28 TOBACCO. 



" Kainit, which contains some 15 to 20 per cent, of potash, 

 but also 10 per cent, or more of chlorine, is not so good for 

 leaf tobacco, and least of all to be recommended is potas- 

 sium chloride (muriate of potash) which is nearly half 

 chlorine. 



" Magnesia is an element which is abundantly provided 

 for in stable manure, every ton of which, according to 

 analyses on record, contains some 3 Ib. of this substance. 



" Lime is supplied in relative abundance in stable 

 manure, the average ton of which contains some 15 Ib. 

 We have seen that 600 Ib. of gypsum contain as much lime 

 as the average tobacco crop : guano, dry fish, and super- 

 phosphate, each contains some 5-10 per cent, of lime. 

 There is, furthermore, little likelihood that any soil 

 intended for tobacco would not of itself contain enough 

 lime to support the crop. Lime in the caustic state 

 has, however, a value independent of its direct nutritive 

 power, which is well worth the attention of the tobacco 

 raiser. Of this I shall write briefly in a subsequent 

 paragraph. 



" Nitrogen in absolutely dry New England tobacco leaf 

 ranges from 3*2 to 5*1 per cent., or 4*24 as the average. 

 This is a larger proportion than exists in any of our 

 ordinary field crops, except the seeds of legumes. The 

 grain of wheat and red clover hay contain when dry 

 scarcely 2J per cent., and they exceed all other usually 

 raised vegetable products, except the leguminous seeds. 

 The pea and bean contain, when dry, 4-5 to 4 7 per cent, 

 of nitrogen. The acreage export of nitrogen is never- 

 theless not large according to the data of our tables. It 

 should be remembered, however, that the average is 



