THE CULTURE OF TOBACCO. 5 



rainfall \vith warm weather is perhaps the best condition for the 

 production of tobacco. Dry weather during the ripeuirg period is 

 favourable to the preservation of thnse products that later create the 

 aroma of cured tobacco. This is particularly true if the dry weather 

 be accompjanied with heavy dews. The dews incite the leaf to the 

 formation of gums and resins. Hot dry weather causes a greater 

 thickening of the leaves than does moist weather, and leaves grown in 

 the shade are thinner than tho.se grown in the direct sunlight. 



Proximity to the sea has a great influence on the quality of the 

 pi'oduct. Toljacco grown near the sea is poor in comljustiliility. 

 This is supposed to be due to the action of chlorine in the salt of the 

 sea air. At thirty miles from the coast this influence may be said to 

 have ceased, and in Sumatra good tobacco is grown within ten miles 

 of the coast. The Italian Government will not permit the cultivati.in 

 of tobacco on land with an elevation le.ss than one hundred and ten feet. 

 This is probably due to the fact that the low lands are near salt water. 

 In diy climates pjroximity to a bodv of water, particularly to fresh 



water, may be an advantage in that it will increase the humidity of 

 the air. 



In Sumatra better tobacco is produced on low well drained 'and- 

 some distance from the coast, than is produced further Ijack on the 



