iO THE CrLTFJlE 01' TOBACCO. 



larger quantity of seed. Tt must be undeistood that the conditions in 

 the soil are not so favouralile to a high percentage of germination as is 

 the bhjtting paper. 



In choosing tlie location of the plant )jed, there are several [joints 

 to be considered. First, a good, rich, friable well^drained soil must 

 lie chosen. Next, a location that is protected fiCni the prevailing 

 wind and on an exiiosure where the bed will receive all the sunlight 

 possible. In America these beds are usually made on the southern 

 slope of an open space in the forest. 



American growers give the site of the seed bed a thorough Ijurn- 

 ing. The object of this is to destroy all insects, or their larvte, that 

 may be in the soil. lu order to accomplish this burning, the soil is 

 first laid with poles in order to keep the burning w-ood otf the soil and 

 admit the air. Upon these poles the wood is piled and the fire 

 started on the leeward side that the progress may not be too rapid. 

 A slow fire will convert all the moisture in the surface soil to steam, 

 and thus cook anything that may Iie in the soil. The fiie is continued 

 long enough to convert all the moistuie in the first three or four 

 inches of soil to steam. The use of steam instead of fire has been tried 

 for the piepai'ation of the plant bed and has proved very satisfactoiT. 

 The steam does not destroy the combustilile portions of the soil while 

 it cooks and destroys all seeds and insects. The steam is appJied by 

 running it through a pipe or hose and confining it under an inverted 

 wooden or metal case. A packing case that has been made steam 

 tight will auswei- for this purpose. The use of steam is to Ije recom- 

 mended where the planter' has a traction engine at his disposal. 



After the bed has been thoroughly burned the soil is bioken up 

 to a depth nf two or three inches and all roots and other trash 

 i-arefully removed. Care must be taken that the soil be not dug t(jo 

 deep, for this would biing to the suiface weed seeds that have been 

 bui'ied too deep to be destroyed. Fertilizer is thoroughly worked into 

 the soil. About three pounds of any good commercial fertilizer to 

 each ten yards of the bed will answer the pui'pose. Nitrate of soda 

 is the best fertilizer with which to give the plant a cjuick stait and 

 rapid growth, but this chemical .should )>e used more sparingly than 

 the other fertilizers. Barn yard manure would be excellent were it 

 not that it usually contains quantities of weed and grass seed that 

 would jieutialize all the good results of the burning. 



The seed should be sown about sixty days before planting time. 

 To sow the seed mix it with ashes nr fine meal, at the rate of one- 

 fourth ounce of the seed to twfi quarts of the a.shes or meal. The 

 object of the ashes is to give greater bulk, thus enabling the planter 

 to sow more evenly. The colour of the ashes or meal also infoinis the 

 sower whether all portions of the ground have lieen sown with a 

 sufficient ([uantit}'. After being sown the seed is not laked in, but 

 the surface nf the soil is lightly brushed with a broom. The 

 sprinkling of the bed with water frdui an nrdinaiy gardener's can 

 will in itself be sufficient covering. 'i\>\y,\rcn seed that has lieen 

 buried too deepj will not germinate. 



The plant Vied should be covered with a light cloth or muslin. 

 This is stretched over a framework of boards or bricks that has been 

 built around the border of the bed. >Small sticks about si.x inches 

 high are set up throughout the bed, to keep the canvas from 

 touching the plants. This canvas will shelter the plants from the 

 intense heat of the sun, and will at the same time retain during the 



