Transactions of the London Horticultural Society. 501 



this period all the flower buds are pinched off. The leaves in- 

 crease in size and thickness, until August or September, when 

 each plant is cut off close to the root ; and, instead of being laid 

 down, or carried off to be dried elsewhere, it is stuck firmly into 

 the ground close to the root from which it has been separated. 

 In consequence of the heavy dews, the leaves change gradually 

 from, green to yellow ; and they are then, while they are yet wet 

 with dew, taken to a shed with wiekerwork, or other partially 

 open side-walls, and laid in a heap for four or five days. The 

 stalks, and centre rib of each leaf, are then removed and thrown 

 away. The leaves are again heaped together for three or four 

 days more ; after which, they are in a fit state for packing and 

 being sent to the manufacturer. 



SI. Upon the Cultivation of Tobacco for Garden Purposes. By 

 Mr. John Wilson, Under-Gardener at the Society's Garden at 

 Chiswick. 



Every gardener ought to grow his own tobacco ; and, as this 

 article is, in our opinion, the most valuable one on the subject 

 which has anywhere appeared, we shall give it almost entire. 



" Tobacco is an article which is indispensable to horticultural purposes. 

 It is used to fumigate hot-houses ; large infusions of it are put into most 

 washes that are prepared for extirpating insects ; and, by drying, and grinding 

 it into the form of snuff, it is found very efficacious in destroying the green fly 

 on peach and rose trees out of doors. 



" In most gardens, the leaves are stripped off the plants in a green state, 

 and thrown together in a heap to ferment; while, little or no attention being 

 paid to the degree of temperature which such fermentation should reach, the 

 usual consequence is burning or rotting the leaves. Tobacco so treated 

 has neither the taste, the smell, nor the efficacy of tobacco, and, when burnt 

 in hot-houses, is by no means effective in killing insects, without a great pro- 

 portion of regularly cured and manufactured tobacco being burnt along with 

 it. Hot-houses also smell very disagreeably for eight or ten days after being 

 fumigated with it. 



" Mr. Brodigan's mode of curing, as detailed by him in his work on the 

 growing and curing of tobacco in Ireland, has been tried in the garden, and it 

 was found that the leaves began to suffer from heat at many degrees below 

 the maximum temperature mentioned by Mr. Brodigan, which is 126°. This 

 is an extreme, which, it is to be presumed, will readily account for the great 

 waste of tobacco during the curing process in Ireland. Taking off four or 

 five of the bottom leaves of each plant, suffering them to lie on the ground 

 for some time, gathering and carrying them home to a barn, fermenting them 

 two or three times, spreading out as often to cool, and finally hanging them 

 on lines of packthread to dry ; all which has to be repeated when a few more 

 of the lower leaves are considered ripe, must also be attended with very great 

 labour and expense. 



" The principle of fermenting tobacco in a green state is sanctioned by a 

 long course of practice ; but, from every observation of its effects which has 

 been made here, it seems to be productive of the worst of consequences ; for 

 it is dependent upon conditions so difficult to govern, that, notwithstanding 

 the greatest care, it never fails to be injurious to the tender leaves. 



" The sort which is grown here for the purpose of fumigation, &c, is a very 



Vol, X.— No. 55. n n 



