i9i; 



rUBLIC DOCUMENT — Xo. 31. 



81 



Tobacco Stalks 



stripped. 



Havana Seed 



Leaf 

 (Per Cent.). 



Tobacco Stalks, 



Priming 

 System. Tent- 

 grown 

 (Per Cent.). 



Nitrogen, 

 Potash, 

 Phosphoric acid, 



1.10 



1.00 



.26 



Only a relatively small amount of tobacco is " primed " 

 at the jDresent time, but this method of harvesting seems to be 

 growing in favor. In either case the stalk has valuable ferti- 

 lizer properties which, if handled in the right manner, become 

 of considerable importance in maintaining soil fertility. 



Statistics tell us that 5,700 acres were devoted to the tobacco 

 crop in Massa^uusetts for the year 1012. Communication with 

 several of the large tobacco growers brings out the fact that on 

 an average 8,666 Havana seed leaf plants are grown per acre. 

 The average Aveight of 10 stalks from which the leaf had been 

 stripped was found to be 6,58 pounds,^ which, computed on 

 an acre basis, would amount to 5,702 pounds. It. was found 

 that the water content of the stalks from different localities 

 varied considerably, the average being 52.94 per cent. In other 

 words, 3,018 pounds out of the total weight of stalks per acre 

 were found to be water, and 2,684 pounds, dry matter. 



The analysis of two samples of stalks grown by the usual 

 method showed the following chemical composition on a dry- 

 matter basis : — 



Stalks received 

 from Oscar 



Belden & Sons, 

 Bradstreet, 



Mass. 

 (Percent.). 



Stalks received 

 from G. P. 

 Smith, Sun- 

 derland, Mass. 

 (Percent.). 



Phosphoric acid, .... 



Potas.sium oxide, .... 



Total nitrogen, ..... 

 Water soluble organic nitrogen. 

 Active water insoluble organic nitrogen. 

 Inactive water insoluble organic nitrogen 



.82 



4.67 



3.49 



2.52 



.23 



.74 



1 Weights secured in three different sections of the Connecticut valley. 



