[Directions for cultivating tobacco] Not being able to give a description of the cultivation of tobacco from personal knowledge and experience, I refer the reader to the following short extract from the Cartilla Agricola:—­

Directions for preparing and laying out the seed beds.—­A suitable piece of land is to be enclosed quadrilaterally by boundaries, ploughed two or three times, cleared of all weeds and roots, made somewhat sloping, and surrounded by a shallow ditch, the bed of which is to be divided by drains about two feet wide.  The soil of the same must be very fine, must be ground almost as fine as powder, otherwise it will not mix freely and thoroughly with the extremely fine tobacco seed.  The seed is to be washed, and then suspended in cloths during the day, in order to allow the water to run off; after which it is to be mixed with a similar quantity of ashes, and strewn carefully over the bed.  The subsequent successful results depend entirely upon the careful performance of this work.  From the time the seed first begins to sprout, the beds must be kept very clean, in dry weather sprinkled daily, and protected from birds and animals by brambles strewn over, and by means of light mats from storms and heavy rains.  After two months the plants will be between five and six inches high, and generally have from four to six leaves; they must then be replanted.  This occurs, supposing the seed-beds to have been prepared in September, about the beginning or the middle of November.  A second sowing takes place on the 15th of October, as much as a precaution against possible failure, as for obtaining plants for the lowlands.

Concerning the land most advantageous to the tobacco and its cultivation.  Replanting of the seedlings.—­Land must be chosen of middling grain; somewhat difficult, calciferous soil is particularly recommended, when it is richly fertilized with the remains of decayed plants, and not less than two feet deep; and the deeper the roots are inserted the higher will the plant grow.  Of all the land adapted to the tobacco cultivation, that in Cagayan is the best, as from the overflowing of the large streams, which occurs every year, it is laid under water, and annually receives a new stratum of mud, which renders the soil particularly productive.  Plantations prepared upon such soil differ very materially from those less favored and situated on a higher level.  In the former the plants shoot up quickly as soon as the roots strike; in the latter they grow slowly and only reach a middling height.  Again in the fertile soil the plants produce quantities of large, strong, juicy leaves, giving promise of a splendid harvest.  In the other case the plants remain considerably smaller and grow sparsely.  Sometimes, however, even the lowlands are flooded in January and February, and also in March, when the tobacco has already been transplanted, and grown to some little height.  In that event everything is irreparably