The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1908-02-28
NOTE BOOK SKETCHES

taken by the state department of farm
ers' Institutes began two days session
at GAINESVILLE Tuesday under very favor
able auspices. The meetings were held
in connection with the Wisconsin Tobac
CO Growers and Dealers association and
the. Joint program proved to be one de-
eidedly interesting and instructive. The
addresses and discussions which follow
ed brought out vast amount OF inform.
alton for the tobacco grower to treasure.
| Several hundred farmers were brought
together for the exchange of ideas and
experiences, all of which musR be help
| full. The success of the first meeting
will encourage the state authorities to
extend these tobacco Institutes to other
localities in the tobacco growing Sec
| tions. The following are the list of prize
winners on samples of the 1907 crop ex-
| hibited in competitions:
| First prize, S25-W. W. Powell, Vic
| tory, Vernon county.
Secord prize, $15-G. Roen, Oxford
| VIil0, MOCK County.
| Third prize. SlO-A. G. Ellickson, Ar
lington, Columbia county.
| Fourth prize-Geo. Wee, Stoughton,
| Dane county.
| We are in formed on what seems to be
good authority that tests carried on by
experimental stations have proven that
much seed saved during the 1907 season
will not germinate properly. This is
probably due to the fact that unfavora-
! BILE weather conditions did not permit
| the maturing of the seed, and it is in
! formation that farmers cannot be ap
| prised of too early. The results have
| shown that it is especially true concern
! ing corn and tobacco seed. The inform
| alton we have is that very large share
of the tobacco seed saved by growers will
| not grow - some tests show that less
than 30 per cent. will germinate, and in
Others that the seed is worthless. It is
therefore important that growers who
| depend on seed of their own raising
sho.ld begin at once a test to determine
| whether they can rely upon it when the
! time arrives for laying the seed beds.
| The seed dealers who are now advertis-
| ing their seed have already made their
| tests and are able to guarantee a fair
| termination of their goods. The grower
who does not expect to meet disappoint-
ments la er will at once take the hint
and prepare to test his seed. It is not
alone tobacco, but the seeds of all other
products are likely to show poorer ger
minating qualities than for some seasons
past.
*.a
| G. w. Harris. of the Bureau of Plant
Industry, u. S. Department of Agricul-
ture, in an address to the New York To
bacco Growers association at Baldwins-
vile. N Y, made the following state
ments regarding tobacco seed and seed
beds. While the address was made to
New York growers, the recommendations
will be equally Interesting to other
growers: "All things have beginning
and the beginning of tobacco culture is
the seed bed. Too much care and labor
cannot be bestowed on the selection,
preparation and manipulation of the
seed bed. During the past season [ ob-
served the methods of producing seed
plants in this section closely and tnd
that about 50 per cent. are grown with
out covering. In every instance but two
the plants so grown were late, and ln
those two instances the conditions were
! unusually favorable. Taken as whole
the method of raising plants without
artificial protection is not reliable and
cannot be recommended. The plants
thus produced are undeniably healthier
and harder than those grown under
cloth, but my observation is that as a
rule, they cannot be grown sufficiently
large to transplant by the time the soil
is ready to receive them, very lmpor-
tant consideration in this climate where
the growing season is not more than
sixty days. Experiments were made
with cloth Of varying thickness, includ-
ing oiled cloth, and results would GO to
prove that thin cheesecloth will pro
duce hardy, vigorous plants by the time
the season is sufficiently advanced to
admit OF transplanting. A thicker cloth
also produced good results, but tne ex
pertinent with oiled cloth was not salts
factory. The plants came up well and
grew rapidly, but when ABOUT one inch
high began to turn yellow. The oiled
covering was removed and a plain
thin cloth substituted, applications OF
nitrate of soda at the rate Of one quart
soda to one barrel of water were also
made and 10 few days the plants re-
sumed their normal color. Experiments
with oiled cloth were made in another
place with practically the same results
On all covered beds the cloth should be
removed several days before the plants
are transplanted to accustom them to
the temperature outside. The seed bed
! should be located in sunny, we'll pro
tected spot, facing south If possible. The
soil should be made very rich and mel
low, humus being supplied by stable
manure, and nitrogen, potash and phos-
pheric acid by plentiful applications OF
commercial fertilizers containing these
necessary ingredients. But stable man