No. 4.] TOBACCO GROWING. 31 



the plots; but its quality was among the best, ranking, for 

 the four years, 6th among the twenty-nine. 



This brings us to the question of stable manure v. com- 

 mercial fertilizers for tobacco. Notice that average stable 

 manure, with litter, may contain about 10 pounds of nitro- 

 gen to the cord, so that 10 or 12 cords per acre would 

 contain enough nitrogen for a tobacco crop, if only it were 

 quickly available, like that of cotton-seed meal or pomace. 

 But it is not, generally speaking, nearly as available, — 

 probably not more than half as available. Now, if manure 

 is used at the rate of from 10 to 15 cords a year for a term 

 of years, it is quite possible to get the land so well stocked 

 with organic nitrogen that the amount becoming available 

 yearly will cover the demand of the crop. I believe, how- 

 ever, it is safer to use a moderate quantity of cotton-seed 

 meal or pomace just before planting, to help out the dress- 

 ing of manure. 



There is no question that tobacco grown on a dressing of 

 manure, — not wet with sea water, as it sometimes is when 

 brought up from New York in barges, — has a fine quality, 

 which does not show at its best till it has been through the 

 fermentation. 



Most growers like to use what manure they have on their 

 tobacco fields, and believe in it to that extent ; but when it 

 comes to the question of buying it in large amounts as the 

 chief reliance, the views of growers are sharply divided. 

 My own belief is that a heavy dressing of stable manure 

 every few years, or, preferably, a lighter dressing yearly, 

 will, by reason of the humus-forming matter in it, protect 

 the crop from drought to some extent, and improve its 

 quality ; but that, unless used in very large quantity, it 

 needs some fertilizer supplying quickly available nitrogen 

 to piece it out, and perhaps some form of potash. 



7. As to the comparative effects on the quality of* leaf 

 of various forms of potash : — 



On each of 8 plots we used annually about L,500 pounds 

 of cotton-seed meal (105 pounds of nitrogen) per acre and 

 340 pounds of actual potash, but in different forms. These 

 different forms were : cotton-hull ashes, wood ashes, car- 

 bonate of potash, double carbonate of potash and magnesia. 



