II.—Planting.

One of the greatest drawbacks to planting in this colony is the difficulty of obtaining first-class seeds of the best tobaccos grown in other countries. It requires the same amount of capital and acreage to produce a given quantity of leaf worth fifteen shillings per lb., and leaf worth sixpence per lb. I do not think that there can be two opinions as to which a planter should produce. Even supposing a few months and several hundreds of pounds are expended in procuring the seeds, one crop would amply recoup any planter for the outlay. I wish to impress upon you a few simple facts, which are: If you wish to make planting a payable industry in New Zealand go to the plantations and get the seeds, and no longer trust to seeds that came from you know not where, and the quality of which you cannot ascertain until the season is over. All qualities of tabacco seeds resemble each other so closely that only an expert can tell the good from the bad, and he can only do so whilst the seeds are fresh, by a process known only to himself. Once more, if you want good seeds go and get page 7 them, even then you may have some trouble to procure them; planters do not readily part with their best seeds. On arriving where you purpose obtaining seed take particular notice of all things that in any way relate to tobacco planting; procure all the information possible about the seed, seed beds, shoots, and transplanting; how the plants are tended during growth; the time and manner of cutting, drying, and packing for market. The above cautious proceedings are recommended for the reason that all kinds of seeds are not manipulated the one way. Also note the soil, climate, variation of temperature, and the tabulated record of the rain form of former years, and so acquire some knowledge as to the climatic influences upon the various classes of leaf. Secure your seeds from healthy, fully matured plants; fill a phial with them; cork tight, and seal; then I think you will have something that will become valuable to future planters of New Zealand. On your return select the proper localities and prepare your seed beds; pour the seeds you intend planting out on a sheet of glass; shake them down into one layer; place another sheet of glass on the top of the seeds, press the two sheets together, cant them to an angle of 45 deg., then shake them; all the small seeds that fall out put in the fire. Of those left between the glasses, select, with the aid of a microscope, the finest and smoothest, plant them, destroy the others. Planting and curing the leaf, as it is called in these colonies, is about as simple as drying hay. Here is planting from the seed bed to the packed case for market. The seed beds should be good sandy loam, well worked and nicely broken up; two inches of the surface should be one-third wood ashes, and two-thirds road dust or riddled loam, thoroughly amalgamated. The bed should not be more than four feet in width, but as long as you like. When the spring frosts have disappeared take a quart of road dust, dry and pass it through a fine riddle; spread it on a tray; put the seeds in cold water for five minutes, then drain and scatter them over the dust; stir it up until the seeds are well mixed; sow this very care-fully over the bed; add an over dressing of wood ashes, very thin. If the ground is parched water it after sundown; put up a post at each end of the bed; add a ridge pole. At night throw a fly over to guard against a late frost; cross plough and harrow a field, then with a plough set shallow, so that it only scratches, mark off the field into four feet right angled spaces; for very tine leaf the spaces are less. When the plants are about five inches high dibble one in at each angle, do this in the evening or on a cloudy day; after go over the field, and where a plant has failed, pull it and insert another. If the worms become troublesome pick them off night and morning, or turn turkeys in, they will clear the plants and do page 8 very little injury to them; keep the field perfectly clear of weeds and the soil loose; when the plants begin to bunch at the top they are about to blossom; pinch off the tops and remove the bottom course of leaves, dry them. The yellowish green looking cakes called "Golden Bar,"and the light mild cigarette tobaccos are manufactured from this half ripe rubbish. The plant left for seed will indicate when the leaf is ripe. Be sure and cut before the frosts arrive, for, though tobacco will stand heat, wind, and rain, frost kills, and wherever touched, that portion is valueless. For a cutting implement take two feet of an old scythe blade; straighten the shank and put on a handle; curve the point like a shinty stick; cut with this or a bill hook; cut on a hot day and allow the plants to remain where they fall until the leaves have wilted, then carry them to the shed. Do not place them in a heap or they will heat and spoil; split the stalks up the centre, leaving half the leaves on each portion of stalk; tie the two butts of each half stalk about six inches apart. The drying shed must be well roofed and the walls about ten feet high. Lay four inch battons on the flat from wall-plate to wall-plate, lengthwise the shed, leaving fifteen inch spaces; put a support across the centre if required. The ends of the shed should be movable to allow a free current of air to pass through the leaf. Hang the plants over the battons, leaving a few inches between each stalk. There will be some very hot days when the plants cannot be touched without breaking them; when they can be handled turn them once a day. As soon as the leaf is brown and without green spots it is ready for packing. Some day when the leaf is in case—that is when it can be handled without breaking—pull the leaves from the stalks, place eleven of them together and tie the butts with a leaf. That is called a hand. Pack in alternate right angled layers in a case sufficiently large to allow the leaves to lie at full length. I will conclude this chapter by stating that tobaccos of the better sorts will thrive in this colony for one good and sufficient reason, which is this: That the entire surface soil in New Zealand is impregnated with lime, and that is one of the constituents that tobacco cannot get along without.