162 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



quality of tobacco. And here comes in the suggestion that I 

 made, that the agricultural society should take this matter 

 up and make it a matter of competitive examination, so that 

 the chief interest of the valley shyuld be represented in 

 some slight degree, to such an extent, at least, that growers 

 who are unfamiliar with this matter should be able to select 

 the very best seed. 



Of course, it is not my purpose to go over the ground that 

 the gentleman occupied this morning. I will pass from this 

 point to another, in reference to which I should question 

 his views a little ; and that is, with reference to the time 

 Havana tobacco should be allowed to stand. I believe that 

 to be another vital point in the raising of Havana tobacco. 

 I feel that the bulk of the growers do not let their Havana 

 tobacco stand long enough. I think that the majority of 

 the growers will probably agree with me upon this point. 

 It is in a measure due to the fact that we are expecting 

 frosts and accidents, and, as the gentleman said this morn- 

 ing, we all feel a sense of great relief when the crop is 

 safely housed. All these things tend to induce the farmer 

 to house his tobacco too soon. My feeling is that Havana 

 tobacco should never stand less than five, and from that 

 to seven weeks. You see, if this theory is followed 

 out, it does not make any difference how early you set out 

 the plants ; set them out as early as you please. Havana 

 tobacco as a rule is topped as late as the last week in July, 

 and it should not be cut before the last of the first or the 

 first of the second week in September, and within that 

 period Ave have all known very severe frosts — so that, of 

 course, the farmers feel a little anxious ; but my doctrine is 

 that it always pays to make every effort to have a good 

 thing, and if you do not get a good thing, then you may 

 hold yourself excusable. A perfect article of Havana 

 tobacco cannot be got by letting it stand but three weeks 

 after topping, in my judgment. 



But, gentlemen, of all the troubles that beset tobacco 

 raisers in this valley at the present time, there is nothing 

 that affects them so seriously as the recent introduction of 

 Sumatra tobacco, which has increased so rapidly that, during 

 each of the months of July and August, 1882, more of that 



