, and the first intimation of its
presence is the prone and drooping plant. For this there is
no remedy, except to plant and replant, until the tobacco
itself kills the worm. In one instance, which came under our
observation, a single field was replanted six times before
the planter succeeded in getting 'a good stand,' as they
call it on the plantations; but this was an extreme case.

[Illustration: Stringing the primings.]

"When the plants are fairly started in their growth, the
planter tops and primes them, processes performed, the first
by pinching off the top bud, which would else run to seed,
and the second by removing the lower leaves of each plant,
leaving bare a space of some inches near the ground, and
retaining from six to a dozen stout, well-formed leaves on
each stem, according to the promise of the soil and season,
and these leaves form the crop. The rejected lower leaves or
primings, in the days of slavery, formed one of the
mistress' perquisites and were carefully collected by the
'house-gang,' as the force was styled, strung on small
sharp sticks like exaggerated meat-skewers, and cured, first
in the sun, afterwards in the barn, often placing a pretty
penny in her private purse. Now when all labor must be paid
for in money, they are not worth collecting, and, except
when some thrifty freedman has a large family which he
wishes to turn to account, are left to wither where they
fall.

"There is absolutely no rest on a large tobacco plantation,
one step following another in the cultivation of the
troublesome weed--the last year's crop is rarely shipped to
market before the seed must be sown for the next--and
planting and replanting, topping and priming, suckering and
worming, crowd on each other through all the summer months.
Withal the ground must be rigidly kept free from grass and
weeds, and after the plants have attained any size this must
be done by hoe; horse and plow would break and bruise the
brittle leaves.

"'Suckering' is performed by removing every leaf-bud which
the plant throws out after the priming (and topping), thus
retaining all its sap and strength for the development of
the leaves already formed, and this must be done again and
again through the whole season. Worming is still more
t