474 MATURING OF SEEDS. 
other countries the experiment has been made to acclimate 
foreign seeds, for instance, Havana, by crossing, respectively 
changing the sexes and giving the male influence now to the 
foreign, then to the home plant.” 
In the Connecticut valley the cultivation of Havana tobacco 
is increasing year by year, and it promises to become the 
principal variety cultivated. All of the leading qualities of 
Connecticut seed leaf, such as color, strength, and texture, 
are preserved, while the flavor is as fine as that of much that 
is imported. The plants selected for seed should be allowed 
to fully ripen, when the leaves may be stripped from the 
stalks, that the capsules may receive all the strength of the 
growing and maturing plants. The seed plants should be 
left standing some six or eight weeks after the other plants 
have been harvested. If the nights are very cold and frosty, 
the top of the plants may be covered with a light cloth or 
paper to protect the seed buds. 
When the capsules are of full size and brown in color, the 
top may be broken off and hung up ina dry, cool place to 
cure, after which the seeds should be taken from the capsules. 
To do this, the end of the seed buds may be cut, when most 
of the seeds will fall out if the buds are fully ripe and dry. 
A southern planter gives the following account of the curing 
and management of seed plants :— 
“There are four classes of tobacco grown in Virginia and 
North Carolina, viz.: Shipping, filling, smoking, and wrap- 
ping; and it is important that planters desiring to raise either 
one of these should choose the kind of seed best adapted to 
each particular class. The Pryor makes the heaviest, richest 
shipping, and can only be grown to perfection on alluvial or 
heavily manured lands. The Frederick or Maryland grows 
larger, but is not so rich and waxy. The Oronoko is far 
preferable for fillers, smokers or wrappers, being sweeter in 
flavor, finer in fibre and texture, and more easily cured 
yellow. This is the kind best adapted to our gray soils, 
giving best returns. The product is not so large as on black 
or brown lands, yet with skill in curing and management, 
the difference in product is more than made up in quality. 
“The Oronoko, therefore, is the only kind suited to our 
gray lands, and of this there are several varieties, the two 
