Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-02-08
~ ~ e. EDOCATI0N:
~ -yo-= AND SUCCESSFUL FARMING
@n#a= By ANpREWM SoUZE,
AND stlccEssFul. FARMING
R ANDREWM. eSoUZE.

is no crop in which the advice of ex-
perts is more essential and more i'm
portant than that of tobacco.
The size of the bed recommended
to furnish plants enough Tor i've
acres, varies from 100 to 200 square
yards 1t is unanimously agreed,
however, that too much bed, Is pet
ter than too little. The beginner
will find it a safe policy to prepare
200 square yards of bed for each
five acres of tobacco, that IS a peu
five yards wide and forty yards long.
For a man who has had experience
in preparing beds, $50 square yards
will furnish ample quantity OF plahts
for five acres Of tobacco.
If the Law Of the land will. permit
il is desirable to have the bed not
more than fifteen. feet wide, ana as
long as necessary to get the REQUIRES
number of yards. This shape makes
if easy to place and replace the cheese
cloth used to cover the bed.
An exposure to the south and east
will give the earliest plants. IL is
a, safe practice to have two beds, one
a, little later than the otner. Inc
land chosen should be as Tree fr0lli
weeds and grass seed as posslDle'
AS a guarantee against fungus us
oa'ses and insects the bed should be
burned over before it is, seeded. Dry
pine brush is one of the best ma, ma
terials for burning the bed. ApouC
twelve good loans OF compact pru
will usually be necessary to neat tne
soil to sufficient depth. If brusa
can be used. Before the brush or
wood is piled on the bed all leaves
and trash should be raked from II,
as they hold moisture ana preVen.1'
the heat from penetrating the sou,
The bed should be burned untn oMt
q dnnth OF ABOUT
three inches If poles or skids are
laid along the ground and the brush
ni1ed on these the burning Will pc
mora effective. The burning shoulo
he done a few days before SOWING
the seed. The bed should not De
burned when the soil is wet.
In some instances plant beds nave
been placed in broom sedge nelus
without burning, and by using heavy
aniIicatioas of fertilizers and manure
sn1endid results were obtained. IL
the bed is not burned great care
should be used to select spot Tree
from weed and grass seeds In most
cases the plants on an unburneu peo
are slow in growing on, out Whe,l
the weather warns up they VIII seI
large enough to transplant almost as
quickly as those on a burned BED:
After burning rake off all unburneo
wood and litter. The bed should then
be broken about four Or five inches
deep with a narrow pillow in order to
keep most of the burned soil on top:
When this is done harrow the beo
with drag harrow until 1t is IN
good filth. :,
Ferti1ize the plant bed literally
with some good fertilizer such as an
8-3-3 or a 9-3-3. One and one-half
pounds of fertilizer per square yard
is a good application. If the bed has
been burned the ashes will furnish
enough potash, nut. ammonia and
phosphoric acid will be required.
Hog manure is good fertilizer for
plant beds as it contains no grass
seed.
Stable manure and fowl manure
contain grass seed and should not be
used. Well rooted compost contains
very virile grass seed and can be
used with good results. Pulling
weeds and grass from the bed is ex-
pensive and is also injurious to the
young tobacco plants.
Cotton seed meal is a good fer
tilizer Tor plant beds If used in mod
crate quantities. Heavy applications
of cotton seed meal are likely to in
jure the termination Of tobacco seed
if the meal is not thoroughly mixed
with the soil. Blood, tankage, and
fish scraps are also good sources OF
nitrogen. IL the pea is given a IOiS
dressing Of five pounds Of finely powd-
cred. nitrate of soda per one hundred
square yards at about the time the
plants come up, It will start them to
growing rapidly.
Unless the plants turn yellow and
stop growing, nitrate Of soda should
not be applied to bed after the
plants reach some size. If this II
done the plants will be forced into q
late tender growth at transplanting
time and they will be less apt to
live.
The amount of seed used varies
from one to two heaping tablespoon
fuls per one hundred square yards of
bed If too much seed is used the
plants will be spindling in size from
being too thick and will not live
we'll nor grow off quickly when trans
planted One and one-half table