TllK JiuivJLKTlN. 89 



"is colli i 11 ufd lor Hlteeii miiiutch, and at tlie ciul of lliia lime the jars are sealed 

 tight and allowed to remain in Llie boilint^ water from forty-five to sixty-five 

 minutes, as required by the dillerent vegetables. l*'ruits are prepared and canned 

 in the same way, except the time required for their cooking is about one-half 

 that necessary for vegetables. After the jars have been in the boiling water the 

 required time they are removed to some convenient place where they will be 

 protected from drafts of air, and allowed to stand twenty-four hours. At the 

 •end of this twenty-four hours the jars are again placed in the vessel in which 

 they were previously cooked, and are again boiled for the same length of time 

 as on the first day. Again remove the jars, and after standing another twenty- 

 ifour hours proceed to cook exactly as on the second day. After this third boiling 

 the jars may be set aside and kept until wanted for use on the table. The one 

 point to remember is, tvhen the jar has once been sealed tight after the first 

 hfteen minutes' boiling, do not again loosen or open the top until the contents 

 *ire to he used. 



T()BA( ( IMPROVED BY MEANS OF SEED SELECTIOiN. 



FRANK BLACKFORD. 



The importance of better varieties and better individuals of these varieties is 

 recognized by growers of all farm crops. Much has been said of late regarding 

 the improvement of corn, and certain well-recognized laws and principles are 

 laid down by means of which this can be accomplished. Among the ways of 

 securing better yields none has been more productive of results than the care 

 and attention given to the selection of the seed. The aim in seed corn selection 

 has been almost exclusively along the lines of increased yields. Just as important 

 is the selection of the seed of tobacco ; even more important, since the improve- 

 ment is not only along the lines of increased yield, but it also seeks to improve 

 the body and the texture of the leaf, the aroma or flavor, or bouquet of the 

 finished products. The principle upon which those labor who would improve the 

 tobacco crop by seed selection is the common law of inheritance, that "like pro- 

 duces like," with slight modifications due to environment. He who would 

 improve his tobacco along the lines of texture of leaf, disease-resistant qualities 

 and in flavor, must know individual stocks which possess some of these qualities, 

 and his selections must be numerous enough of those possessing known qualities 

 that perchance he may find among them those possessing the additional quality 

 or qualities which will make them a desirable type from which to select the 

 seed. It is within the power of any tobacco grower to greatly increase his yield 

 by the careful selection of parent stocks. It is also a simple matter to improve 

 the texture by the selection of seed stalks, though it may require several years 

 before a very noticeable improvement can be made. It is also a simple thing 

 to improve the hardiness of the plants by using only such stalks for seed as 

 are thrifty, resistant to attacks of disease, and which have large assimilative 

 qualities. This necessitates great care and painstaking observation. It implies 

 a knowledge of tobacco disorders. It also assumes that, having noted a peculiar 

 plant in the field, and noting its behavior in the curing house and the general 

 quality when cured, that one would recognize a similar plant again, and would 

 thus know that when subjected to similar conditions similar results would 

 follow. 



It is assumed in this article that the grower has an ideal stalk or type of 

 tobacco in his mind. That he has a very definite goal toward which he would go; 

 for it would be utterly impossible within the scope of this article to attempt a 

 treatment of this phase, since types vary in different sections, determined quite 

 largely by the uses to which the tobacco is to be put. 



Having in mind an ideal type, the first concern of the grower is to go through 

 his field and tag those which come nearest to fulfilling the conditions of that ideal. 

 The flower of the tobacco plant is a perfect one, and hence the seed can be produced 

 under a bag. This is essential, since cross pollenation is not desirable, as in 



