BUREAU OF SOILS. 181 



SuFFiELD, Conn., September 4, 1902. 



Dear Sir: It is but right I should advise you as to the working quality of the 

 Connecticut shade- grown Sumatra tobacco, from which I purchased at the sale 

 in Hartford, Conn., on May 1, 1902, '30 bales. 



I have worked in my cigar factory since then quite a proportion of this tobacco, 

 and I am more than pleased with the results; it is finer and better in every way 

 (in color, texture, and flavor) than the imported Sumatra, and the wrapping 

 qualities are enormous; 20 ounces will easily wrax) 1,000 5-inch cigars. I am con- 

 fident that when cigar manufacturers come to work this tobacco the demand will 

 be far greater than the supply. 



Very respectfully, yours, L. P. Bissell, 



Hartford, Conn., September 1, 1902. 



Dear Sir: We have been using the shade-grown tobacco, which we bought at 

 the auction held in this city last May, to some extent all summer. We are using 

 it on a small "perfecto" cigar. It wraps with about 2 pounds to 1,000 cigars. 

 The colors have improved a great deal since last spring. It burns well and tastes 

 well. So far we have not had any complaints from any of our customers about 

 the cigars with this wrapper. We should like it better if it had a little more 

 body, because then it would stand the cold weather better. 

 Very truly yours, 



Leichke & Fletcher. 



In auother communication Messrs. Leichke & Fletcher report that 

 they could wrap 1,000 of their 5 Inch cigars with 1 pound 10 ounces of 

 the leaf, while Mr. Bissell, of Suffield, reported that he was using 2 

 pounds of the shade-grown leaf to wrap 1,000 of his cigars, and that 

 with a bale of wrappers weighing 140 pounds 102,000 cigars were 

 wrapped. It can safely be said, therefore, that the leaf has success- 

 fully stood the test of the cigar manufacturer. 



Even before the tobacco was ready for the market or the results of 

 the sale announced, preparations were made by the growers to largel}'' 

 increase the acreage. Although the commercial success of the 

 investigations had been fully demonstrated, the industry was so 

 important and involved such an expenditure of labor and capital 

 that, at the earnest solicitation of the growers, the Department's 

 experts were left in the Connecticut Valley for another year to advise 

 with such of the growers as needed their assistance. At the -present 

 time the Department is advising and instructing in this way 38 

 growers in Connecticut and Massachusetts, cultivating 645 acres of 

 shade tobacco. The efforts of the Department in this direction seem 

 to be very highly aijpreciated. 



The season has been distinctly unfavorable. There has been an 

 unprecedented amount of rain, falling in very severe showers, and 

 the season as a whole has been characterized by cool spells and 

 especially cool nights. This has apparently not affected the crop 

 materially, as it is the general belief that the crop at this time is 

 better than that of last year. The season has also been one of 

 unusually severe wind and hail storms. Considerable damage has 

 been done to the outside crops in certain sections of the State, but no 

 damage has been done to the shaded tobacco, as the cloth has pro- 

 tected the leaf from all injury from hail. The damage from wind 

 has also been exceedingly light. The winds have been so strong in 

 places that the posts have been lifted from the ground, but the 

 damage to the tents has been exceedingly slight and there has been 

 practically no injury to the crop. 



As to the financial prospects for this year, the following estimate is 

 based on the experience of last j^ear: There are about 700 acres of 

 tobacco under shade, which will produce about 1,000,000 pounds of 



