406 TOBACCO LEAF. 



those produced at East Hartford, where the soil contains 

 double the amount of water, and very much better than 

 the leaf grown at Hatfield on soil containing 28 per cent 

 of water. But the difference in color and texture in 

 these cases is not wholly due to the difference in mois- 

 ture. The difference is partly due to the mechanical 

 condition of the land. That at East Hartford contains 

 much more fine silt and clay than is the case at Poquo- 

 nock. 



Mr. Whitney's studies also show that, even if the 

 soil does contain considerable clay and moisture, if it is 

 well drained, either artificially or naturally, it may yet 

 produce a very fine quality of tobacco. He believes that 

 much land now comparatively moist can be adapted to 

 the finer grades of cigar wrappers. "The first thing 

 needed is to underdrain the land by tile drains, so as to 

 remove, as much as possible, the excess of water. 

 The tobacco should be grown on high beds, or ridges, 

 which would keep the roots on higher soil, and improve 

 the texture and quality of the crop. The texture of the 

 soil should be changed, by judicious methods of cropping, 

 manuring and culture, making it more loamy, and less 

 retentive of moisture." 



Mr. Whitney's investigations in Pennsylvania con- 

 firm the foregoing statements. The soils which contain 

 much silt and clay also contain much water, and pioduce 

 a heavy, dark leaf. These conditions should be realized 

 by planters. When the fashion calls for light cigars, 

 they should cultivate only lighter soils, and use their 

 heavy land for other crops. When dark wrappers are 

 in demand, the heavy soils should be devoted to this 

 crop. Our own experience and observation confirms 

 Mr. Whitney's views. This is also true, in a general 

 way, of the tobacco lands of New York, the Miami val- 

 ley and Wisconsin. In all these localities an "old" soil 

 which, by cropping, has been freed from its original 



