366 DISTRIBUTING SEED. 



by rain, and consequently its market value could not be fairly 

 tested. The experiment, it is clear, was not conducted with 

 proper care by most of those to whom the seed was confided, 

 but the Local Government considered that on the whole the 

 result was satisfactory, as showing that there was every 

 probability that Shiraz tobacco, with care and proper garden- 

 ing, might be introduced into the Bombay Presidency. 



" In August, 1869, the Bombay Government again distrib- 

 uted a small supply of seed of the Shiraz, Havana, and other 

 varieties to the superintendents of cotton experiments, and 

 to the collectors of Kaira, Khandesh, Dharwar, and Kurrachee, 

 for experimental cultivation. The seeds did well in the hands 

 of all the superintendents, who reported very favorably on 

 the plants raised from them. In Sind only the soil in which 

 the seed was sown proved unsuitable. In Dharwar all the 

 five varieties germinated, though the Maryland failed to some 

 extent, and a considerable quantity of seed of each variety 

 was secured. Of Latakia, only twenty grains were sent to 

 the superintendent ; and the quantity in each case increased 

 to one pound from the produce of the plants. These two 

 varieties of tobacco, however, were not so much admired by 

 the cultivators as Shiraz, Havana, and Maryland, to which 

 they gave a decided preference. The only varieties of seed 

 which were available for experiments at Broach and Yeerm- 

 gaum were Havana and Shiraz. In both places the plants 

 came up well, and a large quantity of seed was obtained from 

 them. That sent to Broach arrived a little too late in the 

 season to admit of an extensive experiment being made ; this 

 indeed appears to have been the case at all the other places. 

 The seed, however, was of good quality, germinated freely, 

 and produced excellent plants in a very short time. 



" The first transplanting: was made out into a field in an 



open piece of land, where they commenced growing vigor- 

 ously, but the rains being then over, swarms of small locusts 

 made their appearance, and ate up the young plants before 

 they had thoroughly established themselves in the ground. 

 The second lot was transplanted into a more sheltered patch, 

 where the progress was all that could be desired, both the 

 varieties growing rapidly, the Havana especially producing 

 some leaves of enormous size. The first cutting was entrusted 

 to a potel, who managed it according to the native process of 

 curing. The tobacco was so strong, however, that only old 

 confirmed smokers could manage it. The most formidable diffi- 

 culty which presented itself was the management of the midrib, 



