CULTURE OF CIGAR LEAF. 405 



for such soils are cold from the water of saturation. 

 For the same reason, clay soils cannot be advantageously 

 used. They are cold and wet, and, moreover, are with 

 difficulty brought into and kept in the exceedingly fine 

 state of tillage that is necessary for the success of tobacco. 

 These lands are often admirably adapted to grass, pota- 

 toes, and other crops, but are disappointing for tobacco. 

 It is far better economy to bring a poor piece of land of 

 a sandy nature, warm and friable, into a proper state of 

 fertility, by applying manures and fertilizers, than to 

 endeavor to grow the crop on stronger but wet soil. 

 Crops have been grown successfully on almost pure sand, 

 but such instances are rare ; soil that is too sandy will 

 not hold water enough to support the plant or to dis- 

 tribute the fertilizers incorporated in it ; and an exces- 

 sively dry soil is almost as objectionable as one that is 

 too wet. Much land of a sandy nature can be wonder- 

 fully improved in its capacity for retaining moisture, by 

 a proper course of manuring, although the first cost of 

 bringing such land into condition is very heavy. On a 

 naturally warm, mellow, fertile soil, the expense of ma- 

 nuring, in the first instance, is much less, and such a 

 soil is the one preferred. 



Mr. Whitney has clearly shown that a dark, moist 

 soil produces leaves dark in color, comparatively thick, 

 and containing considerable oil and gum, but which, 

 while sweating well, come out so dark that they are not 

 suited for cigar wrappers, now that light color, thin- 

 texture leaf is the fashion for this purpose. Upon light, 

 sandy soil, the quality is very fine, the texture of the 

 leaf is thin, and the color light, making the best cigar 

 wrappers. The more clay and silt soils contain, the 

 more retentive are they of moisture, and the heavier the 

 type of leaf they produce. Thus, the leaves produced 

 at Poquonock on a soil containing only seven per cent 

 of water are lighter colored and of thinner texture than 



