Tobacco as a Farm Crop for England. 
245 
they lack body. Tbey fail in being immature, but the reason for this is 
known, and it might be remedied. As regards burning they will not stand 
the test applied by manufacturers for cigar-tobacco. The ash also, as shown 
•above, is not of the most desired composition, and this is a matter of very 
considerable importance. 
The one great point, however, is the fermentation. The exact changes 
which take place during this process are at present little known, and 
difficult to define. One or two things are evident — that loss in weight takes 
place due to o.xidation of carbon, and })robable elimination of nitrogen, and that 
the mineral constituents not only remain unaltered, but increase in jjercentage 
as the fermentation goes on. These facts would produce in the case of the 
English samjjles an abnormal quantity of ash, and it is obvious that an 
organic substance, being to a degree loaded with mineral constituents, which 
do not lend any aid to the combustion, but on the other hand tend to retard 
it, will not burn so freely as a similar substance containing less of those 
constituents. This is evidenced, to a certain extent, in the interesting fact 
notified above, that the leaves which had been digested with hot water, and 
from which four-fifths of the mineral constituents had been removed, burnt 
much more readily than the original leaf. 
Comparing these leaves with one another, No. 3, or the long narrow leaf, 
is decidedly the best, and seems under the circumstances to have thrived 
better than the others. It is the heaviest in weight and lightest in ash, and 
moreover burns better than the others. No. 1 is also a heavy leaf, but it is 
not of such a good quality. 
It must not be forgotten that these remarks apply only to the present 
samples, wl^ich were all grown by Lord Harris, and must not be taken as 
including all English-grown tobacco. I am at present engaged in carrying 
out similar experiments for Mr. Faunce De Laune on some tobacco grown at 
Sittingbourne, and I hope to have the pleasure of laying before this Society 
still more satisfactory results. 
II. Tobacco Grown at Sharsted Court by Me. C. de L. Faunce de Laune. 
The leaves consisted of three samples marked as follows : — 
No. 1. Not supposed to have been so heavily manured as the other 
sample. 
No. 2. Supposed to have been heavily manured with bats' guano. 
No. 3. Nothing special known of this sample, but it has been bulked for 
several weeks. 
No. 1 was of a pale yellow colour, similar to Chinese tobacco. Uniform 
colour and structure, but wanting in body. 
No. 2 was of a brown colour, varying in shade. Large leaf with good 
body. Slightly worm-eaten. Very large mid-ribs and veins. 
No. 3 was of a dull brown colour, also varying in shade. Fairly good 
body in places. Leaves were of different shapes. Some also slightly worm- 
eaten. This sample contained two leaves quite distinct in appearance and 
shape from the others. They were excellent leaves as far as could be judged by 
appearance, in structure, tenacity, and body, with a good and uniform colour. 
Av. Size. 
Inches. 
Av. Weight. 
No. 1 consisted of 11 leaves measm-ing 24 by lOj 
No. 2 , , 5 , , , , 31 , , 14 
No. 3a , , 7 , , , , 24 , , 12J 
No. 36 , , 2 , , , , 24 , , 9 
Grams. 
70 
25-4 
18-0 
160 
