Steaming Tobacco Beds

Early April, if the weather is mild, the steaming of tobacco
beds starts. A typical day starts about 5:30 a.m. with the firemen
cleaning the flues and fire box. The next step is starting a fire
and while waiting for the steam to rise there might be time to have
a quick breakfast. When the steam temperature reaches 125-150 lbs.
in pressure, the process begins. A six-foot by sixteen-foot pan,
that is attached to the rear of the steam engine, is pulled from
farm to farm. The pan is laid over freshly plowed ground. A steam
hose is placed under the pan and the pan is banked with ground to
prevent the steam from escaping. Each area is steamed for
approximately 20 minutes.

After the seed beds have been steamed, 6- or 8-inch boards are
placed along the edge of the area. The bed is then raked down and
sprouted seed is applied with water through a sprinkling can. About
one ounce of seed is applied to 8 to 10 rods (or 800 to 1000 sq
ft).

NOTE: Too heavy a spread of seedlings encourage plant bed
disease and results in weak and spindly plants.

A canvas is laid over the bed to keep the heat in and to protect
the bed from cool nights.

Generally plants are transplanted into the field sometime in
June.

I am sending some pictures of our steaming in Dane County,
Oregon, Stoughton and Cottage Grove areas. The first picture is of
my dad, Lawrence Mullarkey. He is steaming with an Advance Rumely
steam engine. This took place in the 1940s.

The second picture is of a 20 horsepower Nichols & Shepard
steam engine boiler. This engine was tipped over in the early
1950’s and the engine was cut off and the boiler was mounted
onto a 1942 Chevy truck. This was used for steaming tobacco beds. I
bought this boiler in 1973 and put a different truck under it. I
also replaced the flues and I am currently using this steamer. The
man running the boiler is Edward Severson of Cottage Grove. He is
77 years old and has been steaming for about 58 years.

The third picture shows a recently steamed piece of ground.

The fourth picture is of my 19 horsepower Keck Gonnerman #1731,
built in 1923. Also pictured are me and my dog, Ernie. He has been
at many shows and parades. This was taken at the Rock River
thresheree, Highway 51 between Janesville and Edgerton,
Wisconsin.

My brother John has a 75 horsepower Case there. It is their 25th
anniversary and we are trying to get our 20 HP Reeves over there.
The show is Labor Day weekend.

Incidentally, while steaming tobacco beds for so many years, I
have had to try chewing tobacco on occasion; frankly I enjoy
it!