TOBACCO INVESTIGATIONS. 7 



temperatures during the main growing season as compared with the 

 weight of the crop has therefore been made. The data as to average 

 yield and yearly production in Massachusetts were obtained from the 

 various Year Books of the Department of Agriculture. These figures 

 are the only ones available, and it is believed by the writer that in most 

 instances, at least, they are reliable. The meteorological data are taken 

 from the records of the Massachusetts Agricultural College observatory, 

 and are fairly representative of conditions in this section of the valley. 

 The observatory is located within two or three miles of the center of the 

 Massachusetts tobacco area around Hatfield. Of course, observations 

 taken only a few miles distant would differ somewhat, but only in minor 

 details, and it is believed that we are fully justified in using these obser- 

 vatory records. No data are available as to seasonal differences in water 

 content of the different soil types in the tobacco region in Massachusetts. 

 The quality of the crop in the different years was also difficult to ascertain, 

 as here it was necessary to depend largely on the grower's or packer's 

 memory for data, and they often were unable to recollect a crop for a given 

 year with sufficient accuracy to make a comparison reliable. Therefore 

 quality has not been plotted. 



The average yearly yield per acre in Massachusetts is given in Table I 

 for the period from 1901 to 1918, inclusive, together with the average 

 yield from 1870 to 1910. 



Table I. — Average Yield of Tobacco per Acre in Massachusetts, 1901-18. 



United States. 



Massachusetts Agricultural College. 



It will be seen that there is a marked variation in yield from year to year. 

 The yield for 1916 as given by the United States Department of Agri- 

 culture (1,660 pounds) is much greater than the one estimated by the 

 WTiter (1,400 pounds). This is probably due to the fact that the latter 

 figures were obtained in part from the packing houses. 



