,126 



respect tbau in many localities in the old tobacco raising- 

 States. To avoid this difficulty, it is advisable to raise the 

 plants under covered beds, in preference to open air beds. 

 Another important discovery has been made in raising plants 

 on the station, viz : That the ilea beetle, commonly called 

 tobacco fly in the old tobacco States, seems to be abundant 

 in this section, attacking the plants soon after they come 

 up, and in uncovered beds destroying them, unless insecti- 

 cides be promptly applied. 



As a remedy for the flea beetle and other insects I would 

 advise spraying the bed with the following solution : One 

 ounce of Paris Green well mixed with fifteen or twenty gal- 

 lons weak soap suds. This same application can also be 

 used after the plants reach the surface. 



Pyrethum, commonly called insect powder, can be used in 

 place of Paris Green, either dry or mixed with water, but 

 it is not considered so effective as Paris Green, and besides 

 it is costlier and more difficult to procure unadulterated. 



It has been ascertained from these experiments that the 

 plants raised under canvass made a more rapid growth and 

 presented a healthier appearance and were ready for trans- 

 j^lanting much earlier than those from open air beds. 

 , The first operation necessary in starting tobacco growing 

 is the making of a seed-bed for raising the plants. A warm 

 sheltered position should be selected for this. It is a com- 

 mon plan to burn a pile of brush-wood, on the land selected 

 for raising the plants, to supply potash and at the same time 

 for destroying the seeds of weeds or the eggs of insects. 



A more recent plan of raising the plants is under a cover- 

 ing of cheese cloth in a hot bed. Plate No. 4 is an illustra- 

 tion of the modern method of covering the plants during their 

 growth, both in the open air and hot beds. The area of the 

 seed-bed will of course depend upon the extent of the pro- 

 posed cultivation and as usually about one square inch in 

 space is allowed to each young plant in the seed-bed, it will 

 require a seed-bed of thirty-six square feet, say nine by 

 four feet, to supply plants for an acre planted at equal dis- 

 tances of three feet apart. 



