TOBACCO.
 Tile increasing interest in the culture of tobacco throughout the State
 and the demand for literature oi the subject, i'iduces me to prepare
 this Bulletin in the interest of the inexperienced grower.

 THE PREPARATION OF SEED BED.
 Prepare seed bed the first week in January. If land is new rake off
 all trash, digging up carefully all roots. Break up land deep either
 with spade or hoe if beds are small, if large with plow, but do not turn
 under the top soil too deep. If the land is old hoe off all grass and
 weeds before breaking it up.
 The seed bed should have some exposure to sun and be near water.
 Wet or springy laud is not good unless well drained. A bed in the
 open forest where sun, shade and wa:er can be had as needed is the
 best selection. New land, in some respects, is better than old, but it
 should be manured whether burnt or not. Old land can be burnt over
 and then fertilized, but the experience on the Station does not demn n-
 strate that the burning of land for a saed bed is of any other advantage,
 when the soil is prepared well and made rich by fertilizing, than the
 destruction of weed and grass seed, which can be picked out cheaper
 than by burning. The bed should be made smooth with one side
 slightly higher than the other in order to shed water. The beds should
 ba made narrow and so trenches that if it became necessary to water,
 the trenches could be used to hold the water, and in this way allow the
 beds to become wet by soaking in.

 FERTILIZER FOR BEDS.
 Decomposed or fresh stable or cow manure, cotton seed meal or
 crushed cotton seed, or rotted cotton seed, are good. Qaite a number of
 commercial fertilizers prepared specially for tobacco have proven good.
 Almost any of the standard fertilizers for vegetables, in the absence of
 others, would-s-rve, obssrvin7 this, mak- the bed rich. The intelligent
 farmer who knows his soil must be the judge. Apply your fertilizer
 a month before sowing and when applied do not put it deep, but on
 top of the bed. It may be raked in but if so, barely cover it. The
 young plants need the fertilizer at once and it must not be put beyond
 their reach.
 SOWING THE SEED.
 Seed sown earlier than February or the first of March in Northern
Florida are not likely to be of service unless protected from cold winds
and frosts. The best results for early planting have been obtained on
the Station by sowing after the middle of February to the latter part of
March. Seed have been sown on the Station as late as 19th of June
and planted on cabbage patch 12th of July and a good crop of first-
class tobacco raised. Broadcast or sow in drills. If in drills raise the
beds so that in case the weather becomes dry water can be poured be-
tween drills without injury to plants by caking the earth around
them. On dry sandy land I advise drills, although it will require a
larger area for bed and more labor.
 If seed are either sown in drills or broadcast, cover very shallow and
roll the soil or press it with the hand. Seed lightly brushed and then
rolled is as good if not the best way to get them up.
 The bed should be moist enough to sprout the seed and kept so.
 After the bed is sowed cover it with brush which serves as a protec-
tion against frosts and beating rains.