THE CrLTUEE OF TOBACCO. 6:J 



Theoretically, this constant iiilireeding T\"ould in time lessen the 

 vitality of the variety, but in practice this lesult will rarely be 

 reached, for the isolation of the seed plot will seldom be so complete 

 that there will not be an occasional accidental introduction of new 

 Mood. 



When a plant is left for seed the top lea\-es are stripped off so as 

 to reduce its top heaviness. If the plant shows too great an inclina- 

 tion to yield to the wind and lie whipped around, it is .steadied by 

 lieing tied to a pole set in the ground. No suckers or secondary 

 lilossoms are jjermitted Xo grow, and as soon as the best seed pods have 

 i-ommenced to ripen, the remaining pods and blossoms are removed, 

 the idea being to have a few well-nourished seeds rather than a laige 

 number of poorly nourished ones. "When the pod is ripe the seed 

 head is cut oti" and hung in a dry room, all imperfect pods being re- 

 jected in the operation. Later the seed is broken out of the pod and 



■ ■arefully fieed from all dirt and chati' by winnowing. It is then 

 placed in glass jars or bottles and sealed. If carefully kept in jars, 

 tobacco seed will retain its "s-itality for at least ten -sears. Beftire 

 tieing placed in the jars the seed must be absolutely dry. 



Many tobaccos, like the Cuban, will not produce a large crop if 

 grown from the carelessly produced impoited seed, and, foi' this reason, 

 it is the custom in many places til grow the seed of such varieties for 

 years before saving seed for the main crop. However, if this process 

 be kept up for any length of time the product will have a tendency to 

 Lcreatly deteriorate from its oiiginal 'lualities even though it has 

 become accHmatised and increased in hardiness and productiveness. 

 For this reason about the third or fourth year after the importation 

 a large quantity of seed is saved and stored in airtight jars to be 

 used for the production of the crop during the next eight or ten 

 years. 



Tobacco seed may be worth anything from four shillings a pound 

 for the commoner varieties, to four shillings or even twice as nmch 

 pel' ounce foi' selected cii;ar tobaccos. The average price is about 

 twelve shillings a pound for the ordinary varieties and thirty shillings 

 a pound for cigar varieties. An ounce may contain anything from 

 two to four humlred thousand seeds, so that high priced .seed is not 

 necessarily e.xpensi\ e when the area that it will plant is considered. 



Tobacco seed as a rule should not be puichased from general 

 seedsmen, but should be secureil from men who make a speciality of 

 growing tobacco seed alone. From one to two hundred pounds may 

 be produced to the acre where the selection of seed is not carried out 

 very thoroughly, but it is much better to purchase seed at ten times 

 the ordinary price from growers who select until they only produce 

 line-tenth as much seed. Quality rather than quantity should be the 

 iibject. 



INSECT PESTS OF TOBACCO. 



From the seed beil to the curing barn the grower must wage 



■ me continual war against insect pests. Many of these would entirely 

 ruin the crop if left to themselves. To-day, through the use of arseni- 

 cal poisons, it has become a simple matter to hold in check the once 

 much dreaded enemies of the tobacco tield. 



Yoimg plants grown under canvas and on burned soil are seldom 

 subject to the attacks of insects. 



