396 EXPERIMKNT STATION RECORD. 



Analyses of parts of tobacco plant at different stages of growth, 



K. J. 1 )AyiDSON ( Virginid JSta. Bid. oO, pp. 35-52). — Analyses of tobacco 

 seed are given for 10 varieties; and for 3 varieties analyses are tabu- 

 lated for the whole plant at the time of transplanting, for several parts 

 of the j)lant at the time of cutting, and for leaf and stalk when partly 

 and completely cured. The most variable constituents in the seeds 

 were suli)huric acid and chlorin. Nearly one-half of the ash of the 

 young plants consisted of potash, amounting to 3 times the content of 

 lime. Of the analyses of the leaf at 4 stages and of the whole ])laut 

 at 3 stages the author says: 



"The percentage of ash is about the same at tlie 4 stages, increasing slightly 

 from topping until cured. Tlie nitrogen is nearly 1 per cent higher at topping. 

 The phosphoric acid shows very little change, being a little higher at time of top- 

 ping. The potash was highest at time of topping and lowest at the curing state. 

 The soda was a little lower at topjiing than at any other time. The lime was highest 

 at the cured stage and lowest at the time of topping. The potash was highest when 

 the lime was lowest. The magnesia is increased a little in the last 2 stages. 

 The sulphuric acid and chlorin are also increased slightly in the cured state. . . . 



"It ai)pear8 that the plant taken from the plant bed contains, in the air-dried 

 state, nearly 3 per cent of nitrogen, nearly 1 per cent of phosphoric acid, over 8 per 

 cent of potash, and about 2i per cent of lime. 



"Taken at the time of topping it contains aboiit 3 per cent of nitrogen, one-third 

 of 1 per cent of phosphoric acid, about 4 jier cent of potash, and over 2 per cent of 

 lime. Taken at time of cutting it contains nearly 3 per cent of nitrogen, one-third 

 of I per cent of phosphoric acid, nearly 3A per cent of potash, and over 3^ per cent 

 of lime." 



Analyses of different grades of manufacturing tobacco, K. J. 



Davidson {Yirginia Sta. Bui. 51.,pp. 55-G2). — The tabulated data in 

 this bulletin include the nitrogen content of 27 samples of dried 

 tobacco leaves, and detailed analyses showing the ash constituents of 

 the dried leaves and the ash of leaves in 27 samples. These analyses 

 embrace the following tobaccos: Low-grade sun-cured, sun-cured man- 

 ufacturing, high-grade sun-cured, high-grade bright tluecured, low- 

 grade bright flue-cured, continental, English shipping, and shipping 

 tobacco from 7 counties in Yirginia, 1 in West Virginia, and 3 in Xorth 

 Carolina, and shii^ping and dark snuff tobacco from the Yirginia 

 Department of Agriculture. The samples were from the crops of 181)0 

 and 1891. In the sun-cured tobacco the crop of 1891 in one county 

 contained about 1^ times as much potash, nearly twice as much sul- 

 phuric acid, and i more lime than that of 1890. 



"Comparing the 2 grades of flue-cured which were grown in different counties 

 and in different years, we find that the ash is about the same, and iu case of the 

 nitrogen, jihosphoric acid, potash, magnesia, and suli>liuric acid, the low grade con- 

 tains about twice as much of each of these ingredients as the high grade. The soda 

 is over 6 times as much as in the low grade, the chlorin is about the same, but the 

 insoluble matter in the high grade is 6 times as much as in the low." 



In one county the potash in the crop of 1891 was about li times that 

 of 1890, the magnesia and chlorin nearly twice as much, and the insol- 

 uble matter about \ as much. The analyses of manufacturing tobacco 



