BUREAU OF PLANT INDUSTRY. 317 



been established at Xacogdochos for working: out and demonstrating 

 in a practical way to farmers the best systems of rotation and ferti- 

 lizing the soil for growing filler tobacco as an additional money crop 

 in conjunction with cotton and the other crops adapted to that section. 



Breeding investigations. — The special study of the fundamental 

 principles of tobacco breeding has been continued in the Connecticut 

 Vallev and some of the results of the Mork will be readv for i)ublica- 

 tion at an early date. The practical work in this section for the 

 present is the development of a broadleaf hj^brid analogous to the 

 Halladay Havana originated by the Bureau. In Ohio some very 

 productive filler hybrids developed in the course of the breeding 

 investigations in cooperation with the state experiment station are 

 being tried out commercially in cooperation with growers. In 

 Pennsylvania breeding investigations for improving yield and secur- 

 ing greater uniformity in the filler crop have been inaugurated in 

 cooperation with the state experiment station. 



Studies on curing, rER]MENTATiON, and control or diseases. — The 

 laborator}"^ studies on the important changes effected in the curing 

 and fermentation processes have been practically completed and the 

 results are being prepared for publication. Much interest is being 

 manifested by growers in the Connecticut Valley in the process which 

 has been devised for the use of artificial heat in curing and which 

 will remove the danger from pole sweat and also insure more uniform 

 curing. 



The new process of harvesting tobacco by picking the leaves from 

 the stalk is becoming more important in the Connecticut Valley and is 

 of special interest, because of the fact that the new Halladay tobacco 

 does not cure well on the stalk. The merits of the new process are 

 being carefully tested this year in both the Havana and broadleaf 

 districts. The value of the method of sterilizing seed beds Avith 

 steam, devised by the Bureau for the control of root-rot, has been 

 again emphasized by serious outbreaks of the disease in beds which 

 Avere not subjected to this treatment. 



INVESTIGATIONS IN MANUFACTURING AND EXPORT TOBACCO DISTRICTS. 



During the fiscal year just ended experiments and demonstrations 

 with manufacturing and export t3^pes of tobacco have been carried 

 on in the States of Maryland, Kentucky, Virginia, and North Caro- 

 lina. Some preliminary work has also been undertaken in the bright 

 flue-cured district of South Carolina. The three essential features 

 of the work with all these types are fertilizer tests, crop-rotation ex- 

 periments and demonstrations, and variety tests. Local stations are 

 maintained in districts producing the important types of leaf, and 

 the general features of the work, as well as the special problems taken 

 up, arc adjusted to local requirements. 



Work in Virginia and Maryland. — In Virginia the investigations 

 have been continued largely along the lines followed in the past, and 

 local stations have been maintained at Appomattox and Ivustburg in 

 the dark-fired district, at Louisa and Bowling Green in the sun- 

 cured district, at Chatham and Axton in the bright flue-cured district, 

 and at Fork Union in the dark-stemming district. The institutes 



