248 



This sand must be at least 12 in. deep. Many areas are cultivated in 

 which the sand extends to depth of 5 or 10 ft. or more, and a very fine 

 quality of tobacco is produced." 



The average of analyses of 44 samples of bright tobacco soils shows 

 ' that they contain about 8 per cent, of clay. They maintain on an average 

 about 7 per cent, of water 



Where the soils contain less than this the leaf iaclined to be finer 

 in texture and to have a better colour, but the yield per acre is small, 

 and the most economical conditions on the whole are maintained by 

 those soils having from 7 to 8 per cent of clay and maintaining on an 

 average about 7 or 8 per cent of water. As the soil becomes heavier in 

 texture and the amount of water iocreases other grades and types of 

 tobacco are produced .... As the relation of the physical properties 

 of the soil is not thoroughly understood or practically recognised by the 

 growers, a large amount of land is now cultivated in bright tobacco 

 which is not suited to this plant and which does not produce a good grade . 

 On the other hand, there are large areas not at present under cultivation 

 which could be developed into very fine tobacco lands. The typical 

 bright tobacco soil is of little value for any of the sample farm crops, 

 although, when suitably located near transportation lines, it is admirably 

 adapted to the production of early vegetables, watermelons, ani sweet 

 potatoes." 



The manufacturing tobacco of Virginia and North Carolina is grown 

 principally on the red clay soils located mainly on the gabbro, gneiss, 

 and Lafayette clays. The subsoils of these areas contain from 30 to 50 

 per cent of clay, and although no observations have been made on the 

 moisture content of these soils it is probable from observations made on 

 adjacent soils that the mean water content is not far fro;n 20 or 22 per 

 cent. Since the introduction of White Burley tobacco the cultivation 

 of the heavier types of tobacco has noticeably decreased in Virginia and 

 North Carolina. " The industry is confined now principally to small 

 areas along rivers, streams, or creaks, and upon recent deposits whicli 

 cannot well be referred to any of the older geological formations and 

 which can not well be examined without a detailed examination of the 

 larger part of these States. 



*'The White Burley tobacco is confined to the well-marked type of 

 soil of the Lower Silurian limestone in central and north central Ken- 

 tucky, and the adjacent countries of Ohio. This embraces the blue 

 grass region of Kentucky, and it is upon these fine, fertile, blue grass 

 soils that the White Burley is grown." The soils are all heavy clays 

 of a uniform deep red colour. 1 he subsoils contain on an average 

 about 80 per cent of clay. The characteristic soil of the limestone 

 area of Kentucky, adapted to the White Burley tobacco, as the result of 

 several years' investigation, may be said to maintain on an average 

 about '.^0 per cent , of water." 



Export tobacco is grown in Kentucky and Tennessee on silty soils 

 which are quite fertile in character These soils are derived chiefly 

 from the St. Louis group of the subcarboniferous. They contain from 

 40 to 60 per cent, of silt and 22 to 23 per cent, of clay, and maintain 

 an average water content of about 16 per cent. 



" The object of the daily record of moisture in the soil is not only to 

 determine the average amount soils contain, but to determine the 



