476 SECOND GROWTH. 



on the original field, is found in the early history of the 

 Virginia colony; who, not satisfied with the vast amount 

 cultivated in the usual manner, allowed a second growth to 

 spring up from the parent stalk and thus obtained two crops 

 from the same field in one year. The inferior quality of this 

 growth at length caused its prohibition by law, as described 

 elsewhere in this work. Of late, however, this " new 

 departure " in tobacco culture seems to have attracted some 

 attention, particularly in the Southern States, where numer- 

 ous experiments have been made, and in some instances with 

 complete success. In Mexico and also in Louisiana and Cali- 

 fornia, two and even three crops are gathered, thus adding 

 to the profit of the grower, but hardly to the fertility of the 

 tobacco fields. Whatever the fertility of the tobacco field 

 may be, or the care and attention given to the second crop by 

 the planter, it can not equal the first crop, and must from the 

 nature of the case be quite inferior in size, texture, and flavor 

 of leaf. 



Doubtless the varieties grown in the tropics will be much 

 finer than the varieties grown in a more temperate region. 

 There are many reasons why a second and third crop can not 

 be equal to the first in the qualities necessary for fine leafy 

 tobacco. In the first place, the soil will hardly produce a 

 second crop of the size and texture of leaf that will compare 

 with the first growth : the leaves will be small and resemble 

 the top leaves of the original plant rather than the large, 

 well-formed leaves of the center. Again, the season will 

 hardly be favorable (unless in the tropics), for a second 

 growth, which has much to do with the quality of the leaf 

 and which alone ensures large, well-matured plants. 



In the Connecticut valley but one crop can be grown of 

 seed leaf, and even this when .planted late is frequently 

 overtaken by the " frost king " whose cold breath strikes a 

 chill to the heart of the tobacco grower who has been so 

 unfortunate as to have but a few plants ; especially if his 

 fields were " set " late in the season, or with " spindling " or 

 "long shank plants " which come forward slowly and forbid 



