﻿190 
  History 
  of 
  Durham, 
  

  

  i-mportant 
  information, 
  and 
  we 
  desire 
  here 
  to 
  tender 
  our 
  

   thanks 
  lor 
  the 
  same. 
  

  

  Seed 
  Beds. 
  

  

  Tiic 
  methods 
  of 
  preparing: 
  seed 
  beds 
  are 
  substantially 
  the 
  

   same 
  in 
  North 
  Carolina, 
  Virginia, 
  Kentucky, 
  Tennessee 
  

   and 
  other 
  Southein 
  tobacco-growing 
  States, 
  such 
  variations 
  

   as 
  exist 
  depending 
  altogetlier 
  on 
  local 
  conditions. 
  

  

  The 
  site 
  for 
  a 
  plant-bed 
  most 
  usually 
  preferred 
  is 
  that 
  

   having 
  a 
  southern 
  or 
  southeastern 
  exposure, 
  that 
  it 
  raaj' 
  

   have 
  the 
  genial 
  and 
  fructifying 
  warmth 
  of 
  the 
  sun 
  in 
  early 
  

   spring, 
  so 
  that 
  the 
  plants 
  may 
  be 
  set 
  out 
  before 
  the 
  hot 
  

   weather 
  of 
  summer. 
  If 
  the 
  bed 
  can 
  be 
  located 
  near 
  a 
  

   stream, 
  fogs 
  will 
  quicken 
  the 
  germination 
  of 
  the 
  seed 
  and 
  

   the 
  growth 
  of 
  the 
  plants. 
  Probably 
  the 
  best 
  possible 
  loca- 
  

   tion 
  is 
  on 
  a 
  gently-sloping 
  hill, 
  on 
  the 
  north 
  side 
  of 
  a 
  run- 
  

   ning 
  stream, 
  but 
  sufficiently 
  elevated 
  to 
  be 
  above 
  any 
  dajii- 
  

   ger 
  from 
  overflows. 
  In 
  such 
  situations 
  plants 
  are 
  often 
  

   two 
  weeks 
  in 
  advance 
  of 
  those 
  in 
  beds 
  prepared 
  on 
  level 
  

   land. 
  The 
  timber 
  growth 
  may 
  be 
  of 
  any 
  kind 
  that 
  denotes 
  

   fertility 
  of 
  soil. 
  

  

  In 
  Virginia, 
  Kentucky 
  and 
  Tennessee 
  a 
  dark-colored, 
  

   almost 
  a 
  black, 
  soil 
  is 
  preferred, 
  because 
  it 
  is 
  more 
  readily 
  

   warmed 
  b^' 
  the 
  ra3'S 
  of 
  the 
  sun, 
  and 
  retains 
  the 
  heat 
  much 
  

   longer 
  than 
  lighL-colored 
  soils. 
  For 
  the 
  same* 
  reason 
  a 
  

   sligiit 
  intermixture 
  of 
  gravel 
  will 
  be 
  of 
  advantage. 
  In 
  

   North 
  Carolina, 
  although 
  many 
  planters 
  prefer 
  a 
  black 
  

   soil, 
  free 
  from 
  sand 
  or 
  gravel, 
  the 
  majority 
  of 
  fine 
  tobacco- 
  

   growers 
  choose 
  a 
  sandy 
  soil, 
  such 
  as 
  that 
  in 
  which 
  the 
  plant 
  

   is 
  to 
  be 
  grown 
  to 
  maturity. 
  . 
  

  

  In 
  Virginia, 
  exce()t 
  where 
  wood 
  for 
  the 
  purpose 
  is 
  scarce, 
  

   in 
  North 
  Carolina, 
  Kentucky, 
  Tennessee, 
  Missouri, 
  and 
  in 
  

   many 
  tobacco 
  districts 
  in 
  other 
  States, 
  the 
  practice 
  of 
  burn- 
  

   ing 
  over 
  the 
  seed-beds 
  is 
  general. 
  The 
  burning 
  is 
  not 
  

   slight, 
  as 
  in 
  the 
  Connecticut 
  valley, 
  where 
  this 
  appears 
  to 
  

   be 
  done 
  simply 
  to 
  destroy 
  the 
  seeds 
  of 
  weeds 
  and 
  gravs, 
  but 
  

   the 
  soil 
  is 
  burnt 
  until 
  it 
  shows 
  a 
  reddish 
  tinge. 
  Several 
  

   methods 
  of 
  burning 
  are 
  practiced. 
  In 
  all 
  cases 
  the 
  wild 
  

   growth 
  is 
  first 
  cut 
  off 
  with 
  an 
  axe 
  and 
  not 
  dug 
  up. 
  Leaves 
  

   and 
  trash 
  are 
  carefully 
  raked 
  off 
  from 
  the 
  bed 
  space. 
  If 
  the 
  

   intention 
  is 
  to 
  burn 
  with 
  logs, 
  skids 
  or 
  poles 
  are 
  laid 
  down 
  

   four 
  feet 
  apart, 
  and 
  a 
  layer 
  of 
  logs 
  and 
  smaller 
  wood, 
  four 
  

   or 
  five 
  feet 
  wide, 
  is 
  built 
  upon 
  the 
  skids, 
  the 
  object 
  being 
  to 
  

  

  