FIELD CROPS. Y33 



for plant growth. The highest percentage of nitrogen is found in tobacco from 

 unfertilized soil. Where organic carriers of nitrogen were applied the percent- 

 age of nitrogen in tobacco leaves is higher than where inorganic materials sup- 

 plied the nitrogen. Tobacco from plats to which organic carriers of nitrogen, 

 shed manure, and tankage were applied have a higher nitrate nitrogen and nico- 

 tin content. 



" While tobaccos from plats treated with potassium salts contain more potas- 

 sium than where none was applied, the amount present is influenced by the car- 

 rier of this element. Tobacco from sulphate or nitrate of potash plats contains 

 larger amounts of potassium than that from muriate of potash treated plats, fer- 

 tilized with like carriers and quantities of phosphorus and nitrogen. Sodium 

 nitrate has tended to increase the potassium content. The smallest amount of 

 potassium is found in case of untreated land, and the largest amount in tobacco 

 from the manure-treated plat, which is in accord with the large amount of 

 potassium furnished by 20 tons of manure. The carrier of potassium used has 

 decidedly influenced the amounts of chlorin and sulphur in the tobacco leaf, but 

 certain conditions of fertilization have so modified the amounts of potassium 

 and chlorin or sulphate present that no direct relation exists between them. 

 The chlorin content is in close agreement with the excess of chlorin supplied to 

 the soil by muriate of potash, the largest amount being present in tobacco from 

 soil receiving the heaviest application of muriate. 



"Tobacco from the manure-treated plat contains more chlorin than any of 

 the other tobaccos not fertilized with muriate of potash. This is in agreement 

 with the amount of chlorin furnished by 20 tons of manure. The amount of 

 chlorin present in this case, 1.32 per cent, has not impaired the quality of the 

 tobacco. Acid phosphate, when used in combination with muriate of potash, 

 tends to increase the chlorin content, while nitrate of soda decreases it. While 

 the sulphur content of tobacco is normally greater than the chlorin, when no 

 excessive amount of chlorin has been furnished, the addition of sulphates in the 

 fertilizing material has modified the sulphur content in a much less degree than 

 has been found with regard to the chlorin following treatment with muriate of 

 potash. 



" Smoking tests of cigars from the several lots of tobacco show that the 

 quality of tobacco is impaired where muriate of potash is used in the fertilizer. 

 Tobaccos with a low chlorin content have a good fire-holding capacity in con- 

 trast v/ith the tobacco containing excessive amounts of chlorin, due to the 

 fertilizer treatment. All the tobaccos with a high chlorin content had a black, 

 charred ash, which in some instances did not cohere with the ash of the binder 

 and wrapper, with the result that the ash of the binder and wrapper shattered 

 easily. The average length of time the cigars made from tobacco from the 

 muriate-treated plats held fire was approximately half that for tobacco from 

 plats treated with sulphate or nitrate of potash. Muriate of potash was in- 

 cluded with varied combinations of phosphorus and nitrogen, so that differences 

 observed in burning quality are due in part to other influences. Although 

 muriate of potash when used with acid phosphate and nitrate of soda in- 

 creased the yield above that obtained by the use of other forms of potash, any 

 improvement in this respect has been more than offset by poor quality of the 

 tobacco. 



" Potassium when used in other combinations than the chlorid improved the 

 quality of the tobacco. The quantity of sulphur as sulphates present in the 

 tobacco exerted very little, if any, influence on the burning quality. Acid 

 phosphate alone improves the quality of the tobacco ; when applied in combina- 

 tion with muriate of potash, any favorable effect produced appears to be coun- 

 teracted. Variations in flavor, aroma, and fire-holding capacity are not due 



