Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1875-12-07

failure. if the spring was at all a dry
one. We have seen the most carefully
prepared bed without burning, hy the
side Of well burnt b, ds, and receiving
double the attention of the other,
prove worthless, while the burnt beds
were good. Therefore, we dvise. with
the present lights, that no one shall
leave the old way so far as to miss q
crop of tobacco for want of pants.
We think, that for every ten Uhous-
and hills to be planted there ought to
be at least ten yards square of plsnt-
land. A bed ten yards square will
plant more than ten thousand, if it is
good but it is much better to have
some for your neighbOr than to be un-
der the necessity of begging plants.
A fter the land has been well burnt,
it should be allowed to lay until the
frat or second week in February, so
that the rains and frOsts may have
the effect of pulveriZing the land as
much as possible then, with mattOck,
dig up the land so as not to turn it
over at all aud, with hilling hoes and
rakes, pulveriZe the land thoroughly,
remove all the roots, and if the land is
thin, sprinkle a light coat of stable
-
it in and rake again, and the bed is
ready for sowing.
We think a large tablespoonful of
seed to the ten yards square is fully
enough. The seed should be carefully
mixed with nice sifted ashes, about
half the seed sown over one way, and
the other half sown by walking across
first sowing. BY this the seed will be
ar.D.f FL 4 hn
is sown, the land should be lightly
raked and rolled or trodden until it is
smuoth-and now is the time to ma
nure.
Along in the fall there should be
some stalls in the stable cleaned out,
and the horses kept in them should be
fed on corn and fodder and no litter of
any kind put in. The manure from
the horses should be suffered to collect
and remain until you wish it for plant
beds. 1t should then he chopped fine
and sprinklpd a little in0T9 than half
an inch thick regularly over the beds.
This manure should not be suffered to
get wet until it is used. This should
be the last manuring, unless the spring
| is very dry. then light top-dressing
once a week would be beneficial. AS
are not prepared to recommend it as
highly AS stable manure 1t has never
acted for us as well, and we see no use
i'm trying it, when we can easily get
better article out of our stables. We
like to try experiments, but do not
! think il safe to venture too far from
the good old way, until experience has
taught Us the new way is better. We
have known men. sensible III all other
matters, to trust their whole crops to
unturut guanO beds, and uniformly
say that they were plant-heggars, and
very considerably cooled in their zeal
against old fogyism.
We viii add, that, in the absence OF
stable manure, light t0p-dressing OF
plaster will be of service but if you
have good stable manure "let well
enough alone, for If the direction as to
land and management be followed,
there is about as much chance to fail
in plAntJ as there is to fail to go TO
sleep at night, after burning plant
land hard all day.
About the 1st of March the beds
! should he rc-trod and carefully cover
ed with straight fine twig-brnsh.-
! DOgwood il the best brush, owing to
! the fiueness and thickness Of It's twlgs.
The brush should never be removed
until the plants are large enough to
well cover the land. There are few
! circumstances under which plant
| bed. in the right locality, well burnt
and manured, should be watered. We
are disposed to think that watering is
/ generally disadvantage, unless the
sprIng is very dry.