﻿Tobacco 
  Interests 
  of 
  North 
  Carolina. 
  195 
  

  

  is 
  done 
  by 
  simply 
  applying 
  a 
  torch. 
  By 
  this 
  method 
  a 
  

   standing 
  plant-bed 
  can 
  be 
  annually 
  prepared 
  wliich. 
  if 
  

   heavily 
  manured, 
  will 
  become 
  better 
  each 
  succeeding 
  3'ear. 
  

  

  In 
  Pennsylvania, 
  New 
  York, 
  the 
  New 
  England 
  stales, 
  and 
  

   in 
  Ohio, 
  burning 
  is 
  rarely 
  practiced, 
  and 
  then 
  only 
  so 
  far 
  

   as 
  may 
  be 
  thought 
  necessary 
  to 
  destroy 
  weed 
  and 
  gruss 
  seeds 
  

   in 
  the 
  upper 
  surface 
  soil. 
  The 
  same 
  seed-bed 
  is 
  used 
  for 
  

   successive 
  years, 
  kept 
  clear 
  of 
  grass 
  and 
  weeds 
  throughout 
  

   the 
  year 
  and 
  heavily 
  enriched 
  by 
  an 
  addition 
  of 
  fresii 
  loam 
  

   from 
  the 
  woodlands, 
  composts 
  of 
  stable 
  manures 
  thoroughly 
  

   rotted, 
  and 
  so 
  .handled 
  that 
  no 
  foreign 
  seeds 
  capable 
  of 
  ger- 
  

   mination 
  are 
  left 
  therein, 
  and 
  frequently 
  top-dressings 
  of 
  

   good 
  commercial 
  fertilizers 
  are 
  used. 
  The 
  most 
  successful 
  

   growers 
  in 
  Ohio 
  and 
  in 
  New 
  York 
  use 
  manures 
  from 
  the 
  

   hog-pen, 
  as 
  not 
  only 
  the 
  richest, 
  but 
  as 
  most 
  likely 
  to 
  be 
  

   free 
  from 
  noxious 
  seeds. 
  In 
  the 
  New 
  England 
  states 
  seed- 
  

   beds 
  are 
  enriched 
  with 
  guano, 
  castor 
  pomace, 
  well-rotted 
  

   stable 
  manure, 
  the 
  refuse 
  of 
  the 
  fish 
  oil 
  factories, 
  or 
  some 
  

   one 
  of 
  the 
  numerous 
  manufactured 
  fertilizers. 
  In 
  most 
  of 
  

   the 
  northern 
  stales 
  it 
  is 
  a 
  very 
  common 
  practice 
  to 
  sprout 
  

   the 
  tobacco 
  seed 
  i,efore 
  sowing. 
  The 
  seeds 
  are 
  mixed 
  with 
  

   dark, 
  rich 
  loam, 
  or, 
  what 
  is 
  better, 
  as 
  in 
  Wisconsin, 
  with 
  

   fineh'-pulverized 
  rotten 
  wood 
  from 
  the 
  hollow 
  of 
  an 
  old 
  

   stump 
  or 
  log, 
  and 
  i)laced 
  in 
  a 
  pan 
  or 
  a 
  dish 
  in 
  a 
  warm 
  place 
  

   and 
  kept 
  moderately 
  damp 
  by 
  frequent 
  sprinkling 
  with 
  

   tepid 
  water. 
  The 
  seeds 
  germinate 
  under 
  such 
  conditions 
  

   in 
  about 
  two 
  weeks, 
  and 
  are 
  sown 
  as 
  soon 
  as 
  danger 
  of 
  frost 
  

   is 
  passed. 
  Another 
  plan 
  is 
  to 
  spread 
  the 
  seeds 
  very 
  thinly 
  

   upon 
  a 
  piece 
  of 
  dampened 
  cotton 
  cloth 
  and 
  cover 
  them 
  with 
  

   another 
  cloth, 
  but 
  of 
  wool 
  ; 
  the 
  two 
  are 
  made 
  into 
  a 
  loose 
  

   roll, 
  the 
  woolen 
  cloth 
  outside. 
  This 
  roll 
  is 
  kept 
  ia 
  a 
  warm 
  

   place, 
  dipped 
  in 
  tepid 
  water 
  every 
  day, 
  and 
  the 
  white 
  germs 
  

   appear 
  in 
  from 
  four 
  to 
  six 
  days. 
  In 
  northern 
  Illinois 
  simi- 
  

   lar 
  cloths 
  are 
  kept 
  moist 
  and 
  warm 
  in 
  a 
  pan 
  of 
  earth, 
  of 
  

   which 
  there 
  is 
  a 
  layer 
  above 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  below 
  the 
  cloths. 
  

   Great 
  care 
  is 
  necessary 
  in 
  all 
  these 
  forcing 
  processes. 
  Some- 
  

   times 
  the 
  soil 
  of 
  the 
  plant-bed 
  is 
  too 
  wet, 
  or 
  otherwise 
  not 
  

   in 
  proper 
  condition 
  when 
  the 
  seeds 
  are 
  ready, 
  and 
  when 
  a 
  

   delay 
  of 
  a 
  day 
  or 
  two 
  may 
  render 
  the 
  sprouted 
  seeds 
  useless. 
  

   The 
  prudent 
  man 
  provides 
  against 
  such 
  danger 
  by 
  prepar- 
  

   ing 
  several 
  lots 
  of 
  seed 
  at 
  intervals 
  of 
  several 
  days. 
  

  

  The 
  most 
  common 
  error 
  in 
  sowing 
  tobacco 
  seed, 
  both 
  

   north 
  and 
  south, 
  is 
  in 
  using 
  too 
  much 
  seed. 
  Tobacco 
  seeds 
  

  

  