LVI REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE. 



five to ten years. It is probable that within two or three months from 

 the time of the publication of this report the data will be available for 

 the issuing of a special report on this experiment, giving the methods 

 and cost of production and the value of the crop. It would therefore 

 be unwise at this time to attempt to forecast the results. 



In view of the phenomenal success of the introduction of Sumatra 

 leaf into the Connecticut Valley and the control of black rot in the 

 Pennsylvania crop, there have been many urgent demands for help in 

 the tobacco industry in New York, Ohio, Wisconsin, Texas, and 

 Florida. Preliminary steps have been taken to meet these demands, 

 but they are so great that it will take considerable time to extend help 

 even where it is most needed. Active measures are being taken, as 

 announced in my last report, for investigating the possibilities of 

 growing Havana tobacco in Texas, and it is aimed to make this experi- 

 ment one of the strong features of our work for the coming year. 



It must not be overlooked that there is pressing need of investiga- 

 tions in the manufacturing and export types of the Southern States, 

 and there have been many requests for such help on the part of the 

 Department. It has seemed wise, however, to confine our attention 

 to the highly organized industry in the production and handling of 

 the cigar types and to get this work well established before the other 

 types are taken up. Just as soon as possible, however, the Virginia, 

 North Carolina, Tennessee, and Kentucky districts will be attended to. 

 Preliminary work is being done in several of the States in the con- 

 struction of soil maps of the important tobacco areas, and plans are 

 being perfected for the improvement of the types and grades of leaf 

 grown there. 



During the spring of 1901 a^ comprehensive exhibit of leaf tobacco 

 was installed at the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, modeled some- 

 what after the exhibit at Paris, although necessarily much smaller, as 

 the space at our command was considerably less. 



Another important line which has been taken up is the securing 

 of tobacco seed for Congressional distribution. Contracts have been 

 made with leading growers in the various States to have seeds saved 

 from healthy, vigorous, well-bred plants, and arrangements have been 

 perfected for the distribution of these varieties to the districts to 

 which they are particularly adapted. It is believed that this will be a 

 great improvement over the former miscellaneous distribution of 

 tobaccos of all kinds to all districts. 



EXPENSES OP THE WORK. 



In thus briefly reviewing the work of the Division of Soils and 

 stating the results, the commercial value of which is already appar- 

 ent in several lines, and which open up great possibilities for improving 

 methods and crops in still others, I can not refrain from showing the 



