No. 4.] TOBACCO GROWING. 269 



care should be taken of the bed, especially a glass bed. Often 

 a fine bed is ruined because the owner did not raise his sash on 

 a hot day; again, lack of air also causes "damping off," a 

 disease in which the plant decays just above ground.' Steriliz- 

 ing the ground with live steam in the fall or spring is growing 

 in favor as this not only kills all fungous diseases, but the weed 

 seeds as well. A large square pan of galvanized iron, boards 

 or other material is inverted over the bed. This is pushed 

 down into the soil, after which live steam is turned under the 

 pan and held at a pressure of 80 pounds for half an hour, when 

 the pan is moved to a new place. x\n objection to the wood box 

 is that it becomes heavy after being soaked with steam. One 

 pan made of galvanized iron 6 by 12 feet cost a grower $22. 

 This grower claims that his beds were steamed at a cost of 

 about $1 per square rod. He grows about 30 acres and 

 started to steam his beds in the fall, but was compelled to 

 give up the operation on account of freezing and finish in the 

 spring. This grower advocates steaming in the fall, as fuel 

 is saved by the ground not being cold, and there is no frost 

 to thaw out. Many growers claim that this steaming will pay 

 for itself simply in the saving of weeds. 



, Fertilizing the Crop. 



Materials used to fertilize the crop are barnyard manure, 

 city stable manure, tobacco stalks, tobacco stems and com- 

 mercial fertilizers of many kinds. Barnyard manure is not 

 extensively used because it is not to be had. However, if used 

 it should be plowed under either in the fall or spring. A great 

 deal of city stable manure is bought. Tobacco stems are used 

 to some extent, but the quantity is limited. Quite a number of 

 growers are plowing under their tobacco stalks which have 

 been found to contain from 6 to 8 per cent potash. At a to- 

 bacco meeting held during the winter of 1915 one of the 

 speakers asked how many growers present plowed under their 

 stalks, and about one-half of those present replied in the 

 aflBrmative. This well illustrates the attitude of the grower. 



The bulk of the valley crop is raised on chemical fertilizer, 

 and nearly every fertilizer company makes one or more special 

 brands for this crop. Neither all the good nor all the poor 



