摘自查尔斯·鲍尔：《美国奴隶制》，纽约1837年版，第60-65页。
选译者：高春常 鲁东大学历史与社会学院教授
首发：史海踏浪 http://seasurfing.blogspot.com
选译者：高春常 鲁东大学历史与社会学院教授
首发：史海踏浪 http://seasurfing.blogspot.com
鉴于很多人可能对烟草种植过程不熟悉，对这种植物的生长予以简单介绍可能不无兴趣。
工作着手于二月份：清理好一块新土地，把地面上砍下的树木焚烧掉，以便整个地方都铺上一层灰烬。然后用锄头挖掘，把树桩和树根小心地刨除。大约三月初的时候，在这层土床上播下烟草种子，不像芜菁种在地埂上，或成行种植。种子并不会很快发芽，但幼苗一般四月初冒出来。在烟草生长的这段时间，如果天气仍然多霜，要把松树枝条或红雪松树枝厚厚地盖在整块土地上；地块包括一到四英亩，根据种植园要种植的作物多少而定。一旦天气好转，烟草幼苗就开始生长，覆盖物被移除，土地暴露在阳光之下。从这个时候开始，地块要小心照管，各种杂草需要清除。三、四月份的时候，人们忙于耕作五月份要栽培烟草的土地。随即在玉米被种植之后，每个男男女女和孩子，凡是能够扛起锄头的，或者能拿动烟草苗子的，都忙于借助犁沟把整个种植园整理成大约间隔四英尺的地埂，在地里排列有序；这个时候土地已经被耕作两次了。这些地埂被整成距离相等的方形或菱形，在这里烟草幼苗从被种植的母床上移植过来。移植的时候土壤一定让雨水浸湿了，如果可能的话，在降水之前、或在下雨之时，当时甘蓝已被移植到菜园。但要把一、二百英亩的地里种上烟草不是一个钟头的事情，一旦确信将有充足的降雨，为了移出烟草，所有的人手都被召唤到烟草地，不管雨下得多大、风暴多么狂烈，从母床上移植植物、并把它们种植在将要生长的土埂上的工作都要继续，直到庄稼移完，或者雨水停止、太阳放晴。烟草种植期间，饥肠辘辘的奴隶所需要的，没有能比提供喘息之机的黑夜和短暂的间歇更好的了。直到工作干完，或者雨水停止、云彩散去。一些植物在移植过程中死掉了，其位置要让给那些仍留在母床里的幼苗，但要等到下次雨水降临。
有时烟草害虫在从母床移植之前就出现在植物中间。从这种令人作呕的爬虫出现开始，植物每天都要仔细地检查，以摧毁可能发现的任何害虫。然而直到作物被移植到地里、并开始旺盛生长之前，这些害虫还没有完全的大批量出现。如果不加干涉，它们将在六、七月间完全吞没大片的烟草地。每年的这个季节，每个能够捉虫的奴隶都被从早到晚拴在地里。那些能够使用锄头的，都忙于为烟草除草，与此同时要捻死所发现的任何害虫。孩子们除了搜索和杀死害虫外无所事事。但所有的工作和警惕都不足以让害虫歇工，如果不是有火鸡和鸭子帮忙的话。在某些大地块上，他们养殖一、二百火鸡和尽可能多的鸭子，那可不是为了出售，而是为了摧毁烟草害虫。鸭子从早到晚生活在烟草地里，除了它们下水的时间；作为狼吞虎咽的家伙，这些鸭子从植物上吞吃了无数的害虫。它们很喜欢这份食谱，也不需任何看管就呆在那里。但火鸡就不是那么回事了。它们需要特别的待遇。它们整夜需要呆在大笼子里，笼子要宽敞得能盛下一整群。早晨天一放亮，笼子要及时打开，鸡群倾巢而出，并被赶到烟草地。
二百只火鸡后面应该跟着四五个壮小伙，以保证它们各就其位、各负其职。一只火鸡能吃掉多达五个男人同时期所干掉的数量；但烟草害虫似乎不是火鸡的天然食品，往往倾向于挣脱出田野，逃跑到树林或草场寻找蚂蚱，这东西比烟草害虫好吃多了。不过，如果被管制在烟草中间，它们会在害虫间发动可怕性的劫掠，直到吃得噎住喉咙。当它们停止吃虫的时候，就被赶到笼子那里，关在里面，并在那里饮用大量的水、啄食玉米。如果它们得不到玉米，只是被迫吃食烟草害虫，它们就会萎靡不振、体弱多病，并最终死亡。傍晚的时候，它们再次被赶到地里，享受早晨的同样待遇。
烟草害虫有着明亮的绿色，身体上环绕着一串串圆圈。我曾看到过跟男人的长指那么大的虫子。我从没有搞明白它们是如何长出来的。它们确实不会像其他虫子那样变成蝴蝶，而我从来不能察觉到它们究竟在哪里排卵。我的看法是，烟草植物的本性中有什么东西导致了这种可恶的爬虫，由于它们成年时太大了，以至于不能与昆虫并列。
八月份的时候，烟草被“放倒”，就像被人称呼的那样；这意味着他们不再为了根除杂草之故而在地里工作；现在植物长得如此之大，以至于不会被下面的植被所伤害。但害虫仍然持续着它们的劫掠，有必要雇用所有人手捕杀它们。同月烟草被削顶，如果在此之前没做这件事的话。当植物长到二、三英尺，要根据地力与生长活力削去顶端，以防止长籽。削顶导致植物的所有力量都扩展到可利用的叶子上，否则就会因开花结果而衰竭。大概在八月初，烟草完全长成以后，要得到仔细地看管，以确定何时成熟或适合砍伐。该植物的品性可从颜色或页面上的某些灰斑那里看出来。它并非同时到达成熟期：尽管一些植物八月初就成熟了，其他一些九月中旬前不会成熟。当植物被砍倒，它们被放置在地上一段不长的时间，然后收拾起来，烟茎被劈开，以利于叶子的干燥。在这种情况下被移送到干燥室，在那里的棚子下挂起来，直到完全干燥。此后被转移到烟草房，成捆捆绑，以备抽茎和加工。
附原文：
Charles Ball, Slavery in the United States: A Narrative of the Life and Adventures of Charles Ball, New York: Published by John S. Taylor, Brick Church Chapel,1837.pp.60-65.
As many persons may be unacquainted with the process of cultivating tobacco, a short account of the growth of this plant, may not be uninteresting.
The operation is to be commenced in the month of February, by clearing a piece of new land, and burning the timber cut from it, on the ground, so as to form a coat of ashes over the whole space, if possible. This ground is then to be dug up with a hoe, and the sticks and roots are to be carefully removed from it. In this bed, the tobacco seeds are sown about the beginning of March, not in hills, or in rows, but by broad cast, as in sowing turnips. The seeds do not spring soon, but generally the young plant appears early in April. If the weather, at the time the tobacco comes up, as it is called, is yet frosty, a covering of pine tops, or red cedar branches, is thickly spread over the whole patch, which consists of from one to four or five acres, according to the dimensions of the plantation to be provided with plants. As soon as the weather becomes fine, and the young tobacco begins to grow, the covering of the branches is removed, and the bed is exposed to the rays of the sun. From this time, the patch must be carefully attended, and kept clear of all grass and weeds. In the months of March and April the people are busily employed in ploughing the fields in which the tobacco is to be planted in May. Immediately after the corn is planted, every one, man, woman, and child, able to work with a hoe, or carry a tobacco plant, is engaged in working up the whole plantation, already ploughed a second time, into hills about four feet apart, laid out in regular rows across the field, by the course of the furrows. These hills are formed into squares or diamonds, at equal distance, both ways, and into these are transplanted the tobacco plants from the beds in which the seeds were sown. This transplantation must be done when the earth is wet with rain, and it is best to do it, if possible, just before, or at the time the rain falls, as cabbages are transplanted in a kitchen garden; but as the planting a field of one or two hundred acres, with tobacco, is not the work of an hour, as soon as it is deemed certain that there will be a sufficient fall of rain, to answer the purpose of planting out tobacco, all hands are called to the tobacco field, and no matter how fast it may rain, or how violent the storm may be, the removal of the plants from the bed, and fixing them in the hills where they are to grow in the field, goes on, until the crop is planted out, or the rain ceases, and the sun begins to shine. Nothing but the darkness of night, and the short respite, required by the scanty meal of the slaves, produce any cessation in the labour of tobacco planting, until the work is done, or the rain ceases, and the clouds disappear. Some plants die under the operation of removal, and their places are to be supplied from those left in the bed, at the fall of the next rain.
Sometimes the tobacco worm appears amongst the plants, before their removal from the bed, and from the moment this loathsome reptile is seen, the plants are to be carefully examined every day, for the purpose of destroying any worms that may be found. It is, however, not until the plants have been set in the field, and have begun to grow and flourish, that the worms come forth in their fall strength. If unmolested, they would totally destroy the largest field of tobacco in the months of June and July. At this season of the year, every slave that is able to kill a tobacco worm, is kept in the field, from morning until night. Those who are able to work with hoes, are engaged in weeding the tobacco, and at the same time destroying all the worms they find. The children do nothing but search for, and destroy the worms. All this labour and vigilance, however, would not suffice to keep the worms under, were it not for the aid of turkeys and ducks. On some large estates, they raise from one to two hundred turkeys, and as many ducks--not for the purpose of sale; but for the destruction of tobacco worms. The ducks, live in the tobacco field, day and night, except when they go to water; and as they are great gormandizers, they take from the plants and destroy an infinite number of worms. They are fond of them as an article of food, and require no watching to keep them in their place; but it is otherwise with the turkeys. These require very peculiar treatment. They must be kept all night in a large coop, spacious enough to contain the whole flock, with poles for them to roost on. As soon as it is light in the morning, the coop is opened, the flock turned out, and driven to the tobacco field.
Two hundred turkeys should be followed by four or five active lads, or young men, to keep them together, and at their duty. One turkey will destroy as many worms, as five men could do in the same period of time; but it seems that tobacco worm are not the natural food of turkeys; and they are prone to break out of the field, and escape to the woods or pastures in search of grasshoppers, which they greatly prefer to tobacco worms, for breakfast. However, if kept amongst the tobacco, they commit terrible ravages amongst the worms, and will eat until they are filled up to the throat. When they cease eating worms, they are to be driven back to the coop, and shut up, where they must have plenty of water, and a peck of corn to a hundred turkeys. If they get no corn, and are forced to live on tobacco worms only, they droop, become sickly, and would doubtlessly die. In the evening, they are again driven to the field, and treated again in the same manner as in the morning.
The tobacco worm, is of a bright green colour, with a series of rings or circles round its body. I have seen them as large as a man's longest finger. I was never able to discover in what manner they originate. They certainly do not change into a butterfly as some other worms do; and I could never perceive that they deposite eggs anywhere. I am of opinion that there is something in the very nature of the tobacco plant, which produces these nauseous reptiles, for they are too large, when at full growth, to be ranked with insects.
In the month of August, the tobacco crop is laid by, as it is termed; which means that they cease working in the fields, for the purpose of destroying the weeds and grass; the plants having now become so large, as not to be injured by the under vegetation. Still, however, the worms continue their ravages, and it is necessary to employ all hands in destroying them. In this month, also, the tobacco is to be topped, if it has not been done before. When the plants have reached the height of two or three feet, according to the goodness of the soil, and the vigour of the growth, the top is to be cut off, to prevent it from going to seed. This topping, causes all the powers of the plant, which would be exhausted in the formation of flowers and seeds, to expand in leaves fit for use. After the tobacco is fully grown, which in some plants happens early in August, it is to be carefully watched, to see when it is ripe, or fit for cutting. The state of the plant is known by its colour, and by certain pale spots which appear on the leaves. It does not all arrive at maturity at the same time: and although some plants ripen early in August, others are not ripe before the middle of September. When the plants are cut down, they are laid on the ground for a short time, then taken up, and the stalks split open to facilitate the drying of the leaves. In this condition it is removed to the drying house, and there hung up under sheds, until it is fully dry. From thence it is removed into the tobacco house, and laid up in bulk, ready for stripping and manufacturing.
Sometimes the tobacco worm appears amongst the plants, before their removal from the bed, and from the moment this loathsome reptile is seen, the plants are to be carefully examined every day, for the purpose of destroying any worms that may be found. It is, however, not until the plants have been set in the field, and have begun to grow and flourish, that the worms come forth in their fall strength. If unmolested, they would totally destroy the largest field of tobacco in the months of June and July. At this season of the year, every slave that is able to kill a tobacco worm, is kept in the field, from morning until night. Those who are able to work with hoes, are engaged in weeding the tobacco, and at the same time destroying all the worms they find. The children do nothing but search for, and destroy the worms. All this labour and vigilance, however, would not suffice to keep the worms under, were it not for the aid of turkeys and ducks. On some large estates, they raise from one to two hundred turkeys, and as many ducks--not for the purpose of sale; but for the destruction of tobacco worms. The ducks, live in the tobacco field, day and night, except when they go to water; and as they are great gormandizers, they take from the plants and destroy an infinite number of worms. They are fond of them as an article of food, and require no watching to keep them in their place; but it is otherwise with the turkeys. These require very peculiar treatment. They must be kept all night in a large coop, spacious enough to contain the whole flock, with poles for them to roost on. As soon as it is light in the morning, the coop is opened, the flock turned out, and driven to the tobacco field.
Two hundred turkeys should be followed by four or five active lads, or young men, to keep them together, and at their duty. One turkey will destroy as many worms, as five men could do in the same period of time; but it seems that tobacco worm are not the natural food of turkeys; and they are prone to break out of the field, and escape to the woods or pastures in search of grasshoppers, which they greatly prefer to tobacco worms, for breakfast. However, if kept amongst the tobacco, they commit terrible ravages amongst the worms, and will eat until they are filled up to the throat. When they cease eating worms, they are to be driven back to the coop, and shut up, where they must have plenty of water, and a peck of corn to a hundred turkeys. If they get no corn, and are forced to live on tobacco worms only, they droop, become sickly, and would doubtlessly die. In the evening, they are again driven to the field, and treated again in the same manner as in the morning.
The tobacco worm, is of a bright green colour, with a series of rings or circles round its body. I have seen them as large as a man's longest finger. I was never able to discover in what manner they originate. They certainly do not change into a butterfly as some other worms do; and I could never perceive that they deposite eggs anywhere. I am of opinion that there is something in the very nature of the tobacco plant, which produces these nauseous reptiles, for they are too large, when at full growth, to be ranked with insects.
In the month of August, the tobacco crop is laid by, as it is termed; which means that they cease working in the fields, for the purpose of destroying the weeds and grass; the plants having now become so large, as not to be injured by the under vegetation. Still, however, the worms continue their ravages, and it is necessary to employ all hands in destroying them. In this month, also, the tobacco is to be topped, if it has not been done before. When the plants have reached the height of two or three feet, according to the goodness of the soil, and the vigour of the growth, the top is to be cut off, to prevent it from going to seed. This topping, causes all the powers of the plant, which would be exhausted in the formation of flowers and seeds, to expand in leaves fit for use. After the tobacco is fully grown, which in some plants happens early in August, it is to be carefully watched, to see when it is ripe, or fit for cutting. The state of the plant is known by its colour, and by certain pale spots which appear on the leaves. It does not all arrive at maturity at the same time: and although some plants ripen early in August, others are not ripe before the middle of September. When the plants are cut down, they are laid on the ground for a short time, then taken up, and the stalks split open to facilitate the drying of the leaves. In this condition it is removed to the drying house, and there hung up under sheds, until it is fully dry. From thence it is removed into the tobacco house, and laid up in bulk, ready for stripping and manufacturing.
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