THE WISCONSIN FARMER.    247



        Tobacco Culture.-Continued.
  In previous numbers we have given a con-
cise account of the manner of propagating and
the mode of early culture. It now remains to
say something of its cultivation in the latter
stages of its growth, and of the process of
curing.
                CULTIVATION.
  Having cultivated and hoed the crop as often
as once a week or once in ten days, destroying
all cut-worms as fast as they show themselves,
it now becomes necessary to attend to other
important operations.
  If allowed to perfect itself for seed the to-
bacco plant develops into a branched top, full
of clusters of flowers.
  But the object of cultivation is chiefly the
leanf. It becomes necessary, therefore, to pinch
off the flower-bearing stalk, so as to secure
the largest and most complete development of
the leaf. Even the leaves themselves may not
all be allowed to remain, fop it is better that
the virtue of the pllint should pass into a few,
rather than :iiLt it be distributed to many.
The nii'wier of leaves that may economically
be allowed to grow will, of course, depend, to a
great extent, upon the richness of the soil;
and also on the apparent vigor of the plant,
and on the length of time it has for maturing
its leaves.  The more forward plants, having
a longer season of growth after topping, can
nourish and ripen a greater number of leaves
than the later ones, which must be topped low-
er. "There is great difference of opinion as
to the proper height of topping. From 8 to 20
leaves are recommended-the latter for manu-
facturing.  If the tobacco is pretty forward
and the land rich, at first prime off just enough
of leaves to hill up the tobacco well, and top
to 12 or 14 leaves. '  Continue to top to 12
leaves until the first of August, then reduce
the number at each successive topping, until
the last -when top to 6 leaves.  The usual lim-
its in Wisconsin will generally lie between 8
and 12 leaves, and scarcely ever more than 14
should be left to niature.
   What is known among tobacco culturists as



priminy is simply stripping off a few of the
lower leaves next the ground, so as to leave a
space of some three inches between them and
the surface. This may likewise be done at the
time of topping.
  But this is not all the pruning that is neces-
sary. Suckers will early appear, starting out
at the junction of leaf and stem. These must
likewise be broken off at each going through.
until they cease to make their appearance.
Care must be used in breaking them off nut to
break off the leaf itself.
  But the tobacco plant requires not only thor-
ough cultivation with the ordinary implements,
and careful topping and repented suckering:
it must also be uost carefully protected from
the ravages of the tfobacco-worm.  W~e are in-
formed by those who ha-;c had experiene~ in
tobacco growing in Wiscoilsin that this pest is
not so troublesome with us as in many other
localities; still it is hardly probable that any
crop will entirely eoca!Tv it. The pest in ques-
tioti is a monstroas green worm two or three
inchtes long when developed. and the most in-
veteratc tobacco chewer in the world, tItleCSS it
be some of our Western grinlers who consmtne
a two-pound plug every twenty-four hoors!
The only known wvay to dispose of these wornis
with absolute certainty is to knock then ott
the leaves, when found, r.nd tread them under
foot-an operation which must be repeated at
every going through with the hoe, until the
plantt tuatures and is ready for harvesting.
  Of the cutting. gathering and curing, in the
next number.

  FELNc: TMiBtmtE-When a man has rail tim-
her that is hard to split, and has a sawmill, it
might be good policy to saw the logs into rails,
three inches square; but the same timber saw-
ed into boards would make twice as much fence
(we might add, if well made, twice as good.)
Rails should always be peeled. Bark preserves
timber when alive, but hastens its decay when
dead, unless buried in the ground; a post will
be more durable if the bark be left on. Two
kinds of timber, unless equally durable, should
not be laid in the same fence; for one rotting
before the other makes repair necessary.
  By heeding this suggestion much time may
be saved.



I _