29 



The Pennsylvania Station 1 found in 1894 that the loss in fermenta- 

 tion was greater with tobacco fertilized with barnyard manure than 

 with tobacco grown with other fertilizers. Applications of double 

 carbonate caused a greater loss in fermentation than the use of sulphate 

 of potash. The smaller leaves lost more than the larger ones, which 

 is considered due to the difference in degree of maturity. Injury from 

 hail and rust is reported as having had no effect on the rate of fer- 

 mentation. 



The fermentation of tobacco is being investigated very thoroughly 

 by the Department of Agriculture, and four reports have already been 

 issued on the subject. 2 These will not be summarized here nor will 

 further comment be made upon the practical development in this line 

 as this has been fully discussed in the publications referred to which 

 can readily be obtained. 



COST OF PEODUCING TOBACCO. 



The cost of growing tobacco has been studied by only three stations. 

 By two of these stations only estimates are given. At the Georgia 

 Station 3 in 1892 the cost of producing an acre of tobacco, including 

 curing and grading, amounted to £42.07. The cost of producing an 

 acre of cured tobacco at the South Carolina Station 4 in 1898 was 

 •548.05, and, including the expense of preparing and marketing the 

 crop, the cost of production is estimated at $70 per acre. The Colo- 

 rado Station 5 estimates the cost of producing and marketing one acre 

 of tobacco in Colorado at 878.50. 



The cost of producing the Florida tobacco is considered by Mr. 

 Floyd in Report No. 62 of the U. S. Department of Agriculture. 

 He estimates the cost to the large Florida growers when all labor has 

 to be hired at about 18i cents per pound when cured, with an addi- 

 tional cost of 5 to 8 cents per pound for fermenting, grading, sorting. 

 and packing. The actual outlay to the small farmer, who has much 

 or all of the labor done by himself or the members of his family, is 

 considerably less, but working on small quantities the fermentation 

 and grading can not be so carefully done, and the product is not so 

 valuable. 



1 Pennsylvania Station Bui. Xo. 30. 



2 Farmers' Bui. No. 60, Methods of Curing Tobacco. Milton Whitney, 1898. 

 Report No. 59, Curing and Fermentation of Cigar-leaf Tobacco. Oscar Loew, 1899. 

 Report Xo. 60, Temperature Changes in Fermenting Piles of Cigar-leaf Tobacco. 



Milton Whitney and Thomas H. Means. 1899. 



Report Xo. 62, Cultivation of Cigar-leaf Tobacco in Florida. Marcus L. Floyd, 1899. 



3 Georgia station Bui. Xo. 19. 



4 South Carolina Station Rpt., 1898. 

 5 Colorado Station Rpt., 1888. 



