5G REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE. 



Louisiana Experiment Station: Sugar beets grew very large. 

 The largest sugar content was July 13, 3 per cent. 



Louisiana, Catahoula Parish : The sugar beet was a success. 



Massachusetts, Bussey Institution: This beet did well at Pem- 

 broke. 



Mississippi, La Fayette County : It did well, yielding bountifully. 



TEOSINTE. 



Louisiana, East Baton Rouge Pai^ish : Reports teosinte planted 

 too late to mature seed. November 8, height 10 feet. Put forth from 

 20 to 40 stalks from the first stalk. If it can be planted early enough 

 to mature seed will be one of the finest forage plants grown here. 



Louisiana, Tangipahoa Parish: It made a wonderful growth; 

 stock very fond of it. 



Lousiana, Saint Hele^ia Parish : Teosinte bids fair to make one of 

 our best forage plants, and will ripen seed if planted by March 1. 

 Gives three to four cuttings. 



Mississippi, La Fayette County : It is the most prolific forage 

 plant I ever saw. 



Texas, Limestone County : If planted very early, the teosinte is a 

 most prolific and valuable forage plant here. 



Tennessee, Shelby County: It did not succeed well; perhaps was 

 planted too late; still have hope of it. 



TOBACCO. 



Colorado Agricultural College: Nine varieties of tobacco from 

 the Department of Agriculture were grown the past season. The 

 seed was sown in a mud hot-bed April 27, and transplanted to open 

 ground June 1, not a plant failing to grow. Our notes on these va- 

 rieties are as follows: 



Vuelta Abajo: This variety is a vigorous grower. Leaf smooth; 

 shape, ovate-lanceolate; greatest length of leaf, 35 inches; width, 20 

 inches . It is a late variety, and did not ripen well. 



Figi Orinoco: Leaf coarse; shape, lanceolate; greatest length of leaf, 

 34 inches; width, 15 inches. This variety ripened and colored a deep 

 yellow. 



Caboni: A dark green, rough leaf when growing, which cured into 

 a reddish-brown; greatest length of leaf, 33 inches; width, 13 inches. 

 Quality good. 



Big Orinoco: Has a rough, dark leaf when growing, which did not 

 ripen thoroughly; greatest length of loaf. 38 inches; width, 20 inches. 



General Grant: Leaf rough and crimpled; shape, ovate-lanceolate; 

 greatest length of leaf, 38^ inches; vfidth, 17 inches. Much like 

 Golden Leaf in flavor, color, and desirability. 



Hungarian: This variety cured a light yellow leaf of mild flavor; 

 longest leaf, 34 inches; width, 15 inches. 



The experiment with this plant is not yet complete, as the leaf needs 

 more age before one can speak definitely as to the desirability of these 

 varieties for this region and as to the qualitj^ of the tobacco grown. 



Competent judges, however, at this stage of the experiment, speak 

 favorably of the burning qualities and flavor of the kinds grov/n, so 

 that another season's trial, and with early maturing varieties, would 

 settle the question of the profitable culture of the tobacco plant in 

 this State. 



