250 Tobacco as a Farm Crop for England. 
partly fermented, consequently it is not possible to give a fair opinion on the 
burning properties, as some of the leaves would probably burn better than 
others. The sample, however, as it was, burnt fairly well, although giving 
less oil and less luminous flame than the Sharsted Court samples, and more 
objectionable odours. At the same time the last traces of carbon burnt off 
very readily. 
Judging from the analyses of the three specimens, viz., Faversham, 
Sittingbourne, and East Mailing, which I have examined, my opinion is that 
they are not at all unfavourable towards the prospect of tobacco-cultivation 
in England, The analyses lay bare a few faults as regards the constitution of 
the mineral constituents, and clearly jjoint out one or two of the evils which 
should be guarded against in the future. The specimens have been examined 
not so much as to the quaUty of the tobacco, but more as to the nature of the 
plant, as the fennentation, &c., would have a great deal to do with the 
conversion of the leaves into suitable smoking material, consequently the 
analyses have been confined rather to the inorganic part, with a view of 
deciding the question of soil and manure. The result of future fermentation 
experiments will, no doubt, decide the probability of English tobacco-cultiva- 
tion; but it is, at the same time, necessary that the plant should be grown 
under circumstances as closely allied to those of its natural requirements as 
possible, and that a leaf should in the first place be obtained, having a quality 
of ash more nearly allied to that which is known to exist in the more 
naturally-grown tobacco than is at present obtained. 
Comparing the various samples of the three growths one with the other, it 
appears that they all suffer very much from one great fault, viz., the high 
percentage of lime, and a corresponding low percentage of potash. These 
positions should be reversed, at any rate to some extent. The high 
percentage of ash also is rather detrimental to the English samples, 
especially with its present composition. Were means taken to remedy the 
large quantity of lime, which are at present used in foreign countries when the 
ash is found to contain too much of that substance, the ash in the English 
tobacco would be considerably increased ; probably an increase of one-third in 
its quantity. 
A great fault also with the Faversham samples, and which does not exist 
to the same extent in the others, is the amount of chlorine present. This, 
combining with lime and potash to produce fusible chlorides, had a great effect 
in retarding the combustion. The chlorides fused and imbedded carbon in 
their mass, with the result that the last traces were oxidized, at a low 
temperature, with great difiBculty. In the other cases it did not seem to 
retard the final oxidation very much, although it would tend to have that 
effect. The 9 per cent, of chlorine should be reduced. The sulphuric acid is 
low, and should not be allowed to increase, as sulphates also have a very 
great retarding action on combustion. The remaining mineral constituents 
have, in my opinion, little or no influence on the burning. 
The leaves all seem to be more or less immature, especially the 
Faversham samples. The large leaves obtained at Sittingbourne, also, aro 
tmdoubtedly of a forced character, while the smaller and more compact loaves 
grown near Maidstone seem, although I have not yet examined them 
thoroughly, to be of a much more natural growth. This seems to su'igest 
that, in forcing the jjlant and producing large leaves, the organic quality of 
them would be very materially affected, and if that is so, the advisability of 
sacrificing quality lur quantity is questionable. The organic constituents 
of these samples have not been studied very deeply, but it is worthy of note 
that in burning, the Sittingbouruo samples, especially the large leaves, gave 
off very large quantities of an oil burning with a very luminous flame, wliich 
was in amall quantity in the Faversham samples, while those of East Mailing 
