LEHER OF TRAXSMITTAL. 



u. s. depart3iext of agriculture, 



Division of Soils, 

 Washington. I). C. February 19, 1899. 



Sir: III accordance with the recommeiidatiou in my annual report 

 for 1898, approved by you, and tlie authorization of Congress, a com- 

 prehensive line of tobacco investigations, to extend and suj)plement 

 the tobacco soil investigations of the Division of Soils, has been under- 

 taken. The work includes the mapping of soil areas, studies in fer- 

 mentation, imj)rovements in breeding and selection, investigations of 

 the conditions of growth and manipulation in foreign countries, and 

 the question of supplying tobacco to foreign markets. 



In examining" and classifying the soils of the i^rincipal tobacco districts 

 of the United States certain facts developed in regard to the commercial 

 value of the crop fi'om certaiu soils which could not be clearly under- 

 stood or exi^lained without a further investigation of the methods of 

 curing, fermenting, and handling of the tobacco, and possibly also of 

 breeding new varieties. Only in this way could the full value of the 

 soil work of this Division be shown. As soon as it was definitely 

 determined that the work could be undertaken, I requested the Chief 

 of the Division of Vegetable Physiology and Pathology to detail an 

 expert to investigate the curing and fermentation of tobacco, this work 

 naturally pertaining to his Division. In accordance with this request 

 Dr. Oscar Loew was detailed to carry on the investigations, and at 

 once went to Quincy, Fla., where he spent some time during the fer- 

 mentation season. 



Other Divisions have also been asked to cooperate in a similar manner 

 in other phases of the comi)reliensive investigation. In view of this 

 extensive cooperation it is jjroposed to issue a series of reports on 

 tobacco investigations, to which all the Divisions of the Department 

 may contribute matter pertaining to the subject. 



Dr. Loew's discovery of the real cause of the fermentation of cigar 

 tobacco, as remarked by Mr. GaHoway in submitting this report, can 

 not fail to prove of great scieiitific interest and economic value, and 

 will unquestionably modify the methods of curing and fermenting 

 when the investigation has been carried further and the conditions 

 and principles of the process are better understood. 



3 



