TOBACCO 529 



best plants (Fig. 215) and by thus bagging the flowers 

 to insure self-pollination. Only the central cluster of 

 flowers should be bagged, the others, being removed. 



The seeds of tobacco are extremely small. The 

 largest of these produce much better plants than 

 the smallest (Fig. 216). A special device or blower 

 has been invented for use in removing the smaller 

 seed from those to be planted (Fig. 217). This 

 device consists of a glass tube about five feet long, 

 with a fine-mesh wire screen near the bottom, and 

 a small bellows connected with the lower end of the 

 tube. 



In growing Sumatra and Cuban tobacco, it is 

 customary to import the seed every year or every 

 few years from Sumatra and Cuba. 



CULTURAL METHODS 



517. Seed-bed. The seed 

 of tobacco are so minute, re- 

 quiring about 5,000,000 to 

 make one pound, that it is 

 necessary to germinate the 

 seed and start the young FIG. 217. A TOBACCO SEED 

 plants in a specially prepared 



seed-bed, from which they are later transplanted to the 

 field. The preferred location for a seed-bed is on recently 

 cleared land, where the soil contains much vegetable 

 matter and few seeds of grass and weeds. A well-drained 

 spot, sheltered on the north, is usually best. The seed- 

 bed should be convenient to water, since the bed must be 



2M 



