464 FIELD CROPS 



perhaps nearer the truth, the different types of soil produce 

 widely different types of tobacco. Clay soils produce heavy 

 tobacco of the shipping, or export, type, while the finest leaf 

 or cigar tobacco is grown on the Ughter sandy soils. 



While there is a wide variation in the adaptability of soil 

 types to tobacco production, the crop grows better on all soils 

 that are fertile and moist. The growth must be rapid and 

 without check from drought or other causes, else the leaf will 

 be small and of poor texture. The fertilizer which is used 

 depends largely on the soil and the type of tobacco which is 

 grown, but horse manure is quite commonly used when it is 

 available, and commercial fertilizers are also frequently ap- 

 pHed. The fertilizer, however, should be well balanced, or 

 the quality of the crop will be injured. An excess of phos- 

 phoric acid affects the color of the ash in cigar tobacco, while 

 excessive nitrogen produces a thick, heavy leaf not suited to 

 cigar use. Some of the cheaper forms of potash, as those 

 which contain chlorine, are injurious to the burning qual- 

 ity of cigars. The fertilizers which are most commonly used 

 with good results are cottonseed meal, high-grade sulphate 

 of potash, and acid phosphate. The fertilizer is usually 

 broadcasted or drilled in before the plants are set, the 

 application varying from 200 pounds to a ton to the acre. 



634. Preparing the Seed Bed. Unlike most of our other 

 field crops, tobacco is sown first in a plant bed from which 

 the plants are later transplanted to the field. This is on ac- 

 count of the minute nature of the seeds and the slow growth 

 of the young plants, and also because these beds can be pro- 

 tected from late frosts and the seed, therefore, sown much 

 earlier than would otherwise be possible. It is always de- 

 sirable to use virgin soil for the plant bed, as it contains a 

 large proportion of vegetable matter and is also compara- 

 tively free from weed seeds and insects. The common 

 practice in many sections where such land is available is to 

 clear off a small patch in an open wood, the surrounding 



