Cuba and Cigars | Sowing & Cultivating |
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Sun
Grown Tabacco (strung)
Furrowing
the earth
When the
earth is ready, with all the necessary implements, the peasant begins
to furrow it, this work is carried out with the oxen and the Creole plow
and in some cases there are peasants who also have more modern plows also
pulled by oxen that make three furrows at the same time. |
The width
or separation between furrows varies according to the variety of tobacco,
it is also very important that the furrows be straight.
This machine
is only surpassed by the tractor that makes it quicker, but the quality
is the same and it has the advantage that it does not compact the earth
and causes less aggression to the environment, because tractors weigh
several tons and they consume fossil fuels of great impact in the agricultural
ecosystems.
Sowing
When the
seedbed has satisfactory seedlings, the soil is sufficiently prepared,
the available resources like workers, fertilizer, watering, etc. exist
then an activity of vital importance that receives the name of sowing
is carried out. Tobacco is planted in different dates which receive the
following names:
- Early
plantation from October 25 to November 15.
- Good plantation
from November 15 to December 15.
- Semi-late
Plantation between December 15 and 31.
- Late plantation
between January first and February first.
It is important
to highlight that before the planting work the lands have been improved
previously with the application of calcium carbonate, organic fertilizer
and others.
They begin
then the work of cultivation and hilling of the plants with the objective
of eliminating weeds and to facilitate the appropriate growth and development
of the plantation. Then new insecticides are applied.
The above
pictures show how the seedlings should be taken with the hand to be planted
by the peasants that carry out the planting activity with watering, which
is made giving water to each furrow, later the earth of one of the borders
of the furrow is thrown down, which falls on the ditch that is already
wet, the earth on other border is used for covering the little sticks.
This process
was poetically described by Francisco Poveda (1796-1884) in his poem "A
Cuba" (To Cuba).
¿Qué
puede con vosotras compararse fecundas vegas de mi Cuba?... Nada.
Cabe la orilla del frondoso monte el semillero se echa y se prepara la
tierra luego en alineados surcos de tierra postura se trasplanta
Y se cubre a la par hasta que prende, y después el cultivo y la
eficacia
Hacen que una quebradiza y mil planta despida aromas que codicia el ámbar
Y suave al tacto elaborada luego se transforma en los puros de La Habana.
The time
of sowing in our country is from October 15 to January 10, in a handy
way in a distance of transplant of 75 x 30 cm (30 x 12 inches) and will
be used a marker to maintain the uniform distance between the plants.
Links
& Sources:
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