1905. J DISCUSSION. 195 



that can be said, but at the same time some say manure is 

 cheaper at $7.00 the first of May. They seem to acknowledge 

 it in one sense and refuse to believe it in the other. Few 

 act from information gained by actual tests on the land. 



Mr. Hale. Have there been any actual experiments, 

 brother Andross, which really established whether a cover crop 

 wouldn't be of advantage after the crop of tobacco was out, 

 or some other crop that might die down in the winter? Have 

 there been any experiments to show that that would be in- 

 jurious to the quality of the tobacco? Is it injurious to the 

 quality of the tobacco ? 



Mr. Andross. So far as I know it never has been known 

 to be. I think there exists a prejudice against trespassing on 

 tobacco land, so to speak. There may be a feeling that another 

 crop would tend to weaken the land, although, of course, as 

 most of us know, no such crop as brother Hale speaks of would 

 take anything very essential out of the land. The most of it 

 would be left there. 



Mr. FoOTE. Perhaps you do not all understand just the 

 way this is handled. I do not profess to be a scientific man, 

 or to know very much in regard to this matter. I live among 

 tobacco people. Now, we want to look first at what we are 

 raising tobacco for. We are all after profit. We do not 

 care to work for nothing, and one great point in the business 

 of profitable tobacco culture is to have a clean, perfect leaf, 

 without flaws or damage from insects of any kind. Now, 

 whether it is so or not, it is thought by the tobacco growers 

 that the late ploughing of tobacco land tends to destroy all the 

 insects which are detrimental to the tobacco leaf, not only 

 cut worms, which are understood to be destroyed by late 

 ploughing, but other insects which attack the leaf at the same 

 time. Also the green worm, which at certain seasons does a 

 great deal of damage. All these insects are supposed to be 

 destroyed, to a greater or less extent, by the late fall ploughing. 

 If you can destroy the flies which produce these insects, or the 



