144 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



sary that all of your plants should be grown under glass, 

 but enough to insure your early plants to take advantage of 

 favorable weather in transplanting. It is also convenient to 

 have a portion of the crop earlier than the remainder, that it 

 may not all require harvesting at the same time. 



But the writer, with twenty-five years' experience without 

 glass, has never failed to get good plants in season ; yet the 

 spring of 1882 was very backward, and a few plants grown 

 under glass that spring would have saved enough labor to 

 pay for the glass. Without glass the beds may be so pro- 

 tected wMth brush as to break the effect of cold winds. 



Many people hesitate about applying water to beds, for 

 the reason, as they say, if they commence to water it will 

 have to be continued ; which is very true. It is also true 

 that artifuMal watering cannot be so beneficial as a good 

 shower. But he who undertakes to grow tobacco, must 

 spare no labor or care, from beginning to end ; and if he 

 would have good early plants he must commence to water 

 even before the plants are up, if the ground shows signs of 

 drying up. 



Artificial watering has one advantage in itse.f. It fur- 

 nishes a most excellent way to apply liquid manure to hasten 

 forward the growing plants. For this purpose nothing is 

 better than the drainage from the barnyard. 



Water, thoroughly charged with Peruvian guano or hen 

 manure, is often used with success. Judgment should be 

 used, so that the liquid shall not be made too strong, as it 

 may burn and destroy the plants. 



Trauisplanting tobacco may be successfully done from the 

 twentieth of May till the first of July, and is often done later 

 than the latter date. 



The danger of very early-set tobacco is, that is may be 

 caught by frosts before it is harvested, or it may be liable to 

 be frozen in the building where hung before it is cured. 



Tobacco set early may become ripe too early, and the 

 harvesting become necessary to be done Avhile the weather is 

 yet too warm and sultry, and be in danger of pole sweat in 

 the building. And further, if the tobacco ripens off while 

 the nights are quite cool, the leaf will have more body, char- 

 acter and weight. There is a right time in every season for 



