguish, very readi-
should not be sowed on that space ot ground. y tne ripe irom me gi wi.iuici . i mc
But if thi ground prepared be abundant, the first cutting the farmer must be selected and
itlinla r rail 14 CtTfWMI mCT ihriftV h V tflWinT n cut Ieavintr the others to become ripe. When
..,uw.r..1 ftf ceerl on seventy or eirdnv smi.ir tobacco is ripe the leaves become spotted,
r4.. ThPerl allotted for a iiartirnl.ir with a nreenish yellow color, and leaves are
bed should be put into a vessel half filled so thick and rigid that by folding and press-
.with fine mould or earth and stirred so thor- mg them between the thumb and linger,
.oughly as to cause the seed to be equally dis- they will break or crack. But a little expe
rtributed in all its parts. It should now be rience will enable the planter to determine
uMnitJ into two ennal divisions. which plants are ripe by sight alone. To-
And the plant bed having been divided in- bacco must be split while stading; and such
to convenient lands for sowing, one portion hands as can readily distinguish between the
should be sowed n equally as possible in one ripe and green plants, snouia db empioyea
Hliwrtinn. mnA th other nortion in the gam in the so uting process. I he most ronven-
bed, ia the opposite direction. The plant ient knife for splitting tobacco is in the form
bed should now be well raked with an iron somewnat like a oroaa cmseu except me
tooth rake, both ways, and should then be blade should be very thin. It should be
miM trniMen hv the'fit of men or Lov. an three and a half inches wide, and of the
ai ta render the loose toil firm and comnact. same length, having attached to it a thin
The. Kd should hAthinlv revered over with soear or shark, to be inserted in a handle
brush to keep it moist and to protect the about a foot long, having a cross piece on
plants from frost. Plant beds should be nre- the top, to be held by the hand. After the
it at once in suitable houses.
The former method must of necessity, be
resorted to where there is a scarcity, of hou
se rooms. Iiy hangin some time on a scaf
fold, the tobacco commences curing and can
be stowed much closer in the house than it
can be, with safety, when first cut. But it is
subject to disadvantage. Those parts which
are exposed to the sun ate liable to be sun
burned, and much of it may, therefore, be
injured on the scaffold. Another injury,
and a most material one, is that if suffered
to remain on the scaffold till the leaves be
ging to cure, they are liable to be injured
by the dews which fall every night; and
still more by a rain, if one should happen
to fall. If the tobacco is house t from the
MatIoll before it begins to cure, not much is
gained in point of room, when stowed in the
on sticks, and conveying it to the place of i
housing it If the tobacco house be so con-'ger of house burning. For the first
structed as to admid the wagons to pass days the fire should be moderate, till
through the centre, facilities will be furnish- edeet of the leaves turn of a yellow color.
ed for transferring the tobacco to the place) The firei should then be gradually raised and
tobacco house. If sulfeied to hang on the
scatf. ld till partly cured, it may be much in
jured by rain and dews.
The safest way, therefore, is to put it in
houses or under sheds, as soon as it is cut.
But here again care must be taken to avoid
another casuality, that of being house burn
ed. It is stated in the Farmer's Guide, page
265, that if it is intended uto cure by fire the
tobacco is carried immediately Irom the held
to the house, hung on sticks, as before des
cribed, and these slicks crowded as close to
gether on the tier as they can possibly be, so
as to exclude all air from the tobacco. It re
mains in this situation until the leaves of the
plants become yellow, or of the color of
hickory leaves just before they fall. This
will generally happen in four or five days,
when the sticks must be spiead and placed
at their proper distances in the house."
There never was a greater, error than that
contained in the above extract. Tobacco
thus housed, would be completely ruined
long before the five days should have elaps
ed. If intended to be cured without fire.
the house should be open as possible, for the
free admission of air. The sticks on which
the tobacco is hung should be placed from
eight to twelve inches apart, according to
the size of the tobacco, so that the air could
circulate freely between the ranges of sticks.
It should be continued in this open order un
til the tobacco is partially cured, when it
may be re-hung in much closer order, so as
to make room for the later cutting. If hung
in open sheds, with tight roots, so much the
better, so that the rain is prevented from
beating in on the tobacco, which may be
done by setting up fence rails or rough plank
against the open sides ol the shed.
If intended to be cured by fire, the house
should be rendered as tight as possible in all
parts, except the roof through which the
smoke must escape. But instead of being
crowded together, as recommended in the ex
tract given above, it should have space e
nough to prevent the plants on the different
sticks from pressing hard again t each other,
after the tobacco has completely lallen. In
stead of suffering the tobacco to hang four or
five days before fire is put under it, the house
should be filled as soon as possible, and fire
put under it immediately to prevent the dan-
lew
the
ping the tails in the middle and leaving the
heads all on the outside of the bulk, so that
they ran become thoroughly dry. If not irl
two high order when put in the bulk, a
above directed, it may be suffered to remain
till February, when it should be hong on
sticks, the hands as close as they ran be con-
veniently placed to each other without pres
sing them together, and hung in the tobacco
house, leaving the sticks so far apart as to ad-
mitiheairto circulate between them. In
this situation the tobacco will become thor
oughly dry in a few days. It must be left
hanging until a roin shall again bring it t'
case. Jt will be observed lhat the leaf, in
contradistinction to the stem, will first come
in case, whilst the stem will be found still
dry and brittle. This is precisely the or
der in which tobacco should be, when it i3
to be finally bulked down for market or pris
ing in hogsheads.
It should now be put down in a very large
bulk, which may inc'ude the planter's entire
crop, i he number ol courses may be six,
eight, oi any larger number, and the whole
should be encolsed by the walls of the house
and plank, and closely surrounded and cov
ered with soft straw, so as perfectly to ex
clude the air. In this condition it may be
kept any length of time, and will be ready at
all times for hauling to market in the hand or
prising. One precaution only will be neces
sary. When the cover of the bulk is taken
off for the purpose of taking out a part of
the tobacco for prising or sale, the entire
course or courses, on the top, should be ta
ken of smoothly, and the cover carefully re
placed. This is necessary to prevent the
top of the bulk from becoming too dry.
W hen prising in the summer, some elder
bushes may be spread over the bulk to keep
the tobacco damp. Tobacco prepared as
herein directed, may be kept any number
of years in bulk, or may be trasferred to
hogsheads and kept for one length of time,
not only without injury, but will constantly
improve by age.
It should be remarked, that to make tobac
co of a very superior quality, great care
should be taken when the stripping process
is going on, to separate all the injured or de
fective leaves from the prime tobacco. To
this end every plant should pass through the
hands of a good judge of tobacco, who should
cull out all the injured and defective leaves,
which should be kept and sold separately.
Thn balance of the leaves may be stripped
and tied by small hands, who are not skilled
tne quauiy oi tooacco. as many per
sons should be employed in culling as mav
be necessary to furnish employment to all
the less skilful hands. Sometimes, especial
ly in kite foot tobacco, theer different quali
ties should be made.
I have now gone through the entire pro
cess of tobacco culture, in which I have en
deavored to include every thing which can
be of practical use to the tobacco planter;
and have gone as much into detail as will
enable him, with a little practice and the ex
ercise of a sound iudcement, to understand
and apply the whole process to the best adJ
vantage.
It is usual to plant tnbacco on our rich1
Kentucky soil for several years in succession
on the same ground. Tobacco is an ex-
I - 4 I
I)
