Tobacco Manuring Experimeuts. 961 



TOBACCO MANURING EXPERIMENTS. 



By F. ./. Howell, Ph. D. 

 General Remarks on the Tobacco Plant, 



The ready adaptability of tlie tobacco plant to a wide range of 

 soil and climatic conditions makes its growth an easy matter^ but the 

 extreme sensitiveness of the plant to the slightest variations in these 

 conditions, as manifested in the flavour and quality of the leaf, 

 restricts the possibility of the successful growth of any one type to 

 exceedingly limited areas. It is only a tobacco possessing certain 

 well defined qualities and meeting the specific I'equirements which, in 

 the present highly specialized condition of the industry, are demanded, 

 that is worth the trouble of growing. As Whitney remarks, " A 

 nondescript tobacco is not worth growing, and should not be grown, 

 as it lowers the price of really good types of tobacco to the detriment 

 alike of the grower and consumer." As there are certain tobaccoes 

 then in demand suited by their particular characteristics for certain 

 specific purposes, and as these characteristics are the resultant mainly 

 of particular soil and climatic conditions, it appears that the two lines 

 of activity to be taken up in investigations connected with the industry 

 are, first, to find out what kinds of leaf are in demand, and then to 

 investigate the existence of the climatic and soil conditions capable of 

 producing the desired characteristics. The second line of enquiry 

 would involve laboratory investigations in the chemical and mechanical 

 analysis of soils, as well as the establishment of numerous and widely 

 distributed observation stations, or, as the term is used here, experi- 

 mental plots, Avhere tests would be carried out with different varieties. 



With respect to the kinds of tobaccoes in demand in different 

 parts, an extract from a recent paper by Milton Whitney will convey 

 an idea of the wide existing differences of opinion prevailing in 

 different parts on the characteristics constituting desirable qualities 

 in the product. "The differences in the export type (known 

 to the trade as 'foreign'), which are cured and manipulated according 

 to the demands of the various foreign countries, are worthy of 

 special consideration. To the general public such differences are 

 sometimes hardly perceptible, but in the trade the slightest difference 

 in shade, color, thickness, shape, or length of leaf, is taken into 

 account in determining to what country or trade the tobacco is best 

 suited. For example. Great Britain gives preference to a long, 

 narrow, olive green leaf, which is required to be heavily fired, in 

 fact the stronger the odor of hard wood smoke, the more acceptable 

 the tobacco is to the British trade. The Austrian Government prefers 

 a long, broad, silky leaf, from medium to light brown colour. The 

 Italian Government uses the same type, only of shorter size and 

 darker in colour, while the French prefer a tobacco that has been made 

 exceedingly dark by means of steaming and hard pressure while hot." 

 The Commercial Grouping of Tobacco. 



The commercial grouping of tobacco is one of classes, types and 

 grades. The adaptability of a tobacco for a particukr use, such as 

 cigarette, cigar, or smoking, marks it off as belonging to a class. 

 The possession of certain qualities, as flavour, texture and colour. 



