Tobacco is cultivated in New South Wales with much success.  Australia produces a leaf equal to Virginia, or the most fertile parts of Kentucky, but the great difficulty is to extract the superabundant “nitre.”  The first crop in New South Wales exceeds one ton per acre, and the second crop off the same plants, yields about half the weight of the first.  In 1844 there were about 871 acres in cultivation in New South Wales with tobacco, and the produce was returned at 6,382 cwts.  In New England, New South Wales, as fine a “fig” as could be wished for is manufactured under the superintendence of a thorough-bred Virginia tobacco manufacturer—­but the impossibility of extracting the nitre by the heating, or any other process, renders the flavor rank and disagreeable.  Perhaps cheroots, or the lower numbers of cigars, manufactured from the Australian leaf, might prove more successful.

In Sydney the time for sowing tobacco seed is September, but in Van Diemen’s Land it should be a month later, as tobacco plants cannot stand the frost.  The ground should be made fine, and in narrow beds three feet wide from path to path, to allow for weeding without stepping on the beds.  The seed, being small, should not be raked in; but after the ground is raked fine, and perfectly clean, and well pulverised, mix the seed with wood ashes, and sow over the beds, and pat in with the spade, or tread in with the naked feet, which is preferable.  The ground should be moist, but not much watered, or it moulds the plants.  When about as large as moderate sized cabbage plants, they should be put out—­three feet or three feet six in the rows, and five feet apart between the rows.  When the plant rises to about two feet high, it will throw out suckers at each leaf, which must be carefully taken off with the finger and thumb, and all bottom and decayed leaves that touch the ground taken off.  When the tobacco plant throws out flower, it must be topped off, leaving about twelve leaves in the stalk to ripen and come to maturity.  When the leaves feel thick between the finger and thumb, and assume a mottled appearance, they are fit to cut.

In “Tegg’s New South Wales Almanac” it is stated that the end of July is the usual time for sowing the seed.  In order, however, to prevent the plants from being subsequently destroyed by frost, care must be taken not to sow the seed until the frost has ceased in any respective locality (unless raised in a frame).  Tobacco requires a rich light soil, and well manured.

By the instructions for cultivating it, the plant must be three feet apart each way, which would give 4,840 plants to an acre; assuming that each plant would yield half a pound for the first crop, this would give 2,420 lbs. to an acre, which is only 180 lbs. in excess of a ton.  In New South Wales several parties use the tobacco stems for sheep wash.  One pound of tobacco is sufficient to wash five sheep on an average (one washing), which would give 12,100 sheep to one acre.