429 TENNESSEE PLANT BED. 
especially white mustard, to any other young plant; and will 
continue to feed upon that until the tobacco plant waxes 
strong, and becomes mature enough for transplantation.” 
A Tennessee planter gives the following description of mak- 
ing the plant bed as practised in his State. In some respects, 
especially in preventing the growth of weeds, it is the best 
process of making the “plant patch” that we have ever seen 
. described. He says:— 
“To make a good plant bed it requires good management 
and pretty hard work. It will hardly be done well without 
the presence of the farmer to attend to it. The time to make 
a bed is from the 15th of October to the first of April. The 
best beds are made in the Fall, for the reason that the ground 
is then very dry and therefore more easily burned, and besides 
there is more time for the ashes to rot before the hot weather. 
A bed turned in the Fall will hold moisture better than 
burned later. It takes less wood to burn well. The plants 
are more vigorous and tougher. The soil should be rich and 
light and never tilled before. The location should be as 
much exposed to the sun as possible. It is best for a bed to 
be surrounded by timber. The bugs are not so apt to find it. 
Low rich valleys will generally do better than ridges, though 
any good rich new ground will make good plants if well 
burned and prepared. The ground should be raked very 
clean of leaves before packing on the brush and wood. The 
‘fire must havea fair chance at the ground. The brush should 
be packed on straight and close, at least enough wood mixed 
with it to make it lie close. If the brush is green, endeavor 
to mix what dry stuff there is thorough, so the fire will burn 
through without trouble. It is very important that the fire 
should be as hot as possible while itis burning. The bed 
should not be rained upon after it is set before it is burned, 
as it will be doubtful whether the ground beneath the brush 
will get dry well. 
“The ground should always be as dry as possible when it 
is burned. The bed should be set on fire in several places at 
once so as to have a very great heat on it at once. If the 
ground is well burned it will be a little crusty and whitish, 
and will pulverize beautifully. As soon asthe ground is cool 
enough it may be loosened up and pulverized. This should 
be done well, and may be done with a good sharp harrow and 
then followed with hoes and grubbing hoes. Aim to keep 
the ashes and rich soil on the surface, and for this reason @ 
