Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1900-04-11
HlHrs FOR TOBACCO RAIsERs.
Ppactieal Suggestions sade for the Benefit. Espeei-
ally OF Beginners in the Industry.

Upon the culture Of tobacco farmers
bulletin No. 81 has many good points
both for the experienced grower and the
beginner The following suggestions
seem APP licable at the present time:
SELECTING THE SEED.
In the production of tobacco. the
proper selection of seed is one of the
most important problems. Good meth
DDS, skill and experience in the cultiva
ton, careful worming, and care in the
barn and after curing, all amount to
little if there has been carelessness in
selecting the seed
AS the different soils of the various
states produce different types Of tobacco
the prospective grower will have to learn
from experience of others and from the
best literature he can obtain what va
riety of seed viii likely yield the best
product ON the particular land to be
planted With this knowledge Of what
is wanted, too much care cannot be ex-
ercised in obtaining the seed 1t is adj
visable to obtain it from reliable seedmen
or an intelligent grower rather than from
a country druggist or grocery store.
Having procured the best seed for the
locality and SOIL the grower should main
tain and improve the quality b. proper
selection of seed from his own crop or by
the production of seed plants in other
ways, as will be explained later. The
production of tobacco seed requires
careful attention, because some varieties
deteriorate while Others improve in a
given district.
HOW MUCH TO SOW.
Tobacco seeds are extremely small and
AN ounce of them contain from 800, 900
to 400, 600 seeds. A large percentage of
these. however, will not sprout; some of
them are not fertile, and others have q
hard coating too resistant to moisture.
After careful experiments, it is pretty
we'll established that not more than
seyenty-five per cent. of the most care
fully grown tobacco will germina .e
while very much less than this, 1nder
ordinary circumstances, be av.iiable for
| planting Allow'-.- 2owsyer, for the
| imperfections in the seed, and for the
| too d. ID and too shallow planting and
| for SIS by accident, there ought to be
at IL ist 80, 600 seeds or plants from an
ounce of fresh tobacco seed. 1t must be
remembered, however that many of the
plants will be weak and some of them
viii be retarded by the more vigorous
plants; they win not therefore be of
uniform size and ready to transplant at
| the same time. As the grower usually
plants the field at single planting, he
cannot wait for the backward plants to
grow Experienced planters, therefore,
| usually sow at least three times tine
amount of seed that they expect to need
in order 90 provide themselves with
sufficient plants when the time comes
for setting them out. A bed 3x50 feet,
producing 10000 to 90, 900 plants in the
aggregate, can be used for sowing about
one third of an ounce of good, fresh seed,
but it is safer to sow three such beds for
this number of plants; having an sbund-
ance If plants, one gets the additional
advantage of having large percentage
of forward, thrifty plants. There is no
crop grown which varies 80 much in
quality, because of the soil upon which
it is grown and the fertilizers used, as
tobacco For leaf of high quality for
smoking purposes, 1t is essential that
tie soil be light and rich in vegetable
matter. A low rich clayey soil will
produce a rank and heavy crop, but will
not produce tobacco of fine quality.