Raising Tobacco

Raising Tobacco. . Sometimes called Brightleaf, tobacco was an important cash crop for 19th and 20th century farmers. It took many field hands, a well-trained mule and 7-8 months of work from seed to market., 1. Tiny seeds - big plant , Tobacco seeds are very small. They form in tear-shaped pods under the flower. The seeds to plant an entire crop would fit in a level teaspoon., 2. Plant beds , Because of their size, seeds must be mixed with a filler like sawdust or cottonseed meal and spread over a finely tilled bed. The plants grow tightly together until they are 6-8 inches tall and ready to pull., 3. Setting plants , Rows are laid off with a mule-drawn plow. The farmer and helper carry water and loose plants to set with a hand setter. Plants are spaced wide enough to allow the tobacco to grow full, heavy leaves., 4. Plowing and Hoeing , Weeds must be kept out of the young tobacco. The hoeing and plowing also loosen the soil to encourage root growth and water movement. The crop is 'laid by" when the leaves are too big to mule plow without damage., 5. Harvesting leaves , The leaves mature from the bottom up. Leaves are cropped when they are yellow and filled out to a mature weight., 6. Topping , The flowers are called "tops". Breaking out the tops allows the plant to put strength into the leaves. Pests like the hornworm must be controlled to keep their value up., 7. Stringing , Hands of 3-4 leaves are looped onto the stick with cotton string. This task was typically done by women. A fast stringer was a source of great pride., 8. Curing , The strung tobacco is hung in the barn from the top down with enough space to allow airflow. Wood fired heat wilts then slowly dries the tobacco to a golden brown. Once dry, the leaves are unstrung and skillfully tied into hands to sell.