18 



any hard and fast rules as to the type of tobacco that is best suited to 

 all soils, the grower must use his own judgment and select toward a 

 good type which he thinks his soil is best adapted to producing. 



Fig. 2. Tobacco Leaf, Desirable Shape. (A Fig. 3. Tobacco Leaf, Undesir- 

 Leaf of this Shape Will Furnish Eight able Shape. ( A Leaf of this 

 Wrappers.) Shape Will Furnish Four 



Wrappers. ) 



The flowers of the tobacco plant are able to pollinate themselves, but 

 when allowed to bloom in their natural way, are cross-pollinated by insects 

 which are attracted to the flowers l)y the sweet fluid in the bottom of 

 the flower tube. In visiting flower after flower the tuie pollen dust 

 which sticks to the body of the insect is carried from the flowers of one 

 plant to those of another and cross-pollination takes places. In this 

 way a good plant may be crossed with a very poor one and plants grown 

 from such seed are likely to be undesirable and not closely resemble 

 either of the parent plants. To prevent selected plants from becoming 

 crossed with poor ones, it is necessary to protect tlie flowers from 



