in the North- West of Europe. 
743 
one arrondissement, where the tobacco has the same quality as 
across the administrative boundary. 
As to the rotations of crops, they vary very much with the 
nature of the soil, and also with the climate. In Belgium and 
the heavy-land districts of the North of France, as well as in 
Germany, an interval of at least three years between tobacco- 
crops is considered necessary, and wheat never forms part of the 
rotation, because in consequence of the land being so highly 
charged with manure, the wheat plant becomes too proud, makes 
a large quantity of flag, and does not blossom well. The Belgian 
system is to grow barley, rye, and oats or maize, in the interval ; 
but clover is avoided, on account of the danger of wire-worm. 
In the Palatinate, two succeeding crops of spelt, or one of spelt 
followed by beetroots or potatoes, are the immediate precursors 
of the tobacco-plant. In the Netherlands, and in the light- 
land districts of the " Pas de Calais," tobacco is taken con- 
tinuously on the same land — a practice which is said to improve 
the quality, but to diminish the weight of the crop. 
The preparation of the land and of the seed-bed has been 
already described in the Instructions issued by the French 
Society, but I may add that, while the system of protecting the 
seedlings with frames covered with oiled paper prevails in the 
Netherlands, it is generally regarded as sufficient protection in 
France and Belgium if straw be placed over them at night. 
This again is a matter of climate. 
The manuring of the land for tobacco is of the greatest im- 
portance, and many experiments have been made with a view 
to ascertain the effect of different manures and of different 
manurial constituents upon the bulk, the colour, the flavour, and 
especially the combustibility of the leaf. In Belgium, where 
quantity is chiefly aimed at, composts and oilcakes are placed 
in the front rank of manures, and are followed in order of merit 
by street-sweepings, fa;cal matters, guano, fish-manure, pig and 
sheep-manure, and, last of all, farmyard-manure. In some 
districts of France, the use of forcing manures is prohibited ; 
however, the following examples may be deemed illustrative. 
One large grower (10 to 15 acres) in the Department of the 
" Nord," whom I visited this autumn, applies 20 tons of farm- 
yard-manure per acre in the winter months, and 4 tons of 
rape and other cakes in the following March. In this case, 
notwithstanding the heavy dressing of manure, the tobacco was 
only fit for snuff, because, I presume, the soil is too heavy to 
enable it to produce a finer article. Another illustration from 
the Northern Department of France may be given to show how 
the residue of beetroot distilleries is utilised on a large scale as a 
manure. On a farm not far from the one previously mentioned, 
