﻿THE CULTURE OF FLUE-CURED TOBACCO. 



17 



The distance between the leaves on the stalks is somewhat greater 

 on these broadleaf types than on the narrow-leaf sorts, the spacing 

 being particularly wide in the case of the Adcock. It should be 

 noted, perhaps, that any of these varieties will have the leaves more 

 closely or wider spaced according to the nature of the soil, especially 

 in respect to moisture conditions. With an abundance of moisture 

 the spaces between 

 the leaves will be 

 wider, and under 

 droughty conditions 

 the leaves will be 

 crowded much more 

 closely together. 

 This is a general 

 principle in respect 

 to all vegetation. 



SELECTION AND CARE 

 OF SEED PLANTS. 



In selecting seed 

 plants, close atten- 

 tion should be given 

 to all the points that 

 go to make up the 

 ideal plant, accord- 

 ing to the standard 

 which the grow T er 

 should have clearly 

 in mind. The largest 

 plants in the richest 

 part of the field are 

 not necessarily the 

 best for seed pur- 

 poses. 



Pure strains of 

 seed can be saved 

 with certainty only by covering the seed head during the blossom- 

 ing period so as to prevent mixing or crossing with inferior plants 

 or suckers by the passing of insects from flower to flower on differ- 

 ent plants. For this purpose an ordinary light-weight but strong 

 paper bag of about the 12-pound size, such as can be obtained at 

 any grocery store, is most practical. A day or two before the first 

 flowers open the bag should be tied about the head (fig. 2), which 

 first has been trimmed to a " crow-foot." The bag should be loosened 

 and raised up every few days, as the seed head grows, and the 

 6907°— Bull. 16—13 3 



Fig. 2, 



-A seed head of tobacco covered with a paper baj 

 to prevent mixing. 



