33 



achieve success ; but finally the results obtained justify 

 the experiments if judiciously carried on. The Cuban 

 and Sumatra varieties have been successfully grown in 

 the United States. The results obtained go beyond all 

 expectations. In the Paris Exhibition of 1900, the jury 

 voted to the Florida-grown leaf 20 points of merit, and to 

 the Sumatra grown leaf 18 points. The Florida-grown 

 leaf from Cuban seeds also received favourable considera- 

 tion, being voted 18 points of merit against 18 points re- 

 ceived by the Cuban product. The amount of patience 

 and perseverance displayed by the tobacco growers of 

 Florida, in their efforts to grow superior varieties from 

 other countries, will be manifest from the following ex- 

 tracts* and their example may serve as an incentive to 

 the tobacco-growers in this country : — 



"In order to imporve the tobacco and adapt it to the 

 trade demands, these concerns have indulged in all sorts 

 of experiments, some of which have proved quite expen- 

 sive. However, they have met with such a degree of suc- 

 cess as to warrant them in continuing the experimental 

 work. There were many questions to be settled. First of 

 all, What seed should be used ? To settle this question, 

 seed was obtained and tried from every part of the coun- 

 try. This point, however, was soon determined, and now 

 there are onlv two varieties — grown in the state— Suma- 

 tra and Cuban, the Sumatra giving the style required for 

 the wrapper, and the Cuban giving the filler qualities 

 nearest the requirements of the trade. As each of these 

 kinds of tobacco possesses the quality needed, the kind 

 of soil best suited to each was the next point to be settled ; 

 then the proper fertilizer, the quantity necessary, and 



*From report No. 62, United States Department of Agriculture "Culti- 

 vation of Cigar Leaf Tobacco in Florida" pp. 21-22. Published 1899. 



