274 TOBACCO 



the tobacco and of those kinds of plants as may be of 

 use in the cultivation of the tobacco, with regard to the 

 use of explosives in tilling" the ground, the disinfection 

 of the soil in seed-beds and for growing tobacco, and 

 the effect of varying the distances between the seedlings 

 in the seed-bed. 



In order to study very carefully the influence of various 

 circumstances on the tobacco plant pot-trials have been 

 commenced, whereby a number of factors can be 

 regulated at will. Important results have already been 

 obtained by this means, and, in order to carry on these 

 tests on a more extensive scale, a greenhouse is being 

 built. 



Attention continues to be directed to the possibility 

 of extending the use of mechanical appliances for sowing", 

 ploughing, etc. As far as possible experiments in this 

 direction are being commenced in this department. 



(3) Botanical Department. 



The Botanical Department is occupied with the study 

 of diseases of a vegetable nature affecting the tobacco 

 plant and methods of combating them, together with 

 selection and hybridizing experiments. 



Particular attention is being paid to the slime-disease, the 

 most dangerous of the vegetable diseases at the present 

 time. Dr. Honing has definitely ascertained that this 

 disease is of a bacterial nature, and is caused by Bacillus 

 solanacecwum, Smith. An extensive study of this, as 

 well as of a number of other putrefying bacteria which 

 are found in diseased tobacco stalks, has been made and 

 published. It was shown that Bacillus solanacearum> is 

 very often present in the seedlings, and as a consequence 

 the latter are now submitted to a very careful examina- 

 tion before they are planted out. Owing to its frequent 

 appearance in well water, the latter is now disinfected 

 with permanganate of potash ( fa per cent.), of which 

 in 1914 not less than 25,000 kilograms were used for that 

 purpose. The application of various disinfectants to the 

 soil in many cases caused the tobacco plants to remain 

 alive for a longer period and to produce a larger crop- 



