147 



Sumatra. The local value of the product after being classed in 

 the proper sizes and colours, pressed and baled, is from 4/ to 6/ 



per lb. 



A very lucrative industry is thus open for Jamaica even although 



the initial cost is high. 



Notes on the experiment in growing and curing Sumatra wrapper 



tobacco under shade cloth. 



A quarter of an acre was laid out on a site previously occupied 

 by Havana tobacco the tent being erected over two distinct kinds 

 of soil ; one a heavy black loam, and the other a sandy or gritty 

 loam. The plants grew equally well upon both soils, reaching a 

 height of 9 feet in 58 days ; the leaf from the sandy loam is of a 

 thinner and of a finer texture than that from the black loam, from 

 latter the leaf is heavier, and cured with a gummy substance on 

 the surface. 



In the progress of the experiment many methods were tried, and 

 much experience has been gained, and it is not supposed that 

 improvements cannot be made in the future. There will naturally 

 be many ideas developed as to improvements that can be made, 

 e.g., that the plants should have been topped, the picking should 

 have been done a little earlier, or a little later to get the best 

 results. 



It is well known by all tobacco growers that different soils and 

 different districts require different treatment. The production of 

 the leaf, and the relation of the different soils to the character of 

 the leaf, and the necessities of cuhivation must be further studied, 

 and will unquestionably be beneficial. 



Preparation of the seed beds. 



No special plan was adopted in the preparation of the seed 

 beds, the methods in common use being adopted. It is very im- 

 portant that in the preparation of the seed beds an ample supply 

 of seed should be sown, and provision being made by successive 

 sowings every 7 or 10 days, so that when the planting season comes 

 round the supply of plants suitable for transplanting will be ample 

 for the purpose, and the supply should be maintained through- 

 out the period in which the planting is to be done. After the 

 seeds are sown, the beds should be watered, and kept continuously 

 moist, but not too wet, until the seedlings are planted out. 



On a commercial scale an ounce of seed is used for an acre of 

 land, this insures an abundance of plants, and in favourable 

 seasons there will be more than enough, but it is poor economy 

 to have scant seed beds and to wait for plants. 



Land best adapted for wrapper leaf. 



There is no longer any question but that a sandy loam is the 

 best, the subsoil, either clay or sand, the latter being preferable 

 for growing leaf of the finest texture, also the climate must be 

 warm and humid, for wrapper leaf requires a humid atmosphere 

 from the seed to the cigar, and the reverse is deleterious. Without 

 a proper soil, suitable climatic conditions and environments, the 



