TO OUR FRIENDS OF THE FLUE-CURED BELT: 
We began our breeding 
program for improved to- 
baccos in 1927 with a selec- 
tion out of Jamaica Wrap- 
per. Since then, Coker-bred 
varieties, such as Gold Dol- 
lar, Mammoth Gold, Gold- 
en Wilt, Golden Harvest 
and Golden Cure, have be- 
come familiar names among 
flue-cured tobacco growers 
in the Southeast. Our ob- 
jective through the years 
has been to develop to- 
baccos with the best com- 
bination of characteristics 
that it is possible to breed 
into single varieties, This, 
in turn, means more net 
dollars per acre which is 
the ultimate goal of tobacco 
production. Our breeders 
have spared no expense or 
effort in achieving this ob- 
jective. 
We are this year releasing for planting in the 1954-55 season 
two new tobaccos, Coker 139 and Coker 140, which represent 
in Our opinion the high water mark in our tobacco breeding 
program. These tobaccos offer the unusual combination of high 
yield and top quality tobacco with black shank resistance. They 
have undergone tests under severe black shank conditions in 
North Carolina and Virginia, and although we make no warranty 
either expressed or implied that they will stand up under all 
black shank conditions, the results of these tests have satisfied 
our breeders that a satisfactory level of black shank resistance has 
been bred into them. Because of their well-balanced characteristics 
and their wide adaptation, they are capable of superior perform- 
ance on both diseased and disease-free soil. 
These tobaccos, together with our other available Coker-bred 
varieties like Golden Cure, Golden Harvest, Golden Wilt, and 
Mammoth Gold, and our improved certified varieties offer to flue- 
cured growers a well-rounded selection of superior tobaccos. 
Sincerely, 
ROBERT R. COKER 
ROBERT R. COKER 
President 
OPPOSITE PAGE—A seed field of Coker 140 on our Hartsville farms. 
Coker 140 is a broadleaf type that produces a very high quality tobacco. It 
has moderate resistance to black shank and to both fusarium and Granville 
wilts. Shown in this field is Robert R. Coker, President of our company. 
As the demands of the 
tobacco grower and manu- 
facturer become more criti- 
cal, the problems of the to- 
bacco breeder, in turn, be- 
come more diverse and 
acute. The occurrence and 
spread of diseases, and wide 
variations in climatic condi- 
tions during the growing 
season are primary factors 
that must be considered in 
developing tobaccos that will 
insure the farmer profitable 
returns. Cigarette manu- 
facturers are giving more 
and more attention to chemi- 
cal and physical character- 
istics that might contribute 
to a more desirable product. 
These and many other fac- —~ 
tors are under constant con- C. HOYT ROGERS, Ph.D. 
sideration in our attempt to Plant Pathologist 
bring to you, the tobacco 
grower, the kind of tobacco 
that will do the best for you. 
To more effectively overcome some of these problems, es- 
pecially those of disease resistance and general adaptability over 
a wide range of soil and climatic conditions, we have breeding 
and demonstration plots in the most severely diseased spots avail- 
able in a number of locations throughout North Carolina, South 
Carolina, and Virginia. 
From some of this work we are happy to offer, as another 
step in improvement, two new varieties for the 1955 crop season. 
These varieties, Coker 139 and Coker 140 were bred primarily 
for black shank resistance, high yield, and good quality. These 
varieties were bred on soil heavily infested with black shank and 
have shown comparatively good resistance at all locations tested. 
We trust that they will provide some measure of increased re- 
turns to those of you who grow them. 
Sincerely, 
C. H. ROGERS, In charge of 
Tobacco Breeding and Production 
BELOW—South Carolina visitors inspecting a field of Coker 139 on one 
of our Hartsville farms. Both Coker 139 and Coker 140 were the object 
of widespread interest following announcement of these varieties early in July 
of this year. Thousands of tobacco growers visited our farms here and test 
plots in North Carolina and Virginia during the summer to see these tobaccos 
in the field and curing barns. 
