PREPARING THE FIELD 



467 



feet, and in others that amount is sown on 200 or 300 square feet of 

 bed. Sifted wood ashes, land plaster or some other diluent is 

 mixed with the seed to aid in getting even distribution. It is then 

 better to go over the land two or three times. Before sowing, the 

 light seeds should be separated out and discarded by the use of a 

 blower (Fig. 198). The seed are covered by tramping the land 

 or going over with a roller. 



After sowing the seed the 

 bed should be covered with 

 cheesecloth. In some of the 

 more northern districts glass 

 is sometimes used and the 

 plants may even be grown in 

 hot-beds. 



The beds are watered fre- 

 quently in dry weather, but not 

 excessively, as this encourages 

 fungous diseases-. Sometimes 

 to stimulate the growth of the 

 plants nitrate of soda is used 

 at the rate of one-quarter pound 

 to ten gallons of water. The 

 plants are sprinkled with this. 

 It is a good idea to use cle.ar 

 water before and after using the 

 solution to avoid any possible 

 injury. If the stand is too 

 thick, it may be necessary to 



thin, and if the bed Was not Shainel, U. S. Dept. of Agr.) 



burned or was not well burned, it will be necessary to weed. 



A week or ten days before time for taking the plants up, the 

 cheesecloth or glass should be kept off some to harden them. 



Preparing the Field. If the danger of washing will not be in- 

 creased, fall or winter plowing of tobacco land is frequently advisable. 

 At any rate, early plowing should usually be practised to give 

 vegetable matter time to decay and become available as plant food 

 and to aid in the destruction of some of the insect pests. Where 



