20 THE PRODUCTION OF TOBACCO UNDER SHADE. 
The grading shown in Table I was not as thorough during 1905 and 
1906 as it wasin 1907. Many of the leaves of the 1905 and 1906 crops - 
which were ‘‘off”’ or streaked in color were put into the light and 
medium grades. This was a mistake, because the mixture of these 
off-colored leaves with the others was seriously objected to by the 
cigar manufacturers, and in this way the commercial value of the 
tobacco was reduced. The results of the experience of these two 
years caused the writer to make a grade of ‘‘off color,’’ which was used 
in the 1907 experiment. 
In these tests it was not always true that the selection yielding the 
greatest number of pounds to the acre or grading the highest number 
of pounds of light wrappers was the most valuable for commercial 
purposes. In 1905, for instance, the selection No. 3-15-1, which 
yielded 1,341 pounds of raw tobacco per acre, from which 616 pounds 
of ight wrappers were graded, had a fine appearance when moist, but 
did not contain substance enough to hold together when put on a 
cigar. This made it of little value for commercial purposes. Selec- 
tion No. 13—2-3, which gave a yield of 1,210 pounds and sorted out 
only 235 pounds of light wrappers, proved to be a very valuable 
selection, because the quality of the tobacco was such that it could 
be used on a high-grade cigar with satisfaction. For this reason this 
selection was looked upon with favor for commercial purposes. It 
was tested again along with other selections in 1906 and was found to 
have increased in yield and grade without any deterioration in 
quality. The showing this selection had made for two years caused 
it to be chosen for a commercial test in 1907. 
In 1907 a contract was entered into between the Department of 
Agriculture and Mr. Cyrus M. Hubbard, of Sunderland, Mass., under 
which 3 acres of shade tobacco were to be grown under the supervision 
of and from seed furnished by the Bureau of Plant Industry. To 
make Mr. Hubbard secure, a guaranty was given that he would 
receive at least $750 an acre from the sale of his tobacco. If he did 
not receive this amount the Department would make up _ the 
difference. Mr. Hubbard was to keep an account of all expenditures, 
so that the cost of production would be accurately known. 
The results of Mr. Hubbard’s test are as follows: 
Cost of producing three acres of shade tobacco in the Connecticut Valley. 
6 per cent interest on 3 acres of land valued at $300 an acre...........-.---- $54. 00 
6 per cent interest and 5 per cent depreciation on a barn for curing tobacco, 
valued iat -POOO', 2. 2:5 2 Sci ec se oe Senet aie ey Sea ee ee cee 66. 00 
6 per cent interest and 10 per cent depreciation on a tent frame valued at 
PaO res feo es Ain ene we er ae page Uh SON Petes 2 PU ee 48. 00 
Repairs tovtent frame.” 2.25.2. SS ae ee ee es eee eee 14. 25 
138 
