EXPERIMENTS WITH TOBACCO. 
11 
inferior qualit} r . We are indebted to Schloesing and 
Nessler for the action of manures upon tobacco ground. 
Their experiments show that potash salts, sulphates and 
carbonates act beneficially upon the quality, while the 
chloride injures it. Nessler shows that gypsum has an 
excellent effect upon the burning quality of tobacco, 
possibly by liberating potash. Farm-yard manures, when 
well rotted, are excellent; wood ashes also. It is for this 
reason that lands recently cleared of heavy timber are 
excellently suited for the crop. 
BURNING QUALITIES. 
The burning qualities of tobacco determine its 
relative value. Schloesing found that a soil with but 
little potash produced a tobacco with poor burning quali¬ 
ties, and that this was improved by using potassium car¬ 
bonate, sulphate or nitrate. A soil rich in nitrogenous 
matter also produces a strong tobacco, which burns 
poorly. Nessler’s experiments prove that potassium 
carbonate, as manure, produced the best tobacco ; with 
the sulphates one of poorer quality, and the chloride, the 
worst of all. The Connecticut Experiment Station (see Re¬ 
port, 1884) says that the most potash and the least lime were 
found in the tobacco which burned badly. In comparing 
the burning quality of the upper with the lower leaves of 
the same plant, Nessler found that the former were the 
better. In studying the burning of tobacco and the com¬ 
position of the ash, several difficulties arise. Many 
organic acids, when burned, yield carbonates. Salts that 
fuse at the temperature of burning must hinder the 
process, while if there be present a large amount of cellu¬ 
lose (woody tissue) this fact must give a good burning 
quality. 
