TOBACCO AND ITS CULTURE. 161 



has been esteemed the chief interest of the Connecticut Val- 

 ley, and notwithstanding the vigor and force of its oppo- 

 nents, one thing is perfectly clear : It has brought into this 

 valley more money, it has redeemed and regenerated more 

 farms, and has released from their trials and tribulations 

 more of the farmers, than any and all other industries in this 

 valley combined. Of course we understand that the agricul- 

 tural societies outside of this valley are entirely excusable 

 for not making it a prominent interest; at the same time, I 

 do not see any reason wh}^ a competitive examination ot 

 different crops of tobacco in this valley is not as important 

 as a similar examination of different crops of corn ; and 

 more especially is this important when you recollect that 

 there is no crop raised by man anywhere, one feature of 

 which is so important as it is in regard to tobacco in the 

 Connecticut Valley, and that is this : the selection of the 

 proper seed. The man who has selected the proper seed 

 from which to raise a crop of tobacco has, in my judgment, 

 won half the battle. It is very much so with a great many 

 other crops, but it is especially so with tol^acco, and more 

 especially so with Havana tobacco, which is the prevailing 

 kind planted in the valley at the present time. The old 

 seed-leaf tobacco has had a great many friends, but I sup- 

 pose it is now regarded, even by its friends, as having 

 passed out of the line of vision, and that something else has 

 come in to take its place, which is Havana seed tobacco. 

 Havana seed tobacco is peculiar in this, that, like the little 

 boy, if it is good, it is very, very good, and if it is bad, it is 

 horrid. What I mean to say by that is, that if it possesses 

 the quality which Havana tobacco should possess, and 

 which if proper care is taken in the selection of the seed it 

 will possess, with good cultivation, then you have a fine 

 clear, tough, flexible, elegant leaf, five or six pounds of 

 which will wrap a thousand cigars. If the seed is ten, 

 twelve, fifteen or twenty years old, you will have a large, 

 thin, good-for-nothing leaf, whi(;h might as well be disposed 

 of for binders, or for any other purpose for which you can 

 make it available. My judgment is that the seed should 

 never be more than seven years old ; I would rather have it 

 less than more ; that it should be selected from the very best 



