32 VARIETIES OF TOBACCO SEED DISTRIBUTED IN 1905-6. 



at least a week before transplanting to prevent the injurious effect of 

 the radical change from the seed bed to the open tield. 



Maryland tobacco is transplanted from May 15 to June 15, Care 

 must be used to wet the seed bed down thoroughly before drawing 

 the plants, thus protecting the roots from injury. The mottled or 

 mosaic tobacco, so common in Maryland tobacco tields, is frequently 

 due to the practice of drawing the plants when the soil is not thor- 

 oughly moistened. This variety should be set in the Held in rows 3i 

 feet apart and the plants 20 to 35 inches apart in the row. 



Tobacco should be preceded by a leguminous crop of some kind, 

 hair}^ vetch being highly recommended for this purpose. In addition 

 to the nitrogen from the leguminous crop a fertilizer rich in potash 

 and containing a moderate amount of phosphoric acid should be added 

 before transplanting. The best stand is ol)tained in the lield where 

 the land has been plowed deeply and harrowed several times, thus 

 leaving a thoroughly pulverized soil for the reception of the plants. 

 The methods of cultivation, topping, suckering, and harvesting are 

 essentially the same as in the case of the Connecticut Havana variety. 



NORTH CAROLINA, TENNESSEE, AND VIRGINIA TOBACCOS. 



The methods of sowing the seed and of preparing and caring for the 

 seed bed are the same in the case of North Carolina, Tennessee, and 

 Virginia tobaccos as those used by the Maryland growers. The seed, 

 however, may be sown at least a month earlier than in Maryland. 



Two systems of harvesting are in general use, both of which have 

 certain advantages. One of these systems is to prime the leaves as 

 fast as they ripen and string them on laths, allowing 30 to 32 leaves to 

 a lath. The other and more common system is to cut the entire stalk 

 and cui-e the leaves on it, as is done with the Connecticut Havana 

 variety. 



The North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia tobaccos are usuallv 

 flue cured or fire cured, for which purpose a special type of barn is 

 used. The essential points of this barn are that it be practically air- 

 tight and provided with one or two furnaces having flues leading up 

 through the center of the barn, giving a large heating surface. There 

 should be at least two small ventilators on or near the top of the barn. 



As soon as the barn is filled with tobacco, fires should be started and 

 the temperature raised to 90'-^ F., where it should remain from 24 to 

 30 hours, during which time the tobacco becomes a uniformly bright 

 yellow. The next step in curing is to raise the temperature from 90" 

 to 120° F. for 15 to 20 hours. This process is commonly known as 

 "fixing the color." Then the temperature may be increased gradu- 

 ally to 125° F., at which point it should be maintained for about 48 

 hours. By this time the leaves should be almost, if not entirely, 3^el- 



