The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1902-01-28
Farm Miscellany.
TFF COLO LEAF TOBACCO OF EASTERN
NORTH CAROLINA.

DhCOOR 'A0 N@~
depends largely on the nature OF the
bed. 1t should be located on good,
moist land, with a southern exposure,
with fine soil free from sand virgin
soil if possible. Burn the bed when
the soil is dry, if possible, never
when very vet, and at any time
from first of January TO first OF
March. Clean off all growth and
trash and lay poles the size OF a man 8
arm three feet apart across the bed,
80 as to give the fire ventilation
Place the wood across these poles
the length of the bed and two feet
and a half high. Fire the whole
way so as TO have it burn uniformly
as soon as possible. When the nre
has burned an hour and a half TO two
hours. with hoes fastened TO long
poles pull the burning mass three OF
four feet. but not beyond the edge
of the part already burned, and add
more wood. Keep the fire uniform
the entire length, so as TO burn the
ground uniformly. An hour or an
hour and a half is long enough for
all except the first fire. Move the
fire till the whole bed is burned over.
Or o may place the poles as before
and cover the entire bed with wood
and hrush. and set fire in different
places.
FERTILIZER FOR THE BED.
The bed should be MANFRED with
fertilizer, hog pen manure or stable
manure. If the manure is used see
that il is free from weed seeds, and
beat it up very fms A mixed fer
tilizer can be used. Spread the ma
nure or fertilizer after the GOALS nave
been raked off clean and hoe the bed,
turning up as little of the soil as pos
sible and rake carefully. Use about
two cart loads of stable and hog pen
and a bushel of good tertll-
ger TO 100 square yards of bed, which
is enough for three TO four acres
Then SOW one and a half tablespoon,
fuls of seed to each 100 square yards,
mixed with dry sifted ashes. Then
pack the bed with the hoe or tramp
it with the feet. The seed needs
very little cover, and will not grow
if covered deep. Drain the bed and
cover with thin gsuze, which can be
removed as soon as the plants are
safe from frost and flies. Border the
bed with 1x12-inoh plank, set two
inches in the ground, and bend small
reeds or switches, sticking each end
in the ground about four or five feet
apart each way scross the bed, so as
30 be about ten inches above the
ground, to prevent the cloth sagging
on the plants.
Keep the bed perfectly clean of
weeds und let the cloth stay on till
about ten days before transplanting.
When the plants have made four
leaves you may force their growth If
needed with liquid manure. Some
good farmers use poultry manure.
Apply freely with about n pound
of fertilizer to the squard yard, or
one pound of nitrate of soda in fifty
gallons of water for each 100 square
yards. But apply fifty gallons of
clear water at once after this or you
NAV not have any of the plants left.
THE KIND OF LAND NEEDED-FERTILI
ZERs FOR IT.
The best land for growing fine
yellow tobacco is a fine sandy soil,
with a deep yellowish clay subsoil
but good tobacco can be grown on
any gray soil with a clay subsoil, if
rich, warm and we'll drained. Never
use land with wet, spouty spots.
Thorough preparation is requisite.
If fresh land is used, break up early.
If there is much vegetable matter
turn under all possible without turn
ing up the subsoil. On old land
pillow as deep as the soil will admit,
and if dry weather threatens pillow as
often as necessary to have the soil in
the best order. Is must be in the
best order before planting. If the
land is new, clear OF all litter and
srash and break shallow. with an i'm
plement that will turn up as little of
the under soil as possible, and get
the land clear of roots. Run the
rows three and a half feet apart and
set the plants 80 inches in the rows
If stable manure is used, make it
fine and cover the bottom of the fur
row a month before planting, throw
ing another furrow over is. Before