60 STUDIES IN INDIAN TOBACCOS. 



in the first place of all the various aspects of tobacco-growing 

 and manufacture in India. 



The first step in the improvement of Indian tobaccos is 

 necessarily the study of the various tj^pes at present cultivated 

 in the country. The material for this work was obtained from 

 a large growing collection of Indian tobaccos on the Piisa Farm 

 in 1907. This collection was made in 1905 and our selections 

 were taken from the second generation of Piisa grown plants. 

 All the types both of N. tahacum and N. rustica were selected 

 in 1907 and have been grown in pure culture in the Botanical 

 area at Piisa for the last two seasons. 



The objects of the work in progress at Piisa on Indian 

 tobaccos are as follows : — 



1. The study of the varietal characters and the amount of 

 variation in the Indian types of tobacco. 



2. The isolation and growth in pure culture of all the 

 constant forms obtained and the determination of the best types 

 in cultivation. By this means seed of definitely described types 

 is now for the first time available for variety trials and also for 

 hybridization work. 



3. The introduction, acclimatisation and testing of tobaccos 

 from other parts of the world. 



4. The study of the inheritance of characters in tobacco 

 and the production of new and improved types. 



The present paper contains an account of the work so far 

 done on Nicotiana tahacum with regard to (1) and (2). The 

 stability of the type of tobacco, when introduced into new 

 localities, has been dealt with and also the important results which 

 follow from natural cross-fertilization in the field. 



The methods of raising the experimental plants in the case 

 of this species follow closely those already described "m the case 

 of Nicotiana rustical The seedlings of this species grow more 

 slowly, are less robust and are established with greater difficulty 



than those of the yellow-flowered tobaccos. 



. ^ — ■ — — I 



I Howard and Howard, Mnimlr.s of the Department of Jr/rievJt>/re in India (Botatiieu 

 Sen>«), Vol. Ill, No. 1, l'.)0'.>. 



