TOBACCO. 



617 



known to the planters to need any explanation. The only differ- 

 ence (if there is any) depends on the geographical situation of 

 the place, with respect to its temperature, or in the backwardness 

 or advancement of seasons, and even on the duration of the same 

 — in which circumstances the planter takes advantage of the one 

 for the other. 



The influence of a burning climate may be modified by choos- 

 ing the coolest month of the year, whereas the soil cannot be 

 altered without incurring great expense. I have seen tobacco 

 lose its natural quality and degenerate by transplanting from one 

 soil to another, although of the same temperature, and vice versa. 



Mr. Piddington has analysed several Indian soils, distinguished 

 for the production of superior tobacco. These are the table soils 

 from Arracan, (Sandoway,) a soil from Singour, in Burdwan, near 

 Chandernagore, the tobacco of which, though of the same species 

 as that of the surrounding country, sells at the price of the 

 Arracan sort ; and the soil of the best Bengal tobacco, which is 

 grown at, and about Hingalee, in the Kishnagur district. 



The best tobacco soils of Cuba and Manila, are for the most 

 part red soils. Now, the red and reddish soils contain most of 

 their iron in the state of peroxide, or the reddish brown oxide of 

 iron ; while the lighter grey soils contain it only in the state of 

 protoxide, or the black oxide of iron. Mr. Piddington believes 

 the quality of the tobacco to depend mainly on the state and 

 quantity of the iron of the soil, while it is indifferent about the 

 lime, which is so essential to cotton. JMone of the tobacco soils 

 contain any lime. Their analysis show them to contain : — 



Arracan soil. Singour soil. Hingalee soil- 

 Oxide or iron, f peroxide) 15,65 10,60 6,00 



Water and saline matter 1,10 75 1,50 



Vegetable matter and fibre 3,75 1,10 75 



Silex 76,90 80,65 87,25 



Alumina . . 2,00 . . . . 4,50 1,50 



99,40 97,60 97,00 



Water and loss 60 2,40 3,00 



100 100 100 



Prom which it will be seen that the best tobacco soil hitherto 

 found in India contains about sixteen per cent., or nearly one- 

 sixth, of iron, which is mostly in a state of peroxide ; and that 

 the inferior sort of tobacco grows in a soil containing only six 

 per cent., or one-sixteenth of iron, which is, moreover, mostly in 

 the state of protoxide, or black oxide. Mr. Piddington thought 

 it worth examining \^ hat the quantity of iron in the different sorts 

 of tobacco would be, and found that while the ashes of one ounce, 

 or 480 grains of Havana and Sandoway cheroots gave exactly 

 1.94 grains, or 0.40 per cent., of peroxide of iron the ashes of 

 the same quantity of the Pliugalee, or best Bengal tobacco, only 

 gave 1.50 grains, or 0.32 per cent. ; and it appears to exist in the 

 first two in a state of peroxide, and in the last as a protoxide of 



