GROWING TOBACCO IN INDIA. 



365 



and neighboring places, not reckoned as part of British 

 India, take a large share of the exports. Bombay exports 

 tobacco to other Indian presidencies. Small quantities of 

 the fine Guzerat tobaccos find their way by rail into 

 the North-western Provinces. Numerous endeavors have 

 for many years past been made to improve the quality 

 of Bombay tobacco. In 1831 the Resident in the Persian 

 Gulf sent to the local Government a maund of seed of the 

 * very finest tobacco grown in Persia,' and with it he sent 

 some observations on the mode of cultivating tobacco in the 

 neighborhood of Shiraz. In 1867 fifteen small packets of 

 genuine Shiraz tobacco were forwarded for trial in the Bom- 

 bay Presidency. Of the seed sown in Kolhopoor, about eight 

 or nine germinated, and the plants grew to a height of five 

 feet two inches ; of these only four survived. There were 

 two varieties, one with oblong the othqr with circular leaves. 

 Of the seeds sent to Kandesh, only a few germinated. 

 All the seed put down in the Victoria Gardens failed. 

 That sent to Sind, though said to have been carefully 

 sown, also failed to germinate. The Conservator of Forests 

 had the seeds sent him sown in beds, and the plants, when a 

 few inches in height, were transplanted into pots. They 

 grew with the greatest luxuriance, and produced abundance 



of flowers and 

 seed. Some of 

 the seed was 

 sent to the col- 

 lector of Kaira, 

 who forwarded 

 a sample of the 

 tobacco grown 

 from it. The 

 Conservator con- 

 sidered the prod- 

 uce very good, 

 and the secre- 

 tary of the Agri- 

 Horticul tural 

 Society pro- 

 nounced it * of a 

 TOBACCO WELD IN INDIA. superior kind.' 



The flavor was 



exceedingly fine, but it had not been allowed to come to matu- 

 rity, hence it was thin and shriveled. It had also been spoilt 



