TOBACCO 531 



3 inches. The chief object in this is to destroy weed seeds. 

 Then the soil is spaded or dug and thoroughly prepared 

 by raking. The bed is inclosed on all sides by a frame 

 made of inch boards placed on edge. 



Since the burning drives off much of the nitrogen, and since 

 the seeds are so small as to furnish practically no food to the 

 young plant, the bed must be fertilized liberally, using quickly 

 soluble, complete fertilizers rich in nitrogen. About 20 pounds 

 of nitrate of soda for each 100 square yards of surface is especially 

 helpful. Most 'of this may be applied before planting, but ad- 

 ditional amounts of nitrate of soda may be added in very dilute 

 solution in the water applied to the young plants. 



After raking in the fertilizer, preferably a week or more before 

 planting the bed, the seed are sown and the frame covered with 

 Ught cotton cloth. The purpose of the canvas covering is to 

 retain the moisture and heat and hence to hasten germination 

 and growth. The cloth also keeps out some injurious insects. 

 This covering should be removed about a week before the plants 

 are to be set in the field, so that they may become toughened. 



518. Sowing the seed. — The seed are sown in January 

 or February, or, in the cooler parts of the South, in March. 

 The seed are first mixed with wood ashes or corn meal, 

 so that they may be more evenly distributed. To further 

 insure uniformity of distribution, half of the seed are usually 

 sown broadcast in one direction over the entire bed, and 

 the remainder are then sown crosswise to the direction 

 of the first sowing. The seed are pressed into the soil 

 with a light roller or by the use of the feet, sometimes 

 after the surface has been very Ughtly raked, brushed, 

 or whipped. 



The quantity of seed varies greatly with different 

 growers. An amount frequently used is from 1 to 2 

 tablespoonfuls for each 100 square yards of tobacco bed 



