256 TOBACCO 



improves the quality of the tobacco. They give the plant 

 an early start, mature it earlier, make a better manu- 

 facturing tobacco, and also increase the yield. It is 

 possible that extremely weak solutions of nitrate, say 

 a quarter of an ounce to a gallon, would be most 

 effective. 



Although the skilful use of available nitrogen is the 

 key to financial success in tobacco growing, many large 

 growers moderately successful have no idea of the quality 

 or nature of the nitrogenous fertilizers which they are 

 using when they use mere brands of ready mixed goods. 



Certain American tobacco growers who are most given 

 to criticizing nitrate fertilizers have been found upon 

 investigation to be wholly unacquainted with the com- 

 position of the particular fertilizers they happened to be 

 using, and had no idea whether such fertilizers contained 

 nitrate of soda or not. In a fertilizer, containing 2\ per 

 cent, nitrogen, 8 per cent, phosphoric acid, and 3 per cent, 

 potash, in use this very season on tobacco in North 

 Carolina by growers condemning the use of nitrate, a 

 trifle less than one-quarter of its nitrogen was found to 

 be nitrate of soda, and this was sold to tobacco growers 

 for the avowed purpose of avoiding the use of nitrate. 



Nowhere in agriculture does accurate knowledge repay 

 its possessor more abundantly than in tobacco growing. 



Since conditions vary in different countries, no attempt 

 is made here to suggest specific formulas for tropical 

 countries. It is believed that Chilean nitrate, however, 

 is worthy of a place in any fertilizer formula for tobacco. 



The total tobacco area in the United States is 

 1,294,911 acres and the production is 1,055,764,806 lb., 

 making the average yield 815 lb. per acre for the whole 

 country, whilst Germany, with about 38,975 acres in 

 tobacco, has a total production of 62,933,016 lb., making 

 an average yield of 1,615 1- P er acre. This difference 

 is due substantially to the well-known higher content of 

 available nitrogen in all German commercial fertilizers 

 and also the more rational and intelligent use of the 

 higher-powered nitrated German fertilizers. It would be 

 well for our American planters to imitate their German 

 brethren in this respect. 



