No. 4.] TOBACCO CULTURE. 357 



color. But the soil, fertilizer, cultivation and curing, as 

 well as atmospheric conditions, have very much if not every- 

 thing to do with, and make up this fine and silky leaf so 

 much sought after. The leaf must also burn well with 

 white ash, which must not flake or drop from the cigar in 

 scales. The demand for different shades and colors varies 

 with the fashion, which is about as changeable as is the color 

 and style of dress. Just now the greatest demand is for 

 light colors. How to obtain just the shade and quality of 

 leaf desired is what has called out more effort and upon 

 which has been expended more time and money than upon 

 the production of any other crop git)wn. 



Experiments. 



Until within a short time this great crop has been entirely 

 ignored by the experiment stations, and all experiments 

 performed have been by private enterprise and of necessity 

 rather crude and often unsatisfactory. 



In the winter of 1891-2 there was organized jn Windsor 

 the Connecticut Tobacco Experiment Company, for the pur- 

 pose of carrying on the business of an experiment in the 

 culture and cure of tobacco, the same to be conducted and 

 carried on in connection with and under the supervision of 

 the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station. A stock 

 subscription l)ook was opened, and from the proceeds of the 

 sale of stock land was purchased and a building built, offi- 

 cers elected and to J. A. Du Bon was committed the practi- 

 cal management of the experiment itself. The experiments 

 are to continue through a series of five years. 



The following are some of the questions wdiich, as far as 

 possible, were to receive immediate attention : — 



(a) What is the efiect on quantity and quality of leaf of 

 larger applications of cotton-seed meal than are commonly 

 used as a fertilizer? 



(b) What is the comparative effect on quantity and 

 quality of leaf of applications of castor pomace containing 

 the same amounts of nitrogen as the cotton-seed meal used 

 in experiments under a? 



(c) If heavy application in form of castor pomace proves 

 injurious to the leaf, can the injury be lessened or prevented 



