The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-03-12
Making and Sowing Tobacco Beds-By
a Practical Farmer Who Grows the
Weed"


Making and Sowing Tobacco Beds-By
a Practical Farmer Who Grows the
Weed"
w. M. Earby writes to tue Farmers
Home Journal as follows:
To make tobacco plant bed as early in
the year as the condition of the ground
win admit, | select the richest spot Of
virgin soil have convenient and, if pos
SiOle, locate it on gradual northern
slope, as [ find that the richest land is
always found on the north side of a hill
and a-sO that it holds moisture longer in
a dry time than the south side does. 1t
is true the sun does no. shine 50 sQuarely
upon it, but [ can supply all necessary
heat by canvas with which ] cover the
bed when sOWn. Having selected a suita-
bic spot l lay OF place eight yards
squaAe and drive Il stake at each corner.
Then 1 clear this place of every
thing except the soil, rabing it several
times with sharp-toOth hand rake.
Next / put a sufficient quantity Of brush,
old rails or other cOmOusuDle material to
heat, when burnt, all the ground within
the square so hot that l have to wait I'M
til the next day afterit IS burned for it 10
get cool enough to prepare. [ have rarely
ever known of land being burned so
hard that it would not produce tobacco
plants, but have known of a great many
beds that failed to produce them Tor the
want of proper burning. One bed well
burnt will prOiuce more and better plants
than two or three of the same size half
burnt. After the bed has been burned
and before all the heat has left rake the
ashes OFF aud dig up thoroughly with
hoe to the depth of two or three inches
chOpping over it several times and being
care nj to cut all the roofs loose so they
can be easily removed. l am very care
full also not TO dig up any dirt on the out
side that has not been burnt, as fear it
might contain weed or grass seed that
would spring up and in ure the pants.
next til 70 hand rake and run ii sew
eUal times over the bed as deep as the
hoe went, always raking toward the cen
ter, as / prefer to have that little
h lgher than the outside. After getting
the roots all out, the clods ali pulverized
and the surface as uni .orm as possible. |
draw light marks CouJ three feet apart
across the bed both ways and mix two
thirds OF a Ia blcspoouiul of tobacco seed
with ABOUT one gallon dry GirJ and SOW
the bed both ways with il by the marks ]
have drG VIZ If this IS done before the
ISL Of March DO not cover the seed; if
atter / run the rake lightly over after SOW
ing and then pack The ground little
b. tramping After making a ditch
- dlb}ltil INC UtN VI oullt i-lIt utpbl 70
keep II well drained. have 1t ready for
the canvas, which I think sholld be puo
GA Immediately, There are a great many
different mott DDS used in applying the in
Glspt nsi1ic 10 1aCcO canvas, Dut the best
ana j OSt conn CuienJ one l have used is
the following put as large poles as l
can set, all around and Just outside the
bed, securing them firmly with stakes
driven IN The ground | then stretch
smooth wires across the bed about four
feet apar. and tasgen tECu to these poles
with nails. I then spread canvas on, to
the edges Oh which l have fastened about
two feet apart, s.rnss with loops at the
outer Cuds OF them. / sharpen small
stake and put through each OF these
lCOsS and into the ground leaning
them slightly from thu bed and
setting them far enough out TO stretch
the canvas as light as its strength will
bear. This plan has many advantages
over any other / have tried, for. should
tine canvas gs5 loose, which it generally
does after n rain or two, it can easily be
frightened by drawing up the stakes on
two sides ana setting them farther back,
ana in case I should want to take the can
vas or 1Or any purpose / can easily do so,
and always want 70 take 1t OF when the
seed first begins to sprOut as l resow at
That time the same as | do clover. / think
this second sowing of clover and tobacco
seed about the time the first sowing begins
TO sprouJ is the cheapest and safest form
OF insurance that can be placed on the
lives OF these little seeds.