Edible Products- 



446 



[November, 1908. 



was very readily assimilated by tobacco, 

 and that the leaf of the plant fertilised 

 with chlorides burned very badly. It 

 cannot be too strongly pointed out, how- 

 ever, that it is only an excess of chlorine 

 which has such an effect, and that a 

 normal quantity of chlorine must be 

 present to ensure healthy plant growth. 

 In short, then, the manurial constituents 

 necessary for the growth of a good crop 

 of tobacco are firstly potash, and after 

 that nitrogen, preferably in the form 

 of nitrates. 



The 'ordinary cake manures used in 

 India supply plenty of potash and nitro- 

 gen, and an ideal manure for tobacco 

 should be potassium nitrate. It is an 

 open question as to whether the com- 

 mon salt present in the low grades of 

 saltpetre sold in India would seriously 

 affect the burning quality of the leaf. 

 No experimental results appear to have 

 been published on the subject as yet, 

 and it would be of great interest to 

 determine the effect of varj ing propor- 

 tions of salt in such an admirable fer- 

 tiliser as potassium nitrate. 



There appears to be considerable room 

 for improvement in the cultivation of 

 tobacco in Bengal, particularly in Bihar, 

 where the cultivator's only thought is 

 to produce a heavy crop without refer- 

 ence to the quality of leaf produced. 

 The curing is of the crudest description, 

 merely consisting in the heaping up of 

 the leaves with occasional stirring to 

 prevent overheating in fermentation. 



This may do very well for the native 

 market, for which the bulk of the to- 

 bacco raised in India is grown, for 

 which all that is required is a leaf 

 possessing sufficient flavour and 

 strength; but the European demand 

 which appears likely to increase with 

 the commencement of a tobacco factory 

 in Bengal, requires a better prepared 

 leaf, full flavoured, easily combustible 

 and with a minimum amount of nicotine. 



The native market also cannot be 

 oblivious of the fact that the earth with 

 which a large amount of Tirhut tobacco 

 is so largely contaminated, is not likely 

 to burn well in hookah, and it would be 

 well if the cultivator could be persuaded 

 to take a little more care in the prepar- 

 ation of an article whose value is so 

 enhanced by proper preparation. 



This is, of course, only the old story of 

 laissez faire which runs through the 

 whole of Indian Agriculture. The main 

 points which must be insisted upon in 

 order to produce an article suitable for 

 manufacture are as follows :— 



(1) A proper choice of seed, 



(2) a proper system of manuring 



and rotation of crops, 



(3) a proper system of cutting and 



gathering the ripe leaves, 



(4) a proper system of curing, 



(5) commercial assortment of the 



produce. 



As regards the choice of seed, it may 

 here be remarked that, in France, 

 where the Government depends largely 

 for its revenue on tobacco, and is there- 

 fore highly interested in producing the 

 most profitable article, the importance 

 of seed selection is so well known that 

 there are special seed farms instituted, 

 and it is actually illegal to use any seed 

 but that from the farms. 



It is too much to hope for such radi- 

 cal reforms in this country, but the 

 importance of seed stores is well recog- 

 nised by the Iudiau cultivator, and it is 

 perhaps not hopeless to try and intro- 

 duce by degrees new and good varieties 

 by their means. As an instance of the 

 profit that may be derived by the growth 

 of good varieties of tobacco, we may 

 take the case of the more expert cul- 

 tivators of Tirhut. 



The average cultivator is content 

 to grow a crop of any sort of to- 

 bacco, and the average production is 

 about 20 maunds to the acre which sells 

 at Rs. 5 per maund. The expenses of 

 cultivation may be taken at Rs. 55 per 

 acre, and the average profit hence 

 amounts to Rs. 45. With some of the 

 better and "stronger varieties, however, 

 which are grown by the more expert 

 cultivators, the yield of tobacco comes 

 to as much as 25 or 28 maunds to the 

 acre, and the profit obtained comes to 

 Rs. 70 to Rs. 85 or about 60 per cent, 

 more than the average. 



It may be said, and with very good 

 reason, that this only occurs in one or 

 two cases, and may be owing to the 

 enterprise of oue or two men, but it 

 must be remembered that the difficulties 

 in the way of getting good seed are 

 enormous for the other cultivators, and 

 that if additional facilities were put 

 forward it would be quite likely that 

 the amount of good seed sown would 

 be appreciably increased. 



The question of manuring and rotation 

 of crops is one which not only applies 

 to tobacco but to all the crops of the 

 Province, but the advantage of greater 

 care in cutting and gathering the ripe 

 leaves, to which reference has already 

 been made, is manifest, as is also that of 

 improved methods of curing, The com- 

 mercial assortment of the produce will 

 be much more easily done if a more 

 uniform article were turned out. 



In the experiments at Pusa, on the 

 curing of tobacco, to which reference 

 has already been made, Dr. Brown came 



