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MKROCOPr RBOWTION TBT CHART
(ANSI ond ISO TEST CHART No. 2)
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^ /APPLIED ItVHGE In^
1653 Eosf Moin Street
Rochester, N«w York U609 USA
(716) 482 -0300 -Phone
(716) 2M- 5989 - Fa«
DEPARTMENT OF AaRICUl/lUKE
OTTAWA, fA.N\.Vl)A
TOBACCO
PREPARATION OP THE SEEDLINGS AND THK CARE TO HE
(ilVEiN TO THEM
FELIX CHARLAN
T?llll('till I'cl.'ltillii' til T< )i );u'<-( » N ' >. Al
Publithod by direction of the Hon. SYDNEY A. FISHER, Minister of Agriculture, Ottawa, Ont.
,1AM A m 1 ".»<»<;
"^.^■^'.^1-' >?:"^
r
/
/)
DEPARTMENT OF AQRIOULTTTRE
OTTA-WA, CA.NA.I3A.
TOBACCO
PREPARATION OF THE SEEDLINGS AND THE CARE TO BE
GIVEN TO THEM
BY
FBUX OHABLAN
Bulletin relatincr to Tobacco N<j. Al.
Published by direction of the Hon. SYDNEY A. FISHER, Minirter of Aoriculture, Ottawa, Ont
JANUARY 1906
T O 13 A C C O.
I*RKI*AUATU)N OK HIM SKKDMNIJS ANI» THF VMIK TO BK GIVEN TO
TIIF.M.
SKEItLINCiS.
Tf tlifTi- 1m> a cnmitr.v in wliicli lulm is ciilliviilcd wlicri' tlw HivcHiiijin shuiilil Im'
tl lijt'i't (if v«'r.v sjM'cinl ciirf, Ciiiiiulii U muni ccrluinly lluit i-oimlry.
Th(! suniiner is sufliciciitly loig und wurm to permit a large number of variotica
of tobaoco to come to iiinturity, l)iit the severity of the sprinj? and the early frost* of
uiituinn iieeessitate the use nf iiiinier'Uis preeiiiitioiis if it is dtsiri'd to plant and liar-
vcst the tobacco, and take it in early enough to prevent its being injured by the in-
clemency (if the full.
It must lie admitted that the d« velopnwnt of the plant, which occupies onr atten-
tion, when the season is sutiieienlly warm. Irmn the nitiment when it i- planlcij
(jut until tliat of gathering it in, is from "."O to 10(1 days, on an average, according to
the variety. Kn pas-sant we would ask < aiuKlian >;n>w<'rs to pive the pretVrcnce to the
I'jjhter varieties, which arc generally more forward, and, especially in Quebec, not to
adopt too exclusively the cultivation of heavy kinds, which yield, it is true, a greater
return in weight, but ripen more slowly and are relatively more difficult to dry, thus
exposing the plants to the danger of Ijeing frozen in the drying room before the pro-
cess is completed.
There is plenty of evidence that in a country where the winter is rigorous, the
half warm forcing bed is strictly necessar;^, as the production of planta. in the seed
bed can only be obtained after a period of from 30 to 60 days, or even more. In fact,
the half warm forcing bed is the one more ofUm used in Canada, and about which
we will now give a brief description,.
^i.t .-ooti.i.ui cj'i.iiii.iii ... .■ iLiii v^uiui joieiiig uea IS a layer oi iresn manure cap-
able of producing by its fermentation, a sufficient increase in temperature, and over
which is laid the bed of earth in which the seed ought to hi- sown, in order that it may
find itself in circumstances favourable to rapid growth.
In order to avoid the chills arising from the outer air, the whole is surrounded
with a suitable framework, and covered over with a sash, it may be of cotton or paper
covered with three coats of linseed oil, and thus rendered more transparent and more
rain-proof, or it may be of glass ; this last gives more heat, but requires to be watched
more carefully during the warm day.s, in order to avoid a pn>niatnre growth, which will
not always correwpond with the date tixed for the trnnsplantation. Thu.s eoini)leted, the
bed supplies the delicate tobacco seed with the warmtii proiiiic<'(l hy the fer-
mentation of the layer of manure, and a cushion of warm air in which it can put forth
its young shoots, secure from the frosts of spring.
SETTING UP THE FORCING BED.
At the bottom of a trench about half a yard deep, and corresponding in breadth
and length with the dimensions of the frame for the seed-plot, place a layer, some 7 to
9 inches thick, of brambles, branches of pine, husks of ciat.s or l>arU-y, and generally of
materials likely to stop the passage of rata, molee and mole crickets; on this the frame,
Bull. Al— 2
TO J5 AC C O.
I'KKI'AKMlON Ol'
rill': si;i.;i)i,in(;h and i iik <'akk to bk (mvkn to
tiii:m
SICKHI.INiiS.
If lliiTi' In- a i-iiiiiilr,v ill «liicli Itiliiiicii is ciillivnli'il win re tlw m>i'illiii(,'}" sIkhiIiI Im'
iIh' iilijfcl 111' vrr.v 9|«'ciiil rnr)\ ('iiiiiiihi 1» iiuwl ccrliiinly Ihal I'limilry.
The tiuiiiincr is sutiii'ii'iitly lung uu<l wiirm to permit a Inive nunil)er of varietios
"f tobacco to oouio to iniiturity, Imt the severity of thr spring mid the early frosts of
uiitiiiilii iiece-.^itiil<! lh«' ii^e of iiiiinerMiiM preciiiitidiis if it i« ileHired to pliiiit iiihI hiir
vist the tobacco, and take it in early onoiiKh to pri'vent ita lieiug injured by the in-
oleiiieiiey nf the full.
't must Ikj a(hiiitted lliiit ihe (1< velopinint of tlie plant, which occupies our attcn-
tior. when tliu »i iisciii i> ^iitlieiiiilly w:inii. 1 loiii the inuiiielil when if i- |ilanleil
nut until that of gathcriiiiir it in, is from !I0 to IttO days, on an averajfe, ac>-ording to
the variety. Kn pas-^an' we would ii.-k (aiKidian (jii.weis t.i jfi^e (he prelereine In lh<
1 xhter varieties), which anj generally niurc forward, and, egpocially in Quebec, not to
adopt too cxchisivoiy the cultivation of lieavy kinds, which yield, it is true, u t?rt>atcr
return in weight, but ripen more slowly and are relatively more difficult to dry, thus
expt)sing the jihinta to the danger of Uing frozen in the drying room before the pro-
i-ess ia completed.
Transplanting should lake place from May 20 to June 10, in order that the tobacco
may be harvested between August I'O and SepteiiilxT 15. J'here is plenijr of evidenro
that in a country where the winter is vigorous tlie production of the plant in the aej'd-
plot cannot lie effecte<l under thirty to sixty day?^, or even more, according to tlie
methods adopt«'d. the haif-wariu forciiijr licfl Uiii;; < iii|plo.ved ; ihis is what we liavi' e.\-
perienced everywhere in Canada, and what we are aliout to describe briefly.
The e8:<ential element in a half warm forcing bed is a layer of fresh manure cap.
able of producing by its fermentation, a sufficient increa.se in teint>erature, and over
which is laid the IkhI of earth in which the seed ought to U' sown, in order that it may
find itself in circum-^tances favourable to rapid growth.
In order to avoid the chills ari.sing from the outer air, the whole is surrounded
with a suitable fratnework, and covered over with a sa.«h, it may be of cotton or paper
covered with three coats of linseed oil, and thus rendered more transparent and more
rain-proof, or it may l)e of glass; this last gives more heat, but requires to be watched
more carefully during the warm da.\.s, in order to avoid a pn'iiiatiire growth, which will
not always .•orn-.-ipond with the date ti.sed for the transplantation. Tlui.s completed, the
bed supplier the delicate tobaeeo seed with the warmth produced by the fer-
mentation of the layer of manure, and a cn.shion of warm air in which it can put forth
its young shoots, secure from the frost.s of spring.
SETTING UP THE FOBCINCl BED.
At the bottom of a trench about half a yard deep, and corresponding in breadth
and length with the dimensions of the frame for the seed-plot, place a layer, some 7 to
9 inches thick, of brambles, branches of i)ine. husks <if oat.s or barley, ami gciieruliy of
materials likely to stop the pnssage of rats, moles and mole crickets; on this the frame.
Bull. Al— 2
constructHl n. al.ov.s is support..,!, nml tillr.l in to a suffic-.ent depth. ' l^'/J^y'''' f''^
ing been w.ll pr.ss.d <l..wn. is covcrod ..v.r with a l.e.l of horse ""'«"'«• ^'^J' ^"""^
straw, and -..pal.]., of prndu.-inj? vip,rous f. nn.ntat.on. 'Ih.s manure h/^ *« >"^°-
v.nie;co of f 'rnuntin,. very rapidly, but the fermentat on can be retarded and ^ade
ml lasting, s.. that its action can be continued until the time -»>«" /"-^^ "« "°
longer to 1.., f-.m-d, by ad.ling a certai.x qua.itity of stable manure, '^^^'^^'^'^
straw, ami in whi.l. the straw, as well as that in the horse manure, ought to be satur-
ated with li.iui.l niannn in order to sui)i.ly a good heat.
The addition of the stable manure has the extra advantage of lessening the pro-
duction of mushrooms, which develop in very considerable quantities on hot-beds made
pxolusivelv from horse manure. ... .,,
The h.y« of manure havinp been well stan.ped down, and beaten with a ramnier
until reduee^l to the thickness of about one foot then on top is P!««f « l^!"^."*,.^;;^
..arth, mellow and sufficiently light, fertilized m the autumn ^\«P"^1'°^^* ] i^"'*:
manure, or by l^^ing mixed with well-rotted manure, and which has been exposed all the
winter to the action of the frosts, in order to destroy the seeds «f/^'^"*,j";,^ °*
insect, which it contained previously. The use of mould is «<l"«"y food' ^^'^"i
cold country as Canada the preparation of inould specially intended for the setting ot
«eeds, revivifying it in the autumn after = has been kept in reserve during the hot
.™;,, turned with the spade fr„n. tin,.- ... ti,,,., kept fn. iroui noxious hert«, and cU-a
of insects by the visits of doni<«tic fowls, should be a most advantageous work t
allows of the construction of forci.ijr !kh1s .•apable o: developing the plant more quickly
than can l:e .lo..,. in be.is oi; or.iina.v ..arth. -.md in which th.- see.l can be sown several
days later and ript'iiwl earlier. , . ,, , •» ^,,„f,,.
In ca.e oniinarv and,;.- .. rth i.. us..,l. it is just as advisable to cover .ts surla e
with a thin lav.r ui' wvll-powd.Ted and lifted ,arth. thus rendering its equali-
zation more complete and the seeding easier. A little soot can be added to the mould,
as it removes worms. 3 i. j i ♦
The use of strong and clayey .<oils is to b.' avoided; thtse retard the development
of the beard root, and at the time of transplanting render the extraction of the plant
difficult.
The forcinj? bed >ilioiild U' slightly inclined to the light.
KXI'OSUUi: OF TllK FOKOING BEDS.
It is better to choose plac.s sheltered from the wind and open to the su"- '''^^
backs of the forcing b,'ds can Ik., set against a wall facing well to the east, and, if the
beds are set in the open tield or in the garden, it is wise to protect them from the pre-
valent winds by hurdles tilN-.l with branches of ti-t>es and kept in place by means of
picquets.
SASHES.
As ha.^ already Ii.hii said, the sa^hes .an be mad,, either of pKJK'r or cotton oiled,
kept in phu.. l.v c;.sspieces, or of window glass firmly set in a wood trame, the dimen-
sions of the latter, as in th.. .'ase of tli.. frames in which cotton or paper are held, ought
not to U- too large, in onl.r 1,. n.ak.- tlw working ..asier. It is ,.ss,.„tial to n.ak.' thes..
sashe.swat..rtiglit by ..an.fully adjust...! fittings. ,.,..,■ r 1 *
The si.i.s ..f the box ar. ma.l.. like those. ..f the sashes, slightly inclined so as to
expose th.. .......llings t.. the lijiht. the rain water is made to run otT more .puckly. which
is very ne...s.-ar.v in cas.. <.f sash.s of paper ,w cotton, whilst what is more important,
theheat of till' sun can be utili/..<l to lK..|ter ii.Ivantag.\ , , , ,
In ord..r that all part- lua.v 1h. ..asily rca<.hed, the forcing U.ls ought not to he
ni..r,^ than four f.n t to four f.'et an.l a half in breadth, whilst the height ot the box
should be calculat.'d so as t.. alL.w f..r a spiice ..f thr.e or four inches betwe.m the top
of the sec.<lliiigs and the low.st part ..f th.. sash.
CHOICE or SEED.
This M.hj..ct can bardly be treated satisfactorily .t thl^ stnjt«% it will have to be
reverted to for a n.inute v.hen we tn-at of the care to l^ given to the plantations, and
particularly to those plants intended to produce seed. i ♦. j„,„
In the matter of seed, the grower should deal only with .safe and scrupulous traders,
should only use seed in which the germinative power lias teen fully preserved, and,
lastly, in order to be certain of thus final point, should t.*t the. s.^mI. , . r
In order to do this, he can place a certain number ol so. .Is between two sheets of
blotting paper, slightly moisten the whole, and place it in a tairly ^^'"™ P*'* °f f ^
house, where the temporatu.^ varies but little (near a hearth), nn.l k*;ep the moisture
up by adding several drops of lukewarm water from time to time. From the show-
ing of sprouted seeds at th,. end of six or eight days, sometimes ten days and taking
into account the temiKrature and the degree of moisture, he will be able to reckon the
useful return from the purchased seed. , _,„ i v iiK s^ed o"*^ *" "**"
The seed of tv- *'\,r.,,^^y to obtain a nuPPly «f ^°'' ^
hould have no dinieuii> i" „..,,.
"1 iTduring four or five >eaj^-^„. ,..« variety produced by the grower is thus better
..Sped in every way, he can place it to greater advantage on the market, and he
can follow the cultivation m..rc closely with a view to making a profit, if he is an ob-
server of the lessons taught by former years. Seed germinates the more quickly the
younger it is.
Seod may ho s.jwn fr.Tniinat.d or dry. , . ,• .
■ The s.nving of ,lrv .s,.-,! i„ half-«anu foivi,,^ \,;U ou-hl to l,( the pl^'-'l '"• '■"''-
planting in forty to forty-Hve days. HeiKv tbis .needling will .s.em pref..rable to tha
;,btaine<l from swollen or g.rmina.ed ficx^d. Dry seo.l will Ixttor resKst tb,^ period of
intense cold which prevails about the beginning of the s.tl.ng up ot the si-ed beds, it
has very little to fear from frost, and .an await the d.velopnunt ..f boat in the forcing
l„..l in case the fermenlation of the la.vrr .>f manure slmuLl not b.. sutR.Mently speedy
We advise Canadian growers to .Iev..t<, a m.>re or l,.s.s i,ni...rtant portion ..f their seed
plot to this method of .owing, ami we shonl.l be glad to k.i.nv the resuts which it pro
duces ill the .-ountry. (It is well un.l.Tst 1 tbat ball-warn, tor.-.ng l.ds, ..apal.le ..t
developing an increase of temi«>rat„re of TO to H) degrees in the atmosphere in which
young plants are growing. an.I tbat n..twith.-.ta.,.lin? what the outs.de temperature
may be, are meant.) ,
It should be noted in i-assin^ that the te.np.-rature ......st tavonrabk for the ger-
.nination of the seed and 1h.. ^M.nvtb i.. s.^d pl..ts, is about 80 to S-> degrees, dry seed
.•an stand a temperature of 110 degrees. . r • *i, ,„„.*l.
The sowing of sprouted or .swollen seed ha.s the advantage of forcing the growth
of the plant in the forcing b..d, and of thus ...aking a v. ry appreciable gain in time.
One should, however, always avoi.l the exaggerated germination which is practiced
in some parts of Canada; .... good forcing beds the seed looks like a little white dot.
or only swollen, grows very rapidly, and one do.^s not risk hurting too-developed seeds
in the course of the unavoidabl,. blows, which it produces at the moment of sowing.
Moi^over. there is a serious in.-onveni..nce in exhausting the feeble resources of the
seed before it can be in tl... s.>il. wbi.'l. ougl.l lo „o„r,sl, an.I d.v.l.n. tl«' .vung plau^
to which it will give birth.
OF.RMIN'ATIOV.
Germination of seed can be easily obtained by inclosing it in a pock.4 of thick
woollen material soaked in tepid water, draii.r.l. and kept in .a part ot the house Where
the temperature is about 80 degiws and as .>.,uable a.s p..ssible. It ,s very easy to ex-
amine the seed by opening ibe pocket fro... ti.ue to ti.a. . In other eases the seed can
be mingled with .....ul.l gathere.l fro... th.. hollows of trees and wh.el, .s tl.... sown with
ronstruct..! as a!...vc', is support.Kl, n.ul lillc.i in to a sufficient depth. This layer, hav-
LTSn w ■ i;n.s.;i .low,. is covered ov.r with a bed of horse --"-: f '«^; ^"" "j
strawTand -ap..!.!.. of pr.„lncing vigorous f.rnKntat.on. 'lh,8 T^^^^/^ *^;^'3,
vS.ce of f rnuntinK very rapidly, but the fermentation can be retarded and made
moTlastimr that U. actio, ca,. be continued until the time when frosts are no
SSrt .t'n Um Iv .,.lin. a certai,. q«a..tity of stable manure, ako conta-n«
straT and i.. which the Mraw. as well as that in the horse manure, ought to be satur
ated with ii.iuiil ..lai.ur.. in onler to supply a good heat.
The addition .,f the .table n.auure has the extra advantage of l^^"';** J^« I'J^
duction of mushrooms, which develop i.. very co..siderable quant.t.es on hot-beds made
''^^^^t:\Cnf'rnuThring been well st. nped down, -d beaten with a ran.mer
u..til reduced to the thickness of about one foot, then on top is p aced a bed «« .«»«<;
"arth ^UcTw and sufficiently light, fertilized in the autumn by sprinklings wilj Uquu^
nanuVro Ty k-ing mixed with well-rotted manure, and which has been exposed aU the
winter 1 th'a'ion of the frosts, in order to destroy the seeds of weeds and larv« of
insects whi '
cold countr ^ ^^^^ ^^^^ ^ ^^^^^ ^^^^ ^ne not
™;..Tun»..l with the spad.. frun. tin,., to ,1,,,,.. kept frc. fr„m noxious herl«, and clear
oTh^'cts by th. visits of don..«tic fowls, .hould be a most advantageous work t
dloro tl'f cinstruction of fon-in, l.ds capable of developing the plant -ore uu.ckly
thaiTcan !:e .lone in beds of ordinary earth, and in which the seed can be sown several
'"^'l!:':L:lH^:r!.;i":.rth i. .,...1. i, is just as advis.„U- ,0 cover its surfa..
with a Ti, ver\,f w..ll-puwd..red an.l >ifte.l <arth. thus ren.U^.ng its e.p.ai.-
Tationmor;. complete and tl.e seeding easier. A little soot can be added to the mould.
" 'VhTre^n^ng and clayey .-oils is to b.. avoided; these retard the dev^opment
of the beard root, and at the time of transplanting render the extraction of the plant
difficult. , , . ,• 1 . ,u 1- ut
The forcing 1«m1 should l>e slightly inclined to the light.
KXl'OSlRi: OK TIIK FOHCINO BEDS.
It is l.etter to choose places sheltered from the wind and open to the s""- '^'^^
backs of the forcing be.ls can W set against a wall facing well to the east, and if the
bei^are et in the open field or in the garden, it is wi.se to t)rotect them from the pre-
va^t winds by hurdles tilled with branches of trees and kept m place by means of
picquets,
SASHES.
As has alrea.ly Ik-'" >='i-l. tl"' '^"•-l''^* ' «" ^"' "•«''^' "'^^''' "^ '""rT "^ «""»"' °'^^''^'
kept in plac by erosspieces, or of window glass firmly set i.i a wood frame, the d..nen-
sio'ns of the latter, us in tl... ea.se of the f ran,., in which cotton or paper are ' J- '2'^',
, 1 • ,1-1,. ■..il-.. iIk. w.ii-k 11" easi.T. It is essential to iiiaKe Uies.'
not to Im' too li,rKe. Ill oril.r lo inaKc Ilic Woimi,^ lanm.
«a.slK"S watortidit by eaivfiilly adjnsl.Ml fittings. • ,- , „ .,
The sides of the box are mad., like those ..f the sashes, .slightly inclined so as to
expose he se...,li,„s to .he light, the rain water is made to run otf more quickly, which
is vTy ne.'.K-ary in ...se of saslus of pajK^r or cotton, whilst what is more important.
the heat of the siiii .-an be uliHwl to l>etter advantage. . , , , ^ ,
In orlr that all part, may be easily rea.h.d. the forcing IkhIs ought not to be
mo^Va fo. r f..t to fo„r feel an.l a half in breadth, whilst the he.ght of the box
Sd be calenlat..d so as to allow for a ..pace of tlir.e or four inches between the top
of the sellings an.l the lowest i,;,rt .^f the sash.
CHOICE OF SKED.
This «ubj..ct can hardly he treated satisfactorily at this .ta^- it 7" hav« ^o be
.averted to for a n,inute when we tn-at of the care to l.e g.veu to the plantations, and
particularly to those plants intended to produce seed. . , ^ , , t^j^.
In the matter of s«k1. the grower should deal only w.th safe and -"'Pf -^ 7^^^^
should only use seed in which the germinative power has Ken fully preserved, and,
lastly, in order to be certain of thus final point, should t.st the ^^^- ^
In order to do this, he can place a certain number of so.ds ^"•^••^•'"J,"" J^f ^^
blottinK palmer, slightly moisten the whole, and place it in a fairly warm part of the
hous'wheL the temperature vario. but little (near a li.arth) and ^-P Jlie --^^^^^
np by adding several drops of lukewarm water from time o tunc. From the show
ing of sprouted seeds at the end of six or eight days, sometimes ten days and tokmg
in?o account the temperature and the degree of moieture, he will be able to reckon the
iwpfiil return from the purchased seed. ,
The S of the tobacco plant preserves its vitality for a ong time C*^^ y-" ^J
more) and it is no more difficult to supply good young seed than to use that which
hasten four or five years in stock. The variety produc.d by »»-/[--- J ;-„^^t
developed in every way, he can place it to greater advantage ^'^♦^.^'""Jfi/^^ X
can follow the cultivation more closely with a view to making a profit, if he is an oh
server of the lessons taught by former years. Seed germinates the more quickly the
younger it is.
Sood mav b*' scjwii iscrtniiiiitcil or dry.
The rwins of ,lrv ^..,1 in lu,lf-w.nn lonin. 1 ..1, ou,bt t,. M tb. p ..,. lor tr.n.s-
plauting hi forty to forty-five day.. Ifene,. this .needling will .seem preferable to that
ancfl f om swollen .r ge„ni„a...d seed. Dry s«<d will iH-.e.r r..>s. .be period o
intense cold which prevails about the beginning of the -■**'"^"'V;* ^^j^'^^ Sng
his very little to fear from frost, niwl ean await the .l.velopinent of besU m the forcing
1 n^ase the fermentation of .be layer of nnnnire should no. be -f^'^'fy^^'^J,
We advise Canadian growers to devote a more ..r le.s in.portnnt portion of tbeir seed
Xt to t"s method of'sowing, and we should be glad to know .he "-ts which 1 pro
duces in the country. (1. is wvll unders.o,.,! Hn,. b.lt-vvann ior.Mng bed., '•".I-lde ot
dev^b^ng an increase of temiH-ra.ure r.f 70 to SO .legrees in the atmosphere in wh ch
young plants are growing, and .hat notwi.h-.andin, what the outside temperature
"'^'r;h"uldrnoted in passin. ,ba, ,be .emperature st favourable for the ger^
niination of the seed and the .-owtb in s..d plo.s, is abont SO to s.. degrees, dry seed
.•an stand a temperature of 110 degre(>s. , r ■ tu^ ™rr>«,tl.
The sowing of sprouted or .swollen se.d ba.< .be advantage of forcing the growth
of the plant in the forcing bed, and of thus making a very appreciable gain in time.
Oneshould, however, always avoi.l the exaggera.e.l gernuuation whu.h is practiced
in some parts of Canada; on good forcing beds the sc..l looks like a If 1« -h'te dot.
o onrswol en. grows vei^ rapidly, and one does not risk hurting too-developed seeds
in hfeo^r e of the unavoidable blows, which i, produces at the moment of sowing^
Moreover there is a seriou.s ineonvenienee in .xhaust.ng the feeble resources of the
seed Se it can be in the so,l. wl,i..b ,M,..h, w, nourish :u,d develop the yonng plau*
to which it will give birth.
GEBMINATIOV.
Germination of seed can Ik. easily obtained by inclosing it in .•! poeHt of thick
woollen material soaked in tepid wator. drained, and kept in a part of the hous^ Vhere
Ihe temperature is about 80 <leg«^s and as equable its possible. It is very easy to ex-
amined seed bv opening .be poeke., fro„, time to tinu . In other eases the seed can
Cmingted with n,o lid ga.h.red from the hollows of trees and whu-b is .h.n sown w.th
6
It. ii .-lijrlit tiiiiisturi slioiild be maintained, nnd as in the jirecfding case, it should be
kept in a wiirin place. When the majority of the seeds sfilit the outer coat, and the
wliite eiiibr.Vd pliiiit .allows, the time hns cdMU' t<> sow.
SOWING.
On luciiuiit of its tenuity it i.s iliftieult to spread llu' jiure seed equally over the seed
bed. The most praoticnl way of olitnininjr this result is to mix the seed with some non-
nctive matter, .sueh as tine burnt .<iinid. luoukl. iVc, in tlie proportion of iV of seed to A
of sand. A suitable niediiiiu is si^moule, ii iioii-li.M.'iosiMipic sulLstaiice. which does not
agglomerate, is easy to sift and of aliout the sMiiie density as the toliacco seed; this
allows of a homogeneous mixtuvc. .\ thimbleful of .seed ought under good conditions
to sow a surface of 9 feet square; this ought to be suffieient for the requirements of
transplanting for a surface 75 to 1(H) times gp>aler, acA-ordiiig to the fertility of tho
seeds.
In every case the growir should sok to have hi-; forcing beds of ((pial density, in
which the plants will imt U' too close together, in order that these last may develop
under favourable conditions, strike out the necessary beardroot, and not stretch out
threadlike roots too early.
The seed having been sprea<l over the forcing bed. which has been previously ren-
dered sufficiently moist by a nio<l< rate sprinkling, the latter is slightly pressed down
either by the hand, or Iwtter still, with a little board, after having been powdered over
with a very thin coat of tine mould kept for the i)urpos(>. The next thing is to put on
the sash. The plant will spring vp in six or eight days, according to the degree to
which the seed had l)een germinated at the time of sowing and the temperature of the
se<Ni-bed.
The forcing bed bein; ■ satisfactorily humid state, and the sash, retarding great
e\aporation, condcnsintr - ■ the frame th<' steam produced, and maintaining over
the yoMiig plants an atmospncre saturated with moisture, the sprinklings are not neces-
sary at the l>egiiining. One thus avoid* chilling th<' seed-tx'd by unseasonable visits,
and by letting in the outer air whilst sprinkling. The coming up of the plant should
lie easily observed through the gla.ss sasli. but in ease sashes of cotton or paper are used,
it is leeessary to examine 't thrfiuj^li little window?, in the side of the wooden frames.
When using glas.s s;i>ii;> it is neeis-ary to watch that the young plants are not
.--iirprised by too wanii a sun, as may happen <luring the tin*' spring days.
In such a case, one draws over the glass a cloth which he can keep in place by
erosspieces of wood, i^r in some otli<r manner, or hi' can obscure it by whitewa.shing
with lime. The cluths used for ibis purpose can be utilized on clear nights to prevent
los.s of heat through radiation.
In a fairly f xteii.-ive >e(MMMd il rarelv bajipeii-- mat all the seeds thrive equally,
and give young plant.- remly for trans|)lanting ■■ ' • ime date; but in order to allow
transplanting to W' gone on with w itlio\it stoppii., to have an abundant supply of
young iihiTits continuously, it is well to seed forcing beds at intervals of seme <lay8, or
to seed on tlw siiiiic day hiiif-wanii fon-ing Im ds with ilry s<^ed, .swollen se<il. or germin-
ated seed, the young plant.- from which will <'onie up one after the other more or less
rapidly.
The grower is the IksI judge a- lo what pieeantion.- to take to effect this. He has.
moreover, otlar means at his disposal to hasten or retard, in a normal year, the coming
up of the s<'edlings in case any slight mistake -lionld be made at the time of seeding
the forcing beds.
SPRINKLING.
Sprinkling ought to he carried out with great moderation. It ought never to
deluge the forcing lied, but merely k<^p up tho moisture. When the grower judges it
proper to (lut sprinkling in practice, he should do so. parti<iilarly at first, in the warm
I'
part of the day, keeping the sash open as short a time as possible, and distribntinR tho
water, slightly warmed beforehand, by means of the rose of a watering pot, pierced
with very small holes, or with a bunch of broom, used as a water sprinkler. In this
way one will avoid laying bare the roots of the young plants, and, in case a slight
baring should be noticed, one ought iiiiniediately to spread lifted mould over, in onl'^r
to re-oover the roota.
It follows that as the plants liecunie more vigorous, one should proceed to aeclinia-
t'v/Ai them, opening the sash during a part of the day, and aa the evaporation beconirs
uioro active, one should increase the quantity of water given to the forcing bed, but it
is then better to sprinkle frequently, avoiding, however, doing so too late in tlie
evening, always using slightly warm water, and being careful not to use a larger quan-
tity than is strictly necessary for keeping up the humidity for the seedlings. In this
«:iy one avoids loss of heat whilst giving the young plant all the water it requires, in
such proportions and at such times as the young plant requires. Moreover, the fer-
mentation of the liiyer of man\ire, which supports the seed-l>e(l, is not disturlx'il by tlio
invasion of the water from the sprinklings; which invasion would result in the drying
up of the mould in cases in wliicli the water would be distriliuted too copiously.
WEEDING.
However great the care i'Xi)en<led in the preparation of the mould, the forcing beds
arc more or less invaded by weeds. In order to release the young tobacco plants and
allow tliciu to develop more freely, one proceeds to the necessary weedings. These last,
|)rcce(led. if necessary, by a sprinkling, will !« made by hand, or with th<' point of a
knife, during the warm [lart of the day. The laying bare of the roots of the young
plai.ts should be avoided, and a coating of mould ought always 1o be given when the
work is coinplelid. Weedings should lie effected in a regular numner until the time
wlieu (lie lob:ic(o plinHs occupying the whole forcing Ix'd have laconic strong enough
and no longer permit the other jilants to develop near them.
1/
THINNINO OUT.
lnr|)iteof precautions taken at the lime of sowing, it frei|ueully liapiMiis, on^'
night say usually, that the y<uing jilants come up too near each other. It is neeessarv
to thin out the forcing bed before the young plants are too far devcloj^d, leaving in
the earth the stronger, which thus relca.scd, will develop more rapidly, and strike out
iMi abiindant iieanl rout. By this means the production of weak plants is av<iideii a thin;;
which happcuB when the .voung plants, too clo.sc together, develop a tendency to lankv
growth. As in the r»H' of we(>dlngs, tlie thinnings out ought to In; preceded by a light
sprinkling, which facilitates the extraction, and followed by a coatir.)' of mould, this
last being particularly urgent.
VENTILATION OF THE SEEPLINGS.
When the young plan s have put out six leaves, which should hap|ien shortly be-
fore the time of transplantation, and when the temperature becomes milder, they must
l)e acclimatized so ns to prepare tlum for transplanting, and give them the necessary
vigour.
To this end, during the warm part of the day, the sashes should be partly opened.
At first the sashes should be op<'n only for a short time, this time should gradually be
increased until such time as tlioy can l>e finally taken out altogether; in the latter case,
especially in Canada, one should never forget to replace the' sashes in the evening, so
as to protect the seedlings from the white frosts.
It is impossible here to indicate the exact time at which thi cashes can be opened.
The young plants require air as well as heat and light, and whenever a favourable op-
portunity otfers, except in the very tirst days of the sprouting of the seeds in the hot
\ELLOW PLANTS.
badly consencl nK,„ld. nn,l wE dcvnl„nm. H '""'''"?T'^ •'"'J?"*^ ^'°™ *^»« "^
«hoiild bo replaced by rtould n.rrifi.H ^r ^ . «prinklniR. The infe.-K.I oart;.
of do,„e8tic fowk "^ ^ ^^ '"'"*"'*' *" '^' «"•' """^ «P«n to the incursion.
ENEMIES OF THE SEEDLING.
tlu. fo'r"cS l-i"'" "'""■' ""■'^•""' "" ^"-^^ '"^^ '° ■-•-•'^' -•» <ho«c. .Toucntly invn.Io
^.a.herod up next -lay L rdosX^ tI I^^^^^^ K"<bcr .lurn.g the ..ipht. Th,.>.. „.„ ....
quicklime/or euried "i of h^e' hai oTtoUon-T ' '"""""^' ".'*'' '^"''"''^ ''
..roaches to the hot ^.l ^,ouuZ\'ZZ r^all tZcTour^ittir""^'' ''''
s. J xr. ferut rots iJ:,- '^r - ■■« -r f ^" -^^^^^^^^^^ i- ^bc
destroyed. ^ moistened bark of trees, under which they arc found and
Molo. ,„„1 oncta mol« „„e,i„„ „„„i, ,„i„^ „
bill towar.)« n,id-day or at sunlt Haa ♦ T. ^ ?,"^^' '" ** *'«P' <^"^ ""' °f its
to work a^ain. Tic mole cricket mav t l"^ ^'"^ I u °^ ^'"™ "^ ^^^-^^ i««' ^t it set.
water to which h„ of dl ha/J^n aSt n^ ''''" "^ ^^ mundating hi. galleries with
at the „.„uth of the .ssi^d:^^:;';^^;^^-:- ^Sx.o::- ""'^'"'
CABE TO BE GIVEN THE SEEDLINGS ON THE EVE OP TRANSPLANTATION.
Behold the time when our young plants are to be put in the open earth Th. ^ i.
of preparing the earth for their cultivation has often been retarrVd h!7^ i . '^
ther. and our beds are aboundinjr with vo„n.rnla!.ic t^ fetaroed by inclement wea-
ment of 2A to .'! inches O^ cTn l!ti J j ° • J'^^'' ^"''* '"=<>"''^'^ « '^^^^^P-
is that he has two enei^etic means at hia rommand; his aaahes and the sprinklinir- m
combining their uhc at time, and in a judicious manner, eepecially in a nornml year,
the intelligent grower ought to be able to avoid any too disagreeable aurpriaes.
PUTTINQ INTO TUB MUBSUT.
This is practiced when the »eedHngB are too thick, some young plants those that
im> most vigorous, should he tnk..n up nnd transplanted into another l.ulf-wann fnniuir
.ub^pL" ^ f ^"*^^" ^^ u,- ^' ^"^'^hes, though only in small numbers, vigoroua
^n^A-' /■ t\r°l^'^' ""^' ™'«<"^er. to be tramiplanted with a portion of the
mould in which they have sprouted and grown, but on the other hand, it involves a
large amount of hand work. We do not advise the use o' nursery plant^ for the cdti
ZTl r ' T"'"^^ ^*" "'^''" ^"•*'"''^' '* ^""''^ «P^''y ««">» in debasing he
fjf; 7^'?^ would no longer nuH-t t.,e nHjuirc.nents of the market for which it ^cul-
Uvnt,vl. I h,. best thing ,s to make thinly sown forcing l«ds. in such a way as to ol,-
tain vigorouH subjects and equal sprouting.
EXTRACTION AND CHOICE OP SUBJECTS.
For transplantation, ,.r,.f,.r..n«. .should be givon to thick.s..t nnd g«*>n „lan!s
Nvnc-h have thrown out an abundant beard-root. Subje<,ts suitable for transplanting
-hould measure ! to 3 inches. The use of yellow or virgate plants, or of those motled
.n green and yellow (signs of <Hsease) should he avoided. The taking out of the Z'S
ft J"^'',* '" r' "Tt'' ^'^' " -"^'"'^""*^' Mifficiently abundant to insure tlKford"
beds being less disturbed and th.. root^s of the young plants unbroken, care should C
taken o avoid shaking ott any earth which may adhere to the roots, and which facili-
tates tlie plant s recovery troin transplanting.
The young plants when taken out are placed together. wiUiout being pressed one
against the other and slightly inclined, in a basket or otlKT utensil Stfa l7r,!^ '. ""
ing. covered with a damp eloth and kept in a cool place, until the time when
hey are wanted. Ihey can be thus kept a sufficient time, but it is better tremp oy
them as soon as possible, in order to avoid their failing and a tendency to fade.
After the extraction of the plants the forcing bed should be freely sprinkled with
mould in order that the slightly disturbed roots of the remaining young plants mav be
brought back to a good condition. A second removal may be mfde some d^s la^eY
It sonaetimes happens that the grower finds himself obliged, towards the end of
the transplantatmn to use a slightly virgate young plant. He should, n such a ea^
IT^H ?V '"^''f^ ""T '^^P'^ '" ^"^"^ " "«y «« t° ^^'''^^^ tte development of
he adventitious roots and to restore to the plant, in a certain measure, the vigour
lost at the end of its growth in the seed-bed. vigour
DATE OF SOWING.
From what precedes the grower desirous of having his young plants ready
for transplantatnui from ilay 20 to June 10 to 15. ought to seed his forcing be<Is in the
very first days of April, if he sows dry seed, some days later (about the 8th). if he sows
germinated seed.
He can obtain a young plant fit to transplant in 30 days, and sometimes less l,v
pushing the growth in very hot forcing beds, and under glass, but the plant is relatively
delicate, and is not htied for early transplanting, when the nights are still cool, and the
white frosts may 1)6 feared, the young plant grown under a sash, and given a piTicxl of
evolution lasting 42 to 45 days, should be given the preference.
The obtaining of the young plant in the forcing bed, appears a sufficiently sure and
easy operation; the greatest attention ought meantime to be brought to bear on this
part of the ci-.ltivation of tobacco, for it is on this that the future of tho whole crop
01 ten depend".. *^
10
If the (rrower wiahea to surely uplvp the important problem of obtaining sound,
vi(<nrou8 and abundant young plant* at th»> best time, in order to be able to realize thi«
condition, necessary for the cultivation of tobacco in Canada, to plant at the favour-
able time, and wfth as mtich «ift' as poswible, notwithntandinK all that has been said
above, hia iiiKrnuity will still find plenty of room to exercise itaelf. It ia impoMible
to fortiiw wlH'thiT th<' seiu^m will or will iK.t be favournble, and ♦>very modification of
fix- uttiiospheric oonditioiia niuy oftori briiij? with it, serious oonswitiincea, in view of
which the Kfowcr lunst nloue mid in the pmiKr time d«-cide upon hiH course of a<'tioii.
T)K.rAIn>IK.NT OK AliHK 1 Ml UK.
Ott.uvv, .liuiunry, llHiti.