TOBACCO 279 



traced, although there seems no doubt that it belongs 

 to the Manila type and probably came from the Philip- 

 pines. 



These two varieties have now been cultivated for years 

 in the midst of inferior native tobacco, and as sufficient 

 precautions against cross-fertilization have not always 

 been taken, it need scarcely be wondered at that planta- 

 tions are far from regular and that fine plants are seen 

 in the fields side by side with inferior sorts. It will be 

 possible, therefore, to obtain a great improvement both 

 as regards quantity and quality 'by selection, and this 

 point has naturally been placed at the head of the work- 

 ing programme of the testing station. 



In the 1912 campaign, with the aid of the administra- 

 tors, a large number of fine tobacco plants were selected 

 on the different estates with a view to studying their 

 progeny in the following year in the experimental 

 gardens of the testing station. The seed of each mother 

 plant was obtained with due precautions against cross- 

 fertilization and was sown separately in 1913. It will 

 be the task of the testing station to choose from 

 amongst the succeeding generations of the best strains 

 the finest plant and to multiply the seed thereof for the 

 estates. 



As so many factors have to be taken into account in 

 dealing with tobacco (sucn as burning quality, colour of 

 the ash, taste, aroma, fineness of leaf, correct proportion 

 of length to breadth, nervature and number of leaves), 

 the work connected with the selection of these plants 

 takes up much time, and other important questions will 

 therefore, provisionally, have to receive less attention. 



Hybrids also, which for some years past have been 

 experimented with on one of the estates, may become 

 of great importance in the cultivation of tobacco. There 

 is this difficulty that, as the progeny naturally becomes 

 diffused, it is necessary to cross each year afresh, which 

 apart from the possibility of making mistakes, causes 

 an expense in labour which cannot be overlooked. 



The testing station has consequently devoted its atten- 

 tion also to crosses and will experiment with a view to 

 finding hybrids which come true to seed. With this 



