CONNECTICUT HAVANA TOBACCO. 23 



After sowing the seed it is desirable to pack the surface of the bed 

 carefulh^ with a roller or heavy plank, in order to press the soil closely 

 about the seed. Another good plan is to cover the seed by lightly 

 raking the surface with an ordinary garden rake, and this method is 

 preferred b} T many experienced growers. It has been found in the 

 experiments of the Bureau of Plant Industry that the light seed is 

 undesirable and in every case should be separated from the heavy seed 

 and discarded. In order to make a thorough and complete separation, 

 it is necessary to use some form of a wind-blast machine which will 

 blow out the light seed without throwing out the heavy seed at the 

 same time. In Plate IV, figure 1, is shown a satisfactor} T seed separa- 

 tor, b} T the use of which the light seed can be separated from the heavy 

 seed and discarded, and the heavy seed used for sowing the seed beds. 

 The heavy seed produces the most vigorous and uniform young plants 

 in the seed beds, as shown in Plate IV, figure 2, and these plants are 

 most desirable for use in the case of all varieties of tobacco. 



The Havana seed variety of tobacco is usually sown in the seed bed 

 from the middle of March to the middle of April, and the plants are 

 ready for setting out from these beds from May 10 to June 10. 



One of the most important points in the raising of a successful crop 

 of tobacco is the care of the seed bed in the production of the seedlings. 

 It is necessar}' to water the seed bed frequently, usually once or twice 

 every day during the early stages of growth. If the beds are arti- 

 ficially heated, warm water should be used for this watering process, 

 as cold water cools the beds and checks the growth of the young plants. 

 The surface of the seed bed should not be allowed to become dry, as a 

 few hours of dry surface will kill all of the young plants. The water 

 should be supplied in the form of a light spray, in order not to disturb 

 the seed or the young plants in the bed or to pack the soil so that in 

 drying it will cake and injure the plants. 



The temperature of the hotbeds should be carefully regulated, and 

 in no case allowed to rise above 100° F. during the day or fall below 

 70° F. during the night, If it is possible to maintain an even tem- 

 perature the plants will make the most rapid growth, but it is a ques- 

 tion whether they will be as hardy as when subjected to the fluctuating 

 temperatures corresponding to the natural changes between night and 

 day. The beds can be cooled when necessary by raising the. sash if 

 the temperature rises, or the temperature can be raised at night by 

 using lanterns set 5 or 6 feet apart in the seed bed and by covering the 

 sash with heavy cloth, such as ordinary blankets, in order to retain 

 the heat. After the young plants reach the proper size for setting 

 out, usually from 5 to 6 weeks after sowing in the seed bed, the sash 

 can be taken off most of the time during the day and the beds watered 

 only when the plants begin to wilt. If the plants come up too thick 



