It is customary to sow the seed at the rate of about one tablespoonful to 100 square yards of seed-bed. It is impracticable to sow the seed alone and it should be thoroughly mixed with wood ashes, corn meal, land-plaster or commercial fertil izer. In order to secure a uniform stand of plants, it is advisable to sow half of the seed lengthwise of the bed and the remainder crosswise. The proper time for sowing is from February 1 to March 1. Whenever practicable it is best to prepare the land and apply the fertilizer one to two weeks be fore the sowing of the seed. After sowing, a light roller should be run over the bed, or some other means used to put the soil in a firm, compact con dition, in which state it will retain its moisture, thus giving more favorable conditions for the germination of seed and the growth of the young plants.
The necessity of properly caring for the seed bed can not be too strongly emphasized, since noth ing is of more importance in securing a vigorous growth in the field than strong, healthy seedlings. They should be made to grow steadily and vigor ously, without being checked until ready for trans planting. In order to secure this condition, strict and constant attention must be given to watering, keeping down all weeds and grass and preventing the ravages of insect pests. In some cases it is necessary to use an additional application of fertilizer in the way of a top-dressing. The necessity for this is often indicated by the plants turning yellow. The fertilizer should be essentially of the same compo sition as that previously used, and often gives best results when applied in a liquid form. This method of application makes it necessary to wash the fertilizer thoroughly into the soil by means of an abundant spray, and thus avoid injury to the tender plants.
Whenever it is found that the plants are too thick in the bed, it is advisable to thin them out by drawing an ordinary rake across the bed, allowing it to sink to a depth of one-half to three-fourths of an inch. This can be done without seriously injur ing the remaining plants and is, in fact, of posi tive benefit to them.
Some system should be provided for watering the plant-beds during spells of dry weather. Water should be applied in the form of a light spray. During the first two weeks of plant growth it is essential that the surface soil be kept comparatively moist at all times, for at this stage a few hours of hot sun, after the soil has become dry, will be sufficient to kill most of the plants. When irriga tion is used in growing the general crop, a system of overhead spray nozzles has been found to give excellent results. In every case, before undertaking
the process of weeding the bed, it is most important to water thoroughly. This will prevent any serious injury to the roots of the tobacco plants.
The field erop.—The preparation of the field soil for Sumatra tobacco must be thor ough and complete. The soil should be pul verized by successive plowing and harrow ing, and reduced to a fine condition before transplanting. Deep plowing and subsoiling cause a retention of moisture in the soil if the season is too dry, and at the same time afford the best opportunity for proper drain age if there is an excess of rainfall during the growing season. The disk-plow and disk-harrow have been used very success fully in the preparation of tobacco soils, particularly where the content of clay is comparatively small.
A very satisfactory fertilizer consists of 1,000 pounds of cotton seed, 1,000 pounds of cottonseed meal, 300 pounds of carbonate of potash, 700 pounds of fine-ground bone and 800 pounds of lime to the acre. The cotton seed should be put on the field after it has been plowed and three weeks or one month before it is finally pre pared for transplanting. Wherever it can be had, cow manure should be used broadcast at the rate of twenty to twenty-five loads per acre. This pro motes very rapid growth and often becomes the means of securing a good crop on land badly in fested with nematodes. This plant-food enables the plant to throw out new roots faster than the nema todes can destroy the old ones. When no cover-crop is grown during the winter the land should be plowed frequently and kept thoroughly stirred. This destroys many of the nematodes. This con stant cultivation also prevents, to some extent, the depredations of the thrips; it prevents the growth of grass and weeds, which serve as host plants for this insect.
When produced for wrapper purposes, the Sumatra variety of tobacco is usually grown under shade. (Fig. 868.) The purpose of the shade is to protect the crop from insects and other dangers and by reason of reducing the light to secure a thin leaf. The effect of the shade is also shown in influencing the humidity of the atmosphere and the temperature. The plants under shade show a much more rapid growth than the outside tobacco, and the leaves are finer, very thin and elastic, and with very small veins. Such characteristics in wrapper tobacco are desired by manufacturers.