194 CHAPTER XII 



birds. After the capsules begin to turn brown, the inflorescence 

 is removed, and should be stored in a dry, cool room. When 

 the capsules are thoroughly dried they should be threshed, 

 winnowed, and stored in glass jars, covered with muslin. 

 Tobacco seed can be kept without deteriorating to any marked 

 extent for ten to twelve years. 



Finally, before sowing, the seed must be passed through 

 a separator, and only the heavy seed kept. According to 

 Scherffius, tobacco from heavy seed matures about ten days 

 earlier, and in an experiment gave 1,959 pounds to the acre, as 

 compared with 1,644 pounds per acre from light seed. 



Number of leaves per plant and size of leaf are trans- 

 missible within limits, and self-fertilisation with continued 

 selection along these lines will isolate the desired types. As 

 in other crops, acclimatised seed is superior, and there seems 

 no reason why the practice of importing seed should not be 

 discontinued. 



The Culture of Virginia Tobacco. 



Climate. — Tobacco should be grown only in hail-free 

 areas. Practically all the tobacco of this type in the Union is 

 grown under irrigation, as the rainfall in the best areas is 

 insufficient and irregular. In Ehodesia, where it is grown on 

 the rainfall, the best quality is produced where the rainfall is 

 moderate, about 25 to 30 inches, but well distributed through- 

 out the growing season, and rather light during the ripening 

 and harvesting periods. The precipitation should be in gentle 

 showers and there should be plenty of sunshine. 



For transplanting, the weather conditions most desired are 

 misty, dull days, with frequent showers; where irrigation is 

 available this is not so important. As tobacco is very suscep- 

 tible to frost, harvesting must be completed befoie frosts are 

 liable to occur. (Harvesting is completed 120 days after trans- 

 planting.) 



Soils. — Besides silt and organic matter, the ideal soil for 

 the production of bright tobacco should be composed of about 

 70 per cent, of sand and 6 to 8 per cent, of clay. The sub-soil 

 should be open hut retentive of moisture. 



The best soils for dark tobacco contain about 50 per cent, 

 of clay and 25 per cent, of sand, and the sub-soil should be 

 somewhat heavier than that required for bright tobacco. 



All soils should be well drained, and the humus content 

 must be well maintained. 



