PLAXT I'.Rinn^ixG 1269 



(E) Introduction oj Neiv Races. — About a hundred foreign races were 

 planted during the three years in the different fields of the vStations. The 

 seeds were obtained both from the experimental tobacco Institute ofScafati 

 (Italy), and from the Department of Agriculture in Tokio (Japan). 

 Among these exotic races, there were forty from Japan, others from the 

 Balkans and Asia Minor, others again from theW. Indies, North and South 

 America, etc. The results obtained are not encouraging, but it must not 

 be forgotten that a single trial cannot be deemed sufficient. 



Some by the J apanese races are distinguished by a fine leaf and a light 

 colour, for instance " Hatano " (which has already been used for some years 

 b}" growers in Besoeki for the ]irodLiction of hybrids), " Shinde " and " Sat- 

 suma ". 



Turkish tobaccos (tobaccos from the Balkan countries and Asia Mi- 

 nor) grow fairly well, but the moisture of the air, even during the dryest 

 months, is too much, which results in the leav^es growing too large, too fine, 

 and without sufficient aroma to form a good cigarette tobacco. It has not 

 been possible up to the present, in spite of every care in gathering^ drying 

 and fermenting, to preserve the golden yellow colour of the leaves which chara- 

 cterises some Turkish tobaccos ; the most serious defect, however, is their 

 weak aroma. Among the races which stand out favourably from the point 

 of view of colour, aroma and combustion, mention may be made of : " Yaka- 

 Kanthi ", " Yaka-Cavalla ", " Aya Solouk " and " Samsoun ". 



The North American races proved not to be sufficiently resistant to 

 fungus diseases ; those of Central America, the W. Indies and .South Amer- 

 ica gave coarse tobaccos of a variegated and dark colour. 



The " Bajesi " race of Hungary and another from Timor are distinguished 

 for their vigour ; they find no difficulty in growing in poor soils and under 

 unfavourable conditions of climate. 



By continuous and persevering work foreign races presenting greater 

 advantages might be found, but the writer, working on behalf of the plant- 

 ers, was anxious to obtain a practical result as speedily as possible. 



c) Production ol Hybrids with fixed Characters. — Numerous crosses 

 were made with a view to improving both the quantity and the quality of the 

 tobacco. B}^ selecting from among the races of the country only, if they form 

 populations comprising many lines, there is the likelihood of finding an ad- 

 vantageous t^pe for cultivation. Once the jnire line is obtained, however, 

 any subsequent improvement could only relate to the methods of plantation 

 manuring, cropping, drying and fermentation, as a pure line cannot be chang- 

 ed ; whilst by hybridisation there are obtained in the 2nd generation a 

 multitude of forms, some of which combine the favourable characters of 

 the parents, while others exhibit morphological or physiological, or again 

 ecological characters which were by no means a])parent in the parents. See- 

 ing that planters exjjend fairly considerable sums every year for breeding 

 experiments, it was clearly the duty of the exiierimental .Station to look for 

 types sufficiently constant for cultivation on a large scale. Judging from the 

 results obtained, thisisi^ossiblc within three years, that is, after 6 genera- 

 tions. 



