to show some of the aspects in which the improvement 

 of the crop may be effected in India. The principal ones 

 may be classified thus : — 



I. Improvement of the crop by breeding and 

 selection. 

 II. Adoption of up-to-date methods of curing. 



III. Introduction of superior varieties from other 

 countries. 



We shall deal with these points one by one. The 

 duty on imported tobacco is greatly in favour of the 

 development of the indigenous crop and the culture of 

 foreign varieties. The great industrial crisis through 

 which we are passing on account of the war has also 

 given a fresh impetus to the development of our native 

 resources, and so the present moment is quite opportune 

 for enterprising capitalists to pay their attention to the 

 improvement of the Indian tobacco. The writer of 

 these pages hopes that his suggestions may be of some 

 use to visitors interested in tobacco-growing, at the 

 tenth Indian Industrial Conference at Madras, which 

 bv the way is a principal tobacco centre in India. 



I. IMPROVEMENT BY BREEDING AND SELECTION 



There is considerable scope for improvement in the 

 vield and quality of tobacco as well as of other crops in 

 India by breeding and selection. As there are several 

 distinct tvpcs of tobacco, which have different trade 

 requirements, it is essentially necessary for a tobacco 

 grower to have an uniformity in his crop, as regards size, 

 shape, etc., of the leaves ; and this cannot be effected if 

 the puritv of the seeds cannot be preserved. "The 

 individual plant is the result of two forces :— environ- 

 ment (climate, soil, fertilizer, culture, etc.) and heredity 



