250 TOBACCO 



sufficient, and these may be grown on a seed bed 

 of 22j square yards. In order to save time, growers 

 occasionally sprout the seed rapidly prior to planting, by 

 spreading the seed thinly on a cotton cloth, and rolling- 

 it up inside a woollen cloth, then dipping in warm water 

 every day and keeping in a warm place. 



Nitrate of soda is now used almost everywhere in our 

 tobacco belt in the fertilization of tobacco seed beds, it 

 being ploughed or worked into the soil at the time of 

 sowing at the rate of 2 Ib. to 20 square yards, which 

 is equal to 200 Ib. per acre. The result is almost in- 

 variably to produce fine plants for setting out. 



An interesting feature of late in the fertilization of 

 tobacco has been the application of a solution of nitrate 

 of soda to the early seed bed, the latter being covered by 

 cheese-cloth for the purpose of keeping off frost and 

 protecting it from a very hot sun. The North Carolina 

 planter who tried the experiment poured a comparatively 

 strong solution of nitrate I Ib. of nitrate to 3 gallons 

 of water (some use only one tablespoonful of nitrate to 

 the gallon) on the cheese-cloth and allowed the solution 

 to drip on the seed bed. Of course, this method allowed 

 the cheese-cloth to absorb a certain amount of the 

 nitrate from the solution and doubtless weakened it. 



The possibility is here suggested of new investigations 

 along the line of applying nitrate of soda in solution, 

 since it has been so successful on deciduous fruit trees, 

 and at least it may be well worth trying on some of 

 the more tender crops, but in very weak solutions. 



Transplanting. 



In the old belt, which includes the Piedmont section 

 of North Carolina and a few of the Middle Southern 

 Counties of Virginia, tobacco is transplanted in 3^ ft. to 

 4 ft. rows, 2j ft. to 3! ft. in the drill, from the first of 

 May to the first of June. In the new belt, which includes 

 Eastern North Carolina and all the tobacco district of 

 South Carolina, tobacco is transplanted in 3^ ft. to 4 ft. 

 rows, the same as in the old belt, but it is planted thicker, 

 most of it from about 2 ft. to 2| ft. apart in the drill. 



