s \a 7>Yrt.v. The first operation necessary in starting tobacco 

 \ving is the formation of a seed bed. The soil for this must be 



light and friable nature, and should he broken up to a depth of 

 [8 inches some months before sowing. In America a warm shel- 

 tered position, such as the side of a barn, is generally selected, and 

 a drain is dug round the bed, the soil being used in raising the sur- 

 face-. It is a common plan to burn a pile of brushwood on top, 

 thus supplying potash, and at the same time destroying the seeds 

 of weeds, or the eggs of insects. The time for sowing in New 

 South Wales is the end of July and the beginning of August, but it 

 must not be sown till danger of late frost is over. Unless the soil 

 of the seed-bed is naturally rich, it should be heavily manured with 



i farmyard manure soon after breaking up, and the surface 

 must be kept free and open, a crust on no account being allowed 

 to form. A second digging, in a couple of weeks, to thoroughly 

 blend the manure with the soil, and reduce it to a line tilth, will be 

 very beneficial ; in fact the liner the soil the greater the proportion 

 of seed that will germinate. The area of the seed-bed will of 

 course depend upon the extent of the proposed cultivation, and as 

 usually about i square inch in space is allowed to each young plant, 

 it will require a seed-bed of 36 square feet (say 9 by 4) to supply 

 seedlings for an acre planted at equal distances of three feet apart ; 

 the 300 odd seedlings not being too many to allow for possible 

 failures in the iield. An ounce of seed contains, roughly, enough to 

 plant about seven acres ; but as it has not a high percentage of vitality 

 it is usual to sow at the rate of half an ounce for an acre ; and being so 

 very small, a common practice is to mix it with about four times its 

 bulk of silver sand, which ensures an even sowing. The seed-bed 

 having been duly prepared, and made as smooth as possible, the 

 mixed sand and seed is evenly sowed over it, and covered with the 

 thinnest possible layer of very line earth, after which a thorough 

 watering with a line rose watering pot is essential. In a hot situation 

 the bed ought to be covered with a sheet or a layer of straw spread 

 over rods raised about four inches from the ground. This not 

 alone protects from the mid-day sun, but checks the rapid evapora- 

 tion from the earth, keeping the surface moist. The young plants 

 will appear in about a week after sowing, and are at iirst 

 very tender ; they require frequent waterings of weak liquid 

 manure ; a solution of guano is very suitable. All weeds 

 must be carefully removed and grubs diligently watched for. In 

 from seven to eight weeks the young seedlings will be tit for trans- 

 planting. 



Field Culture. Land on which it is intended to grow tobacco 

 should be well ploughed not less than nine inches deep ; twelve 

 inches if possible, on heavy soil, is better still. The crop will generally 

 be more successful if the land has lain fallow the season before ; or 

 a rotation of crops, carried out with an intelligent knowledge of the 

 needs of the crops, will be the aim of the practical farmer. The 



