188 



olilorine componnds and tlie beneflcial cflfects of pota^jli eompnniuls. 

 especially those vrith organic acids on the burning- (pialities of the leaf, 

 and refers to the recognized injurious effects resulting from the use of 

 night soil on tobacco, since it contains considerable quantities of chlo- 

 rine compounds, induces a coarse growth, etc Soil to which night soil 

 has been applied for many years may contain so large amounts of chlo- 

 rine compounds as to be unsuitable for the raising of tobacco, even when 

 the proper fertilizers are aitplied. Xessler reconunended in such cases 

 the prei^aration of the land for tobacco by previous cropping with sucli 

 plants as were known to use chlorine compounds in large qimntities, as 

 root crops; but in the opinion of the author this practice should be 

 avoided as far as i)ossible, since the root crops not oidy remove the 

 chlorine, but they also, like tobacco, require large quantities of jjotash. 

 The potash thus taken away from the soil can not, he believes, be 

 rei»lac<'<l l»y artificial iikuhucs. since the root cro]is take their i)otash 

 largely from the sui)ply of potash contained in the soil material itself, 

 which is said to be a form essential to the growth of tobacco also. For, 

 lie says, tobacco requires for its most successful cultivation not merely 

 a heavy manuring with potash manures, but also a soil rich in natural 

 potash resources, which by gradual disintegration shall fmiiish a large 

 proportion of the potash needed by the crop, 



Soils which on account of their deficiency in readily solulde potash 

 produce a tobacco with only a small content of potash and of pooi- burn- 

 ing quality, are designated as *' tobacco sick," and will produce a poor 

 quality of tobacco unless by heavy manuring with potash and avoiding 

 the cropping with plants which are heavy potash feeders, for a number 

 of years in succession, opportunity and time are given to recover the sup- 

 ply of soluble potash. For this reason the autlior recommends that 

 to secure the l)est results to jilant an«l land, tobacco be j>lanted on the 

 same land only once in .'> or 4 years, or in regions wher<' tlu' laml is found 

 to be naturally tobacco sick only once in 5 or (J years;* to plant in the 

 mean time no hoed crops or other fodder plants, but instead cereals, which 

 l^roduce less leaf growth; to give the usual liberal application <)f barn- 

 yard manure either to the intervening crops or to the toba<'co itself, 

 and in the latter case the manure should be applied in the fall, as recom- 

 mended by A. jNIayer; and to strenuously avoid the use of all fertili- 

 zing matciials containing chlonne. TTe recommends in addition to the 

 barnyard manure a dressing consisting of about l.">0 ]HiMiids of ]>otassium 

 sulphate or 2~>() i)Ounds of ])otash-magnesium suli)hate, with 90 pounds 

 of Thomas ])hosi»hatc meal ]»cr acre ai)])lied in the fall, and 400 ]>ounds 

 of nitrate of soda api>]ic(l in the s|)ring, half just before the jdants are 

 set and the remainder when the plants are alxmt half developed. 



With reference to the relations existing between the chemical com- 

 position and the (juality of tobacco, a large number of examinations 

 have lH*eu made under the <lirectiou of the author at the ex])eiiinent 

 station at Rufach, iu Alsace, of different varieties of tobjicco grown in 



