146 BOARD OF AGMCULTUEE. [Pub. Doc. 



who had no personal interest in the crop, settle beyond dis- 

 pute the quality of the Sumatra tobacco which we raised. 



The experiment made at Poquonock in 1900 by our sta- 

 tion, with the help of Professor Whitney and Mr. Floyd of 

 the United States Department of Agriculture, has therefore 

 demonstrated, without a shadow of doubt, that Sumatra 

 leaf of excellent quality can be raised under the conditions 

 of soil and climate which prevail in New England. There 

 has been a great deal of useless talk about this experiment, 

 for which, of course, we are not responsible. Our position, 

 which we have clearly stated in oivino- the results of our 

 work, was this : — 



To determine whether Sumatra leaf of good quality could 

 be produced in this State was the object, and the only object, 

 of this experiment. It remains to be seen whether such 

 tobacco can be economically raised in Connecticut, — raised 

 on a considerable scale, at a profit. To determine these 

 points will probably require some years of experiment. We 

 would strongly urge farmers not to undertake to raise 

 Sumatra tobacco under shade at present, in anything more 

 than a very small way, and purely as an experiment, which 

 will not seriously cripple them, even if it is a complete 

 failure. 



Encouraged by the outcome of our experiment in 1900, 

 quite a number of growers have taken up the matter, and 

 this year over 50 acres of Sumatra have been grown under 

 cheese-cloth shade in Massachusetts and Connecticut, most 

 of it witli the general superintendence and advice of experts 

 in the employ of the United States Department of Agricul- 

 ture. The largest investors in the business have been the 

 Mitchelson Brothers of Tariffville, who have had, I believe, 

 something more than 18 acre- under shade. Already much 

 of the shaded leaf has been fermented and sorted. At 

 present the outlook is extremely satisfactory, and high and 

 paying prices are anticipated. 



But the historian's trade is safer than the prophet's. Let 

 me, therefore, tell briefly what the station has done in the 

 present year : for we have gathered some experience in the 

 business, and I think the outlook is sufficiently promising to 



