who brought in Cuban, in addition to Sumatran seeds. 

 Under the supervision of state and federal experts, 

 growers gave the ahen plant the loving care nature de- 

 mands for one of its more sensitive products. Within a 

 few years tobacco farmers in the area were in the en- 

 viable place, and one not since lost, of producing the 

 remarkably fine leaf known as Connecticut Valley 

 shade-grown. 



Generations of farmers had sweated over tobacco 

 since its seeds were first planted in Plymouth soil. The 

 crops had ranged in quality from poor to indifferent to 

 fair to excellent. The popularity of the cigar in the States 

 gave Massachusetts tobacco farmers their long-awaited 

 chance. 



As a producer of leaf the Bay State never ranked with 

 the major tobacco colonies or states. But Massacliusetts 

 crops make up in quality what they cannot show in pro- 

 duction figures. And the exclusive, shade-grown wrapper 

 leaf of the producing counties represents a triumph— an 

 impressive evidence of the ability of scientific man to 

 adjust nature to his needs. 



32 



