TOBACCO RESISTANT TO BLACK ROOT ROT 17 



those of regular Havana Seed but bore slightly fewer leaves, so the average length 

 of internode was somewhat longer. The average length and width of leaves were 

 considerably greater for Havana 211. The strain holds its leaves in a very upright 

 position during most of its growing period, and at no time do they droop badly. 

 They are fairly smooth and of fairly good body, with a strong midrib and medium 

 sized lateral veins. It is, however, a matter of personal opinion with cigar manu- 

 facturers whether the quality of Havana 211 is as good usually as that of regular 

 Havana Seed. Some of them say it is not. 



Havana 211 withstands drouth better than regular Havana Seed and seldom 

 if ever "fires" under severe drouth conditions. An unusual but desirable property 

 of the strain is that flea beetles and thrips do not attack it so readily as they do 

 regular Havana Seed. 



On the other hand, Havana 211 has one undesirable habit of growth — it is a 

 week to ten days later in date of maturity than regular Havana Seed. When 

 both are planted at the same time and grown under the same cultural and en- 

 vironmental conditions, both develop similar symptoms of maturity at the same 

 time. However, experience has shown that if Havana 211 is harvested at this 

 stage of maturity, it will not cure best, and consequently will not yield the 

 highest quality of tobacco that it is potentially capable of producing. 



The characteristics of plant and leaf type of Havana K2 have not yet been 

 measured. However, careful observation and comparison of the plants and leaves 

 of Havana K2 and Havana 211 show that the two strains do not differ greatly in 

 the more evident characteristics of type; such differences as there are, being 

 largely In favor of Havana K2. The leaves have somewhat more body, and al- 

 though they are slightly narrower, they are wide enough for economical use in 

 making cigars. Havana K2 matures for harvesting several days earlier than 

 Havana 211, and nearer the date of most strains of regular Havana Seed. In all 

 commercial trials so far, Hav'ana K2 has been somewhat more satisfactory than 

 Havana 211 in curing and sweating or fermenting properties. It is largely the 

 improvements in certain characteristics of type, earlier date of maturity, better 

 curing, and better sweating or fermenting, that suggest the possibility that 

 Havana K2 may be a more satisfactory strain than Havana 211 for general grow- 

 ing in the Connecticut Valley. 



The Use of Havana 211 and Havana K2 in the Connecticut Valley 



The likelihood that Havana 211 and Havana K2 would be acceptable for 

 gross yielding capacity and for type of plant and leaf was determined rather 

 definitely before the strains were distributed generally to growers. The standards 

 of acceptability for quality are less definitely defined. Therefore, when the strains 

 were distributed to farmers, there was some uncertainty as to how acceptable 

 they might be for quality under all conditions. 



Havana 211 has been grown long enough commercially to demonstrate the 

 quality of tobacco it is capable of producing under practically all conditions in 

 the Connecticut Valley, but this is perhaps not true of Havana K2. There seems 

 to be no question among tobacco growers that Havana 211 is able to produce 

 tobacco of good type and quality in large enough amounts to be profitable under 

 most circumstances. There seems to be no question among buyers that Havana 



