34 



This seems to have been verified in the sample of Pennsylvania seed 

 leaf from Pennsylvania, which ranked as one of the highest in fire- 

 holding capachVf, although containing nearly 1 per cent of chlorin 

 which, however, was accompanied by a high percentage of potash and 

 lime. The sample of French Regie Snuff-leaf from Virginia had a 

 comparatively high percentage of chlorin, but the potash content was 

 relatively small and its burning qualities poor. The author concludes 

 from this observation that the effect of chlorin may be overcome to a 

 certain extent by the amount of potash present, but that very large 

 amounts would probably not be counterbalanced in this way. Of the 

 several ash constituents, potash and lime are considered most important 

 in promoting combustion. 



TOBACCO STALKS AND STEMS AS FERTILIZERS. 



Since the stalks of tobacco and the stems of the leaves constitute a 

 large part of the crop, which is usually not removed from the farm, 

 the amount of plant food they contain becomes an item of considerable 

 importance. Analyses of tobacco stems when cut and after curing 

 were made by the Connecticut State Station 1 in 1891. From the data 

 obtained the plant food taken from the soil by the stalks while grow- 

 ing and returned to it when plowed under is determined. It was found 

 that the stalks on an acre of tobacco containing 8,000 plants weigh 

 about 9,500 pounds at the time of cutting, and 3,300 pounds when they 

 have been cured. The average results show that these stalks contain 

 32 pounds of nitrogen, 8 pounds of phosphoric acid, 19 pounds of pot- 

 ash, 3 pounds of soda, 13 pounds of lime, 5 pounds of magnesia, 5 

 pounds of sulphuric acid, and 6 pounds of chlorin. The amount of 

 nitrogen, phosphoric acid, and potash in the stalks was greater after 

 curing than at the time of cutting. 



Anal^ ses of stalks of different varieties of tobacco made by the Vir- 

 ginia Station 3 show that, on an average, the stalks of air-dried plants 

 contained 3. 71 per cent of nitrogen, 0. 616 per cent of phosphoric acid, 

 5.02 per cent of potash, and 2.22 per cent of lime. The stalk is con- 

 sidered as constituting a little less than one-fourth of the Average plant. 

 The results of using tobacco stems as a fertilizer for tobacco at the 

 Connecticut State Station have been given under fertilizer experiments 

 (p.). Only one other test of this kind is reported. At the Ken- 

 tucky Station, 3 soil which had received an application of 1,000 pounds 

 of tobacco stems per acre yielded at the rate of 80. 1 bushels of ear 

 corn and 6,270 pounds of fodder per acre as compared with a yield of 

 17.6 bushels of ear corn and 3,910 pounds of fodder on soil which h#d 

 received no fertilizer. Tobacco stems were the most effective ferti- 



1 Connecticut State Station Eeport, 1892. 2 Virginia Station Bui. No. 14. 



3 Kentucky Station Bui. No. 17. 



