▁at ▁once ▁by ▁cutting ▁off ▁the ▁st alk ▁at ▁the ▁ground ▁with ▁a ▁sick le . ▁In ▁the ▁nin ete enth ▁century , ▁bright ▁to b acco ▁began ▁to ▁be ▁har v ested ▁by ▁pulling ▁individual ▁leaves ▁off ▁the ▁st alk ▁as ▁they ▁rip ened . ▁As ▁the ▁plants ▁grow , ▁they ▁usually ▁require ▁to pping ▁and ▁su ck ering . ▁" To pping " ▁is ▁the ▁removal ▁of ▁the ▁to b acco ▁flowers ▁while ▁" su ck ering " ▁is ▁the ▁pr uning ▁out ▁of ▁leaves ▁that ▁are ▁otherwise ▁un product ive . ▁Both ▁procedures ▁ensure ▁that ▁as ▁much ▁of ▁the ▁plant ' s ▁energy ▁as ▁possible ▁focus es ▁on ▁producing ▁the ▁large ▁leaves ▁that ▁are ▁har v ested ▁and ▁sold . ▁" C ro pping ", ▁" P ull ing ", ▁and ▁" Prim ing " ▁are ▁terms ▁for ▁removing ▁m ature ▁leaves ▁from ▁to b acco ▁plants . ▁Le aves ▁are ▁cro pped ▁as ▁they ▁rip en , ▁from ▁the ▁bottom ▁to ▁the ▁top ▁of ▁the ▁st alk . ▁ ▁The ▁first ▁c rop ▁of ▁leaves ▁located ▁near ▁the ▁base ▁of ▁the ▁to b acco ▁st alk ▁are ▁called ▁" s and ▁lug s " ▁in ▁more ▁rural ▁southern ▁to b acco ▁states . ▁They ▁are ▁called ▁" s and ▁lug s " ▁because ▁these ▁leaves ▁are ▁close ▁to ▁the ▁ground ▁and ▁get ▁spl ashed ▁with ▁sand ▁and ▁cl ay ▁when ▁heavy ▁ra ins ▁hit ▁the ▁soil . ▁Sand ▁lug s ▁we igh ▁the ▁most , ▁and ▁are ▁most ▁difficult