The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1886-02-17

Cne pea remain tlll SeeQ Clme, say
about the 10Th of February, then
thoroughly rake and pulverize the
soil, removing every clod, root or
| stone.
| SOWING SEED.
Mix dry seed with dry leached
ashes and SOW evenly, and not too
thick, on still day and rake lightly.
Pat the bed with wide shovel or
tramp with board. The most
convenient width both for drawing
the plants without stepping upon
the beds and also for securely
covering with canvass is about 5
feet Large beds can easily be di-
vided in this way with Is to IS
inch walks. 1t is now we'll settled
fact that no farmer can afford to
neglect the use of canvass as pro-
lection both against bugs or fleas
and frost. and also to hasten and
promote the growth Of plants, for,
by it's use, with proper care in pre-
pairing the bed and sowing good
seed, failure is next to Impossible.
USING CANVASS
The manner of using the canvass
will suggest itself to all who have
not used it, but it may be mentioned
in this connection that a very salts
factory and effective mode has been
found by placing along the sides
and ends of the bed boards 8 to 10
inches wide, and the stretching of
the canvass sufficiently tight to
prevent sagging, not neglecting
however to arrange it SO it can be
readily removed when the time
comes for airing the plants. The
canvass may be looped to poles of
sufficient weight to hold it in place
and can then be easily removed
when desired. The covering should
be put on Immediately after sowing
as protection against severe wealth
er and for the retention of heat and
moisture If the winter is severe
sowing may be delayed till March
with good results, and plants will
be ready for transplantlng by lst to
10th of May. To harden the plants
the canvass should be removed 10
days to two weeks before it is in
tended they shall be drawn, from 9
in the morning to 4 in the afternoon.
To proven breaking the roots when
plants are drawn, the beds should
be moist An ounce of seed will SOW
about 800 square feet and produce
from 10000 to $4,000 good plants,
sufficient to plant to acres The
same bed may be used the following
year or longer after being treated in
like manner as the first, but care
must be taken to pull up all the
plants and weeds and cover the bed
with old leaves and brush. Some
growers maintain however that the
best results are obtainable upon new
beds. After the plants are up their
growth if need be may be hastened
by applying liquid manure with a
brush or sprinkler with a fine nozzle,
or fresh horse MANURE dried and
pulverized and sifted over the bed as
often as may be needed care should
however be taken that the growth
is not too rapid, as over feeding is
injurious. It is we'll to make two or
three sowings at different times to
provide against possible accident
and insure plants sufficient for re-
planting, &c. Every grower will of
course, in selecting his plant bed
keep in view the three essentials,
viz: light, heat and moisture. Some
farmers prefer to sprout the seed
before sowing and this is believed to
be a good plan when the Spring is
late. Sprouting may be successfully
done in various ways, by moistening
the seed in "a sack and burying in
earth kept warm and moist, or
placing the seed in a small sack
made of heavy woollen cloth and
dipping the sack in water at blood
heat and hanging in warm place
where the temperature can be kept
nearly even. The sack should be
dipped to times the first two
days, after which twice day will
be sufficient, till sprouted. The seed
should remain in the water each
dipping, long enough to get we'll
wet. When the hull bursts and
sboxyo a o,,,on xUb;fo o,oof tho coa1