160 MASS. EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETIN 193. 



these in turn must be picked off. When the bottom suckers are removed 

 the plant is usually ready to harvest. Ordinarily the plant is allowed to 

 "ripen," a condition which is further indicated by the slightly wilted 

 appearance of the bottom leaves. Light green blotches also appear on the 

 top leaves. If cut too green the leaf becomes dark colored and will not 

 command the best price. 



Shade-grown Tobacco. 

 The year 1900 marks the real beginning of the "tobacco grown under 

 cloth " industry in the Connecticut valley. It was begun as an experiment 

 in the production of Sumatra wrappers. Imported Sumatra seed was 

 sown, but it was soon found that real Sumatra could not be grown success- 

 fully in the Connecticut valley. Cuban Havana, having a little heavier 

 leaf, was tried next; it grew well in its new surroundings. Through 

 careful seed selection it approached more nearly the ideal leaf. An accli- 

 mated strain of Cuban seed is now used exclusively for "tent grown" 

 tobacco. 



SHADB-GHOWH TOBACOO ACREAGE IH THE COHHEWICIIT VALIET 



ltQq{__A^ 



Fig. 3. — Production of shade-grown tobacco. Notice the rapid and remarkably uniform 

 increase in acreage since 1913. 



History. — The early history of the industry was marked by varied 

 successes and failures. One grower, for example, a pioneer in the shade- 

 grown venture, sold his first crop for $1.62 a pound, while his second crop 

 yielded him 50 cents a poimd. As a result he went back to sun-grown 

 tobacco entirely. Another grower began m 1902, but raised no shade- 

 grown in 1904 and 1905. He tried the industry again in 1906, and has 



