Now the Tobacco Plants

What's a 'Baccer Barn without the tobacco plants -- certainly tobacco was common to South Carolina in the 1950's!  So, with many pieces to put together, I started constructing 56 tobacco plants.  Obviously, this was a kit; by Busch (German, I think).  Several (!!) months ago, I put together the first plant, complete.  Then I put the kit aside until I found a corner of the layout that needed some scenery and was encouraged by Paul to construct a Tobacco Barn.  A week or so ago, I was back to the plants having completed the barn.

Each plant started with a "topknot", a "medium" size three-leaf swirl, and a metal post:

The five in front are at that stage.  Then, three more medium size swirls are added, yielding the group in the rear.  Note, the completed plant at the rear, right corner!

Next came four, larger three-leaf swirls.  All of this was glued together with CA glue.  This could be the final edition, but.. . .

note the small bag of pink "stuff".  While many people have seen the green-leafed tobacco plants (at least in this area and closer to the coast, they have), not too many non-tobacco-farmers may have noticed the delicate pink flowers on the plants.  I actually believe these are removed to ensure the plant continues to put energy into the leaves as opposed to its "progeny"!  I've heard removing the flowers is called "topping" -- might also be removing the top of the plant to keep it from growing taller.  Then suckers like you get on tomato plants begin to grow and you have to "sucker" the plants.  Glad I wasn't a tobacco farmer.  I thought this little detail was too much to leave out, so a little Testors glue (for clear plastic parts and windows) on the topknot, a dip into the pink stuff and:

 I'm not enamored with the "field" that comes with the kit AND you probably need more than 56 plants to fill that barn.  Unlike another modeler, whose work I admire (http://themodelrailwayshow.com/cn1950s/?p=1970), I don't intend to produce four to six hundred of these plants.  So, I plan to put these plants in curved rows that tend to run off of the corner of the layout, implying many more plants in the field, but they will have to be imagined!

Maybe this field will be a good job for the next grandkid visit.