﻿Tobacco 
  Interests 
  of 
  North 
  Carolina. 
  193 
  

  

  A 
  hundred 
  methods 
  are 
  practiced 
  or 
  suggested 
  to 
  prevent 
  

   the 
  ravages 
  of 
  the 
  flea-beetle, 
  but 
  only 
  one 
  plan 
  lias 
  proven 
  

   really 
  effective 
  — 
  to 
  cover 
  the 
  bed 
  closely 
  wiih 
  canvas 
  or 
  

   unbleached 
  cotton 
  cloth. 
  A 
  frame 
  is 
  first 
  made 
  around 
  the 
  

   bed 
  of 
  planks 
  8 
  or 
  10 
  inches 
  high, 
  care 
  being 
  taken 
  to 
  close 
  

   every 
  crevice 
  between 
  the 
  planks 
  and 
  the 
  ground. 
  A 
  few 
  

   wires 
  may 
  be 
  stretched 
  across, 
  the 
  better 
  to 
  hold 
  up 
  the 
  

   cloth, 
  which 
  is 
  stretched 
  over 
  the 
  frame 
  and 
  closelj' 
  tacked 
  

   upon 
  the 
  edges. 
  In 
  place 
  of 
  the 
  wires, 
  a 
  small 
  quantit}' 
  of 
  

   light 
  brush 
  thrown 
  upon 
  the 
  bed 
  will 
  help 
  sustain 
  the 
  

   weight 
  of 
  the 
  cloth. 
  A 
  better 
  plan 
  would 
  be 
  to 
  construct 
  

   a 
  number 
  of 
  smaller 
  frames, 
  of 
  proper 
  width 
  and 
  not 
  more 
  

   than 
  6 
  or 
  8 
  feet 
  in 
  length, 
  upon 
  which 
  the 
  cloth 
  may 
  be 
  

   stretched 
  and 
  neatly 
  fastened, 
  a 
  sufficient 
  number 
  of 
  these 
  

   frames 
  being 
  provided 
  to 
  cover 
  the 
  intended 
  plant-bed. 
  

   yuch 
  frames, 
  with 
  their 
  covering, 
  could 
  be 
  removed 
  when 
  

   no 
  longer 
  needed 
  and 
  stored 
  for 
  future 
  use. 
  If 
  the 
  cloth 
  is 
  

   treated 
  with 
  a 
  single 
  coat 
  of 
  white 
  lead 
  and 
  oil, 
  such 
  as 
  is 
  

   used 
  for 
  the 
  first 
  coat 
  of 
  outside 
  work 
  on 
  wood, 
  it 
  will 
  last 
  

   several 
  seasons 
  with 
  ordinary 
  care. 
  Still 
  another 
  plan 
  may 
  

   be 
  found 
  more 
  economical. 
  The 
  frames 
  may 
  be 
  made 
  and 
  

   properly 
  braced 
  by 
  cross-pieces 
  let 
  in 
  flush 
  with 
  the 
  upper 
  

   edges 
  of 
  the 
  planks. 
  The 
  cloth 
  or 
  canvas 
  may 
  be 
  some 
  

   three 
  inches 
  longer 
  and 
  wider 
  than 
  the 
  frames, 
  and 
  hemmed 
  

   upon 
  the 
  edges, 
  and 
  eyelet 
  holes 
  may 
  be 
  worked 
  along 
  the 
  

   edges, 
  two 
  feet 
  or 
  less 
  apart, 
  in 
  which 
  cords 
  may 
  be 
  fastened 
  

   by 
  which 
  to 
  stretch 
  the 
  cloth 
  and 
  tie 
  it 
  down 
  closely 
  over 
  

   the 
  frames 
  to 
  nails, 
  hooks, 
  or 
  wooden 
  pegs 
  driven 
  into 
  the 
  

   outer 
  faces 
  of 
  the 
  frame 
  planks, 
  three 
  or 
  four 
  inches 
  below 
  

   the 
  upper 
  edges. 
  Other 
  devices 
  will 
  suggest 
  themselves 
  to 
  

   the 
  intelligent 
  farmer, 
  by 
  which 
  he 
  can 
  make 
  the 
  cloth 
  cov- 
  

   ering 
  effective, 
  easily 
  handled, 
  and 
  economical. 
  

  

  When 
  the 
  plants 
  are 
  nearly 
  large 
  enough 
  to 
  be 
  set 
  out 
  

   this 
  protecting 
  cover 
  should 
  be 
  taken 
  off 
  in 
  the 
  morning 
  

   for 
  two 
  or 
  three 
  days 
  and 
  replaced 
  in 
  the 
  afternoon, 
  that 
  the 
  

   plants 
  may 
  be 
  gradually 
  hardened 
  by 
  exposure 
  to 
  the 
  direct 
  

   rays 
  of 
  the 
  sun 
  and 
  better 
  fitted 
  for 
  transplanting. 
  

  

  It 
  often 
  happens 
  that 
  a 
  dry 
  season 
  occurs 
  after 
  the 
  first 
  

   drawing 
  of 
  plants, 
  and 
  those 
  that 
  remain 
  on 
  the 
  bed 
  cease 
  

   to 
  grow, 
  turn 
  yellow, 
  and 
  perhaps 
  die. 
  One 
  or 
  two 
  planks 
  

   and 
  a 
  lew 
  blocks 
  of 
  wood 
  should 
  be 
  provided. 
  A 
  block 
  on 
  

   each 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  bed 
  will 
  support 
  a 
  plank, 
  upon 
  which 
  the 
  

   person 
  drawing 
  the 
  plants 
  should 
  stand. 
  Nothing 
  injures 
  

  

  