TOBACCO 267 



tion of the old tobacco stalks. Where formerly these 

 stalks were cut up and ploughed into the ground to serve 

 as vegetable manure and at the same time as an in- 

 fallible means of infecting the next crop now all 

 tobacco stalks are removed from the gardens, and on 

 very many estates, although, unfortunately, not on all, 

 they are burnt, either in piles in the open air, oir, what is 

 still better, in large furnaces specially constructed for 

 the purpose. For the burning of dead young plants 

 smaller iron furnaces are used which can be conveniently 

 moved from one garden to another. How much has 

 been accomplished in course of time by the adoption of 

 these means of combating disease it is difficult to say, 

 but it is tolerably certain that if nothing had been done 

 the damage suffered would be much greater than is the 

 case at the present time, where, at all events, the disease 

 on most of the estates may be limited to a few known 

 gardens. 



To recapitulate the above, the following may be men- 

 tioned as the most important changes which have taken 

 place in the cultivation of tobacco in the Vorstenlanden 

 during recent years : 



(1) A very intensive tilling of the soil. 



(2) A rational use of fertilizers. 



(3) The abolition of topping. 



(4) The adoption of leaf gathering. 



(5) The introduction of selected pure strains. 



(6) Intensive efforts to combat the Phytophthora 

 disease. 



The most important items on the programme for future 

 improvements are : 



(1) A rational system of gathering. 



(2) A rational system of drying. 



(3) A rational system of fermentation. 



(4) The introduction of pure new strains and crosses. 

 If the above appear to be very difficult points for 



research, so difficult even that many will doubt the possi- 

 bility of a satisfactory solution, yet assuredly the energy 

 of the Vorstenlanden tobacco planter, aided by the know- 

 ledge and insig'ht of the staff of the testing station, will 

 succeed at all events in making important progress 

 towards a settlement of these difficult questions. 



