6l2 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [March t, 1890. 
color and flavor same as on the other luuknhs. 
"Bodu" was not very destructive this season on auy 
of the lunkas owing to scarcity of moisture, the 
Godavari river not having risen to its usual height 
on account of the deficient rainfall. My report on the 
"bodu" I have already submitted in my letter No. 
158, dated 13th April. In the above-mentioned lun- 
kahs nearly the whole tobacco crop had been harvest- 
ed, and 1 was only able to see a sm ill quantity of 
the first cuttings; the sheds were mostly filled with 
the second harvest ; however, I was enabled to pur- 
chase fifty green plants of the first growth, and during 
my stay in Rajahmundry I managed to cure the leaf 
well enough to perceive that great improvement can 
be obt lined by introducing the same method of shed 
curing as pursued by the Government experiment in 
the Madura and Dindigul districts. During the time 
I stayed at Rajahmundry, I visited the Nagu and 
Kurrieba lunkahs, 8 miles from the town, lower down 
the river Godavari; these lunkahs were not flooded 
during the past season and the crop of tobacco was 
poor, texture and color of the leaf the same as on 
the other lunkahs. The tobacco on all Ihe lunkahs 
which I inspected above the anicut is very much t lie 
same La color, texture and fUvor, the only real dif- 
ference being in the size of the plants; in the richer 
luokibs the tobaoco crop is larger and heavier. I was 
unable to carry camp with me owing to bad roa Is, 
the season being so far advanced, the transport of 
tents, &c, across miles and miles of sandy lunkahs 
would have been inuraoticable ; there being no Cinals 
above the anicut, I could not travel in this way by 
boat or by the river either^ as the latter was drying 
up, ar.d near the lunkahs the difficulty of transport- 
ing tents across the sand would have been insurmount- 
able. The method of curing alopfcid is the same in 
all the lunkahs; the mistake lies in keeping the 
tobacco, whilst in its green stage, too much exposed 
to sun and light; hence too rapid evaporation and 
consequent drying of the sap, resulting in the co'ors 
bein; mottled green, yellow and light red. During 
the latter part of April, I arranged for a house-boat 
to take me down tbe canal to inspect soma of the 
lunkahs below the anicut, so I packed up my tobacco 
and accordingly left Rajahmuudry on Wednesday and 
travelled down the Arnalapuram c mal. I halted for 
the n'ght near the bank, and the following morning 
I travelled across the country to the Gowtami Goda- 
vari and inspected ten sheds on tbe Bha luguvani and 
other lunkahs. The ryots were much taken with the 
oolor and appearance of the tobacco which I had 
cured and wished to know how it was done. The 
Bhaduguvani lunkah is, I think, the best one on the 
Godavari; the tobacco crops are said to be very fine ; 
this year, however, the results were not so good as 
usual. I was much taken with the tobacco on the 
Bhaduguvani lunkah, the texture of the leaves was 
good with plenty of gum; nearly allthe best tobacco 
had been packed, and most of the sheds were empty. 
I managed to obtain some samples of yellow tobacco 
which I have b -ought down to Madras with me. 
Judging from what I have seen of this year's crop, 
I feel persuaded that the only method of curing suit- 
able tobacco for the European market would be for 
mahogany colored cavendish wrappers and also yellow 
tobacco (bright smokers) ; these two sorts would easily 
find a sale in England. For cavendish wrappers, a long 
and large leaf would be iequ ; site; from different 
accounts, large tobacco is usually grown on the lunkahs 
in favorable seasons. For pipe tobacco (bright smokers) 
a medium-sized leaf is most suitable. To obtain caven- 
dish wrappers of the proper color, however, a moist 
t impetature is preferable, and in tbe town of Cocanada 
itself on the canal batik the leaf would cure a much 
barker and mire valuable color than what would be 
the result if the tobacco were cured on the lunkahs. 
A#tin, the pipe tobacco would cure better in a dry 
r I lick heat and would cure well on the lunkahs. I 
hIj "il l thi-r. fore respectfully suggest that an experi- 
ment ba tried next yi.ar ; there can hardly be any 
doubt but thit it wo ild succeed, and if it does there 
is one firm 1 kuo'v in Oocanada — probably many others 
— who would willingly take the tobacco curing up. 
I should propose that the tobacco be estimated 
and brought from the ryot in its green state when 
ripe and cured up by me in three different ways, pro- 
duciug different results ?iz : — I. A small experiment 
in curing by charcoal (Ist-grade bright smoker.-). II. 
An experiment in shed curing (bright smokers, 2nd 
grade). III. An experiment iu shed curing cavendish 
maho ;aoy wrappers (to be conducted near the sea). 
In the latter case the green leaf could be easily trans- 
ported io. a hou^e-boat and removed to c iring shed 
on arrival at Oocanada. A single year's trial w mid be 
sufficient to oniiocethe brokers in Euglaud that good 
pip ; tobacco cau be grown in India in a cheaper way and 
of a quality good enough to compete with Virginia 
tobacco on its own merits. The bright smokers tobacco, 
samples of which I have brought with me, would be 
valued at not less than Sd. per pound in England. 
First-grade bright would fetch 8d. to Is. per pound 
and good cavendish wrappers (long red) from 8d. up- 
wards. If prop -r y conducted, there ou,'ht to be a 
big future for lunkah pipe and cavendish tobacco. 
Judging from the samples of cigar tobacco tested and 
smoked by me, I would not advise cigar tobacco 
being taken up as an article of export to Europe from 
the lunkahs; no doubt a different style of curing and 
judicious fermenting would decidedly improve the 
qua'ity for this oountry, yet pipe tobacco and cavend- 
ish wrappers would prove an infinitely more profitable 
spec^ation for expert. The quality of the present 
luuk ih cig irs is execrable, being strong, rank hot and 
saltish to the tast j , besides gritty and full of sand ; this 
would render it unfi r for the European market. If 
Government meot my views on the matter and propose 
that I should be deputed to Oocauada next season, 
I lespectfully beg to point out that I should have to 
be at the lunkahs in February, and could not therefore 
undertake the whole management of curing in the 
Dindigul district. Suppose the two curing sheds at 
Vedasandur were rented out to the ryots a -id I were 
to superintend the curing of their tobacco till I left in 
February 1890, the r>ots themselves could then manage 
the rest, viz., taking down and bulking the leaf; they 
have all seen how well the first experiment has 
answered, and would no dou'it gladly cure their own 
tobacco in the sheds if I were on the spot to assist 
them at the commencement. My engagement with the 
Madras Government is so short tbat I want to do 
everything in my power to push the tobacco experi- 
ments forward. I am of a decided opiuiou that the 
tobacco in Godavari luukahs should not be neglected. 
Reference on the above, dated 23rd May 1889. 
Before disposing of these papers, the Board requested 
Mr. Oaine to explain how he proposes to overcome the 
character of the lunkah tobacco as to its being gritty 
and full of sand," as these very characteristics have 
so far been a fatal bar to the competition of Indiau 
tobacco in the European market as a pipe tobacco, the 
presence of dust and grit unduly weighting tobacco 
liable to heavy duties. 
Read— the following letter from H. Caine, Esq. 
Tobacco Expert, to the Secretary to the Commissioner 
of Revenue Settlement, Land Rec >rds and Agriculture, 
dated Vedasandur, 25th May 1889, No. 189 :— 
I have the honor to acknowledge receipt of letter No. 
174, dated 7th instant. I have the honor to state that 
the amount of gritty sand which abounds in the lunkah 
tobacco, is due to the s'ovenly and careless custom 
prevalent amongst the ryots in allowing the green 
tobacco, after it is cut, to remain two to three days 
heape 1 up on the ground ; everyday these heaps are 
opened and the tobacco spread apart. It may be 
easily understood what an amount of sand the leaves 
gather up during each of these operations ; I should 
decidedly remedy this by not permitting the tobacco 
plants to touch the ground, but have the p'ants passed 
to the hanger as soon after they are cut as pos ibte, 
or else h ive some mat -rial, grass or st'-aw, plac-don 
the ground as a protection. 
2. The native curing sheds are built with only two 
sides, both the northern and southern ends re'miin open, 
thus enabling dust and sand to blow in if any high winds 
should prevail during the curing. It is my opinion that 
