Sept. 1, 1903.] 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
153 
worms are destructive in the seed beds, and 
should be removed by hand or by mixtures 
of poisonous substances and water, known to 
be effective in removing such pests. When 
the plants are drawn for transplanting, great 
care should be taken to secure as much root 
as possible. It is usually considered tlie best 
practice to carefully wash away all particles 
of the seed bed soil that cling to the roots, for 
the plants live and grow better when the roots 
are perfectly clean. 
SELECTION OF THE LAND. 
Few. if any, plants are so easily modified 
as tobacco by climate, soil, elevation, nearness 
to the sea, and different methods of cultiva- 
tion. This is plainly demonstrated by the 
rapid changes which take place in the charac- 
ter of the leaf, flavour, aroma, and special 
fitness for the varied uses and for different 
markets in introducing seed of well marked 
varieties into new districts. Each new class 
of soil, materially aided by climatic condi- 
tions, give peculiar qualities to the cured leaf 
as to its flavour, texture, colour, etc. 
It has long been recognized that tobacco 
grown near the sea or large bodies of salt 
water has poor combustibility and, while the 
taste may be sweet, it commands a low price 
for the manufacture of cigars on account of 
its poor burning qualities. 
In tropical countries the favoured locations 
for tobacco cultivation are the interior allu- 
vial valleys. In such places the soils are 
usually deep, porous, easily stirred and culti- 
vated, and the periodic overflow of the rivei's 
adds new fertilizing elements to the soil, 
already rich in plant food. The famous 
tobacco districts of Isabela Province belong 
to this class, as well as the valley lands or the 
provinces of the west coast of Luzon. In 
the Cagayan Valley the quantity of rainfall, 
according to two years' observation ending 
in 1897, is much less than at other points in 
the interior of Luzon, or in the southern 
islands. The total amount of rainfall daring 
the year is 700 mm., the greater part of 
which falls during the period from June to 
October. During the months of January 
Febraary, and March, when the tobacco 
is growing and ripening, the rainfall does 
not exceed 20 mm. Comparing the climate 
of this region with the Deli district in Suma- 
tra, it will be found that the climatic condi- 
tions of the latter region more closely resem- 
ble those of southern Luzon and some of the 
southern islands The rainfall is distributed 
over the entire year, while the greatest 
amounts are recorded in October, November, 
and December. The total amount received 
during the year averages more than 2,000 mm. 
The stations in the Philippines, where equi- 
valents of greater amounts of rainfall are re- 
corded, are Bolinao in Zambales Province, 
Albay in southern Luzon, La Carlota in 
western Negros, northeastern Mindanao, and 
Vigan in Ilocos Sur Province. 
In Sumatra, where the best results with 
tobacco have been obtained, the soils are 
mainly volcanic in origin. Where the finest 
and silkiest tobacco of a rich brown colour is 
grown, the soils are clayey, while the lighter 
colours of fine cigar wrapper tobacco are grown 
on loamy and sandy soils, with clay subsoils. 
In the clayey soils of the Deli and Langkat 
districts tobacco can often stand droughts of 
three weeks and longer, without much injury; 
but in these districts the frequent light 
showers are of great value to the growing 
crop, Experience has also shown in Sumatra 
that the best results have been obtained on 
land situated from 8 to 16 kilometers from the 
ocean, while tobacco plantations high up on 
the mountains have had poor success in grow- 
ing fine, silky wrapper tobacco. The low- 
lands, free from frequent inundatioiis and not 
too near the sea, with soils consisting largely 
of fine sand and silt, and rich in organic 
matter, have given the best results. 
In the Philippines many fine bodies of in- 
terior valley land, with rich, loamy soils, can 
be found where tobacco oiltivation has not 
been practiced, and it is on such tracts of 
land that its introduction is especially recom- 
mended. Mindanao possesses many large 
valleys with alluvial soils that could un- 
doubtedly be made to produce a fine quality 
of tobacco. The soils of the large valley 
between Manilla and the Lingayan Gulf 
should be carefully tested with seed from the 
famous tobacco districts of the world, to 
determine its fitness for growing tobacco. 
New areas are constantly being tried in 
various parts of the world, where tobacco 
growing was unknown, and the success of so 
many of these should prove an incentive to 
greater efforts on the part of the Philippine 
planter, to enter into competition to furnish 
a goodly portion of the world's supply of 
this profitable crop. Only very recently the 
cultivation of Havana tobacco has been in- 
troduced into Annam and Tokin in French 
Indo-China, and a portion of the crop ex- 
ported to Manila. Such an example shows 
what may be accomplished by careful experi- 
mentation in the field of new crops, and 
should stimulate the energies of farmers in 
every part of the Archipelago. 
CULTIVATION OF THE CROP. 
Since the profits of growing tobacco depend 
largely on the planter's ability to produce a 
leaf of such qualities as to make it desirable 
to the manufacturer, it follows that the 
greatest care should be exercised in the cul- 
tivation of the plant. Prior to the work of 
transplanting, the ground should be thorough- 
ly plowed or spaded to a considerable depth. 
Deep cultivation is advisable on any charac 
ter of soils, as it readily allows the free perco- 
lation of rain and air through the soil, and 
increases the amount of available plant food 
contained in the soil, and helps to conserve 
the moisture, especially in times of drought. 
If only small amounts of manures are to be 
applied, it can be spread broadcast after the 
first plowing ; but, if large quantities of 
stable or straw raanures are used, it is best to 
