tobacco, but it would be very much better if the work could be cen- 

 tralized and undertaken in a systematic way by two or three stations 

 favorably located for this work. It is well to realize this fact, as there 

 is no question that the difficulties in the way of investigations along 

 valuable economic lines are so very great and require so much technical 

 skill in the manipulation of the leaf that it is considered very far 

 from advisable for stations to undertake the work unless the}^ are well 

 equipped and favorably located. 



Much of the work which has been done is of marked value. As will 

 be seen from the table of contents, it has covered a great range of sub- 

 jects. Nevertheless, it would be better for the stations to concentrate 

 the work rather than for a great number of stations to undertake 

 these particular lines. 



METHODS OF GROWING PLANTS IN SEED BEDS. 



Various methods of starting tobacco seed were compared at the 

 Alabama State Station in 1892 and 1893. l Seed was started in open beds 

 and in beds covered with cheese cloth. During the first year of the 

 experiments the greater number of plants in the open beds were 

 destroyed during a cold spell in March, and during the second season 

 the} T were injured by the flea beetle. In the covered beds the plants 

 came up well, grew rapidly, and were not subject to insect attacks. 

 From the results obtained it is evident that under the climatic condi- 

 tions of Alabama young tobacco plants are readily affected by low 

 temperatures and quickly killed by freezing weather. The method of 

 starting the seed in a covered bed was the most successful. 



The Colorado Station 2 in pursuing this work in 1889 found that it 

 took no longer to produce plants suitable for setting out by growing 

 seeds in cold frames than by the use of the hotbed. 



The following method of germinating tobacco seed proved perfectly 

 successful at the Georgia Station in 1892. 3 Tobacco seed was placed 

 in wine glasses and soaked in water for half an hour. The water was 

 then poured off from the seed and the glasses placed in saucers con- 

 taining water, and a tumbler inverted over each glass to confine the 

 moistened seed in a damp atmosphere. The glasses were then placed 

 in a warm room and the seed kept moist. About a week afterwards, 

 when the seed began to sprout, it was sowed in a cold frame, and 

 within four weeks from that time plants suitable for transplanting to 

 the field were obtained. 



Experiments in growing seedling plants were conducted at the Cen- 

 tral Experimental Farm, Canada, in 1893 and 1897/ Seed was sown 



1 Alabama State Station Buls. Nos. 44 and 54. 



2 Colorada Station Bui. No. 10. 



3 Georgia Station Bui. No. 19. 



4 Canada Expt. Farm Rpts., 1893 and 1897. 



