The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1892-01-20
TEN YEARS nth TOBACCO.
RESULTS or THE EXPs RLEEcE o. 4 PRAc.
TICAL PLA RTER.
Mr.. II. K. Hartman. of Wi nston. N. O., Gives
Some Hints as to the Be st Method of I'm
dertaking and Pursuit. lg this New In
dustry---The Plant L ,ed---Hoyy TO
Make it and How to Sow the

Make it and How TO Sow the
Seed.
To make success of the tobacco crol
you must begin right. And Furthermore
you must begin early The old saying
is that it takes eighteen months to max,
crop of tobacco, and, all things con
sidered, the saying is about right. At
ter the new year festivities are over the
first thing to be looked after by the to
bacco grower is a suitable place for a
plant bed. The plant bed is the place
where the seed are sown and from which
the young plants are drawn for trans
planting in April. 1t must be carefully
selected and carefully prepared if you
would have plentiful supply of vigor-
GUS plants.
Early in January select your spot. If
you have never planted a crop before Sc
lect place where you can make per
msnent bed. Take an unclaimed spot on
hillside with a southern exposurs If
you can get 1t, and nea, a water-course
if that is possible. Clear of the timber
and burn it on the land. so as to kill out
insects and grass seed in the soil, aul
for the purpose of melloving the land.
When this is done rake the spot clear of
all trash. Plough or dig up the soil
carefully, then plough or dig again.
Rake the land over and over until it is
thoroughly pulveriEed. When this part
of your work is thoroughly done you are
ready for planting your seed.
Before describing the process of SOW
ing, wish to describe another kind of
plant bed which had found favor with
those who care to take the trouble TO
prepare it. 1t is nothing more than the
garden hot bed for young plants. 1t can
be constructed in the garden or in the
| field, and can be covered with movable
glass tops. This glass covering serves
to intensity the feeble rays of the late
winter sunshine and to protect the plants
! from the frost. AS the warmth of the
season advances this covering should be
removed during the day to enable the
plants to get strength from the exposure.
The glass covered plant bed has been
adopted by some of the best planters,
and is recommended where the planter
feels able to make the additional outlay
on his crop.
The plant bed ready, the seed should
be sowA as early after January goth as
possible, although the sowing can be
done up TO March with very good re-
suits. The tobacco seed is exceedingly
SMALL and care should be taken not to
get them too thick. About the best
plan is to mix the seed half and half
with dry sand. To every one hundred
square yards of seed bed surface take one
and One-half teaspoonfuls of tobacco
seed. Sow slowly and carefully over the
surface, so as to get them evenly distrib-
uted and yet not too thick in any one
place. After the sowing carefully roll
the surface with smooth roller and the
sowing is done. No other covering is
required.
The planter must make simple alloy
ance for insect destruction of his plants
and hence should have plenty of plant
bed. Careful estimates through a Sc
ries of years show that ordinarily three
hundred square yards of plant bed, well
stocked, will plant from two to three
acres and the estimate can be safely
made on this basis.
After the seed are sown, unless the
bed is glaSs-covered as described above,
the bed should be "canvassed" Boards
twelve isehes wide should be placed
lengthwise around the entire bed, all the
corners and laps being carefully nailed.
Over these stretch the CANVASS thin.
gauzy cloth made for the purpose and
| which can be bought for from three
quarters to two cents per yard, accord
ing to quality. Tack the canvas around
the edges and stretch tightly over the
entire bed. This covering serves the
double purpose of protecting the tender
plants from both cold and insects.
To insure strong and early plants the
fertilizing must be generous and I'M
stinted. Before sowing the seed the soil
should have at least two applications Of
either fresh stable manure or some
strongly ammoniated fertilizer. Each of
these applications must be worked in
the soil thoroughly. If stsblt manure is
used care should be taken to avoid such
as may contain grass seed of any kind.
After the plants are up top dressing
of fertilizer or manure may be necessary
\ if they do not grow off vigorously. Fir ;.
/ ly pulverized stable manure is good foi
the purpose and should be applied when
the plant leaves are dry. Aside from
this top ferGlizing little care of the
young plants is necessary save to watch
for the growing weeds and keep them
out. Should the plant insect make its
appearance light application of ashes
will often put stop to its rayages.
Though already mentioned, the plant
er must be careful not TO SOW tobacco
seed too thick. To prevent this great
care is necessary. Bear in mini that
there are over 100000 tobacco seed in
every ounce and It will help you ia
guard against sowing them too thick.
The permanent plant bee should never
be allowed to grow up in grass or weeds
after the plants are drawn. Keep them
down for the sole purpose of keeping
their seed out of the soil. Care should
be taken to keep the plant bed in good
condition, and the soil should always be
as fertile as is possible to make it'll
you want strong and hardy plants.
II. E. HARTMAN.
Mr.. W. T. Price, a Justice of the
Peace, at Richland, Nebraska, wal