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Patent eee regan retslcorestayenanab mas batteries sett a tiunun gate! in htadeceatehe ara sneer ce pals Padatadstecg tots Se pt rit he 04a oe bebe Paes toe BN suhetehoha ’ ie tand jaja?» Wwyeget! ie foro oot Mb ie totale!» pagers ce At 4 z 4! eh jelly accent f tahathehuactn eeont le yas Pocket tay Driver nea Heer T Men a raters eenaiiste ; Lien rs ‘ote ' bi wt pate thneesy thie! iar etre tte . jsrail in et 4 dag belie be Satta: iadtmater mient ies (a aha fot gees pads atataletetate’s “2 tata) febote bat 8? Bt ye facies Sete Piel aie 41) f “ ie cpumkesest es Bee Hy a rT led be ecat} bette Gos ibedpeogtye Ve 29) ever et iy een’ he PN paete ee ba lee LF ie bie vu er a 40 hate Patio Yu 3) £ Pata , i wer git its ahhh (18 hited ve pagel Ls ’ 4 < ee pon adn bo eee phe va oa Fb etsi50) / ) = Si = = Hf) = ay 4 ¢ ian uy ba Peilies CR wi sXe! == 4K 2 nn WASHINGTON: GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, : £6) @) Pee ‘LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL. U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, BUREAU OF SOILS, Washington, D. C., March 8, 1902. Sir: I have the honor to transmit herewith a detailed statement relating to the experiments in growing Sumatra tobacco under shade in the Connecticut Valley during the past season under the direction of the Bureau of Soils, Department of Agriculture, which 1 recom- mend for publication as Bulletin No. 20 of this Bureau. The experi- ments were conducted under the immediate supervision of Mr. M. L. Floyd, tobacco expert of the Bureau of Soils, aided by a corps of assistants cooperating with individual planters. A widespread interest has been taken in this work, and a general desire has been expressed to try to introduce this new industry in new areas in the different States. As will be gathered from this bulle- tin, the growing of Sumatra tobacco under shade involves a considerable outlay of time and money, and in my judgment it would be unwise to attempt a costly experiment of this character in areas where the soil survey has not indicated at least a reasonable chance of success. With the exception of a small area in Florida and southern Georgia, where this type of tobacco was originally introduced and is still successfully grown, and of a narrow area of Donegal gravelly loam along the Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania, there are no other areas, so far as at present known, where this type of tobacco can be successfully grown, unless it may be on some of the soils of the tobacco districts of New York and Wisconsin; but as the soil survey has not been extended to these places nothing definite can be said as to the pos- sibility of raising Sumatra tobacco on such areas. Respectfully, Minton WuiItNey, Chief of Bureau. Hon. James WILson, Secretary of Agriculture. 5S. 65, CONTENTS. Page. MnOmnIpInmnT sehr et) se ee eee ae 5 SP eemNIRGIMEITE SeCOMDEC..-2 Ss. 6 22 oe kl et eee eee es es 10 MeeennrraniewenGe eek Se ele 11 Se emmemranecosctolune shade .°2 2205 22. 2s ll lel le le ee 18 DEMPINIUE TOM K UNE ZATION: > 222 Sel lee ek coe bese cee ed bee 17 NnMEE mre emmae oa = ee Oe Pk eee, 18 SLES = SRS ayer St og a aa eee 20 Ee nner ae RP ee i eee ee ee 20 REMAN OLN OMee om He Oe sks 26 See enn meee ee ee I) i eT ees 27 etn een ee SS Ts ei Se PO LU ye ee ec ee PA RET MnePerC OSCR CIN sce es ble eee 28 Deb Ey Ecc a aaa eg ne 30 EULESS UGE R08 2 aS Ee ee eo et 31 ne ee PLATE I. UE i208 LY. Vi VII. ILLUSTRATIONS. PLATES. Eight-acre field covered with tent cloth on Mitchelson farm at Tar- iffvillec. 25-5. S256 e22 s s ee Fig. 1. Portion of 8-acre field, showing method of fastening cloth. Fig. 1. View showing construction of the gateway, which, ina large field, is a double gate through which a team can pass. It shows the relative size of mature plants grown under shade and grown in the open field, the latter having been topped in the usual way. Fig. 2. Piece of tent cloth (full size), especially made for the pur- pose, to be used in the season of 1902, showing the four cords woven in the selvage edge: 225 ee eee ee Fig. 1. View of interior of shade, showing method of construction, the roadway leading through it, and plants recently set out. Fig. 2. Tobacco plants under shade, five weeks old -----.----------..--- Fig. 1. Plants grown under shade approaching maturity. Fig. 2. Tobacco under shade aiter several primings)s= "=o see eee . Fig 1. View of the inside of a tobacco barn, showing the spaces be- tween the boards through which the rain and mist drift in, which makes it difficult to prevent pole rot when curing in damp seasons. Fig. 2. View in a curing shed, showing method of stringing the leaves, the way they are attached to the lath, and the baskets in which the leaves are transported from the field_..------.--.----- Fig. 1. Form of press used for making the Sumatra form of bale. Fig. 2. Form of Sumatra package, with matting inside and a cover of burlap 22.0. 2.0 co 052 ooo to ee eee TEXT FIGURES. Fic. 1. Framework of shade as used in the season of 1901, ready for cloth to be stretched .:... oo. 0 o8 eee eee eee 2. Framework of shade to be used to a limited extent in 1902, with posts 20 by 24 feet apart, arranged for cloth 288 inches wide -.-.----- . Page. 10 GROWING SUMATRA TOBACCO UNDER SHADE IN THK CUNNECTIGUT VALLEY. INTRODUCTION. Soon after the organization of the Division of Soils in the United States Department of Agriculture, in 1891, an investigation of the physical properties and composition of the tobacco soils was begun in the principal tobacco districts of the United States. In 1896 a bulletin was published entitled ‘* Texture of Some Important Soil Formations,” in which the principal soils of the Connecticut Valley were briefly described, and the following statement was made: The characteristic tobacco of the Connecticut Valley is grown upon light sandy soil bordering on the Connecticut River, and having the same general texture as the early truck soils of the Atlantic coast. The tobacco produced upon these light soils has a light color and a moderately thin-textured leaf with small ribs and veins. It resembles the Sumatra type, with which it has to compete. The percentage of clay in the soil has a marked effect upon the color and texture of the wrappers. As a rule soils containing the least amount of clay produce the lightest and finest textured wrappers. The yield per acre is less than on the heavier soils, but the crop brings a better price per pound. In the same bulletin some samples of soil from the best known tobacco districts of Sumatra were described, and it was stated that the texture of these soils was not very different from the texture of the soils of the Connecticut Valley, and that the chief difference lay in the larger amount of organic matter found in the island soils. In 1898 a bulletin was published entitled ‘‘Tobacco Soils of the United States,” in which the climatic conditions of the important tobacco districts in Sumatra, Cuba, Florida, Connecticut, and Penn- sylvania were compared. The statement was there made that the meteorological records of the period in which the tobacco was grown in these different localities did not seem to explain the remarkable differences in the character of the leaf. : In 1899 Congress authorized a soil survey of the tobacco districts of the United States, and in the summer of that year a survey was made of about 400 square miles in the Connecticut Valley. This area extended from South Glastonbury, Conn., to South Hadley, Mass. 5 6 In the report describing the results of this survey, published in Report No. 64 of the Department of Agriculture, entitled ‘‘ Field Operations of the Division of Soils, 1899,” the following statements are made: The characteristics of a good wrapper leaf, as described by Mr. Floyd, are that it should have but little body, little aroma or flavor, should be very pliable so that it will stretch and cover well, and have good texture, grain, and style, in order that it will appear well on the cigar. The leaves must be of a uniform color, and not too large, the 14 to 16 inch leaves being the most desirable sizes. While the Connecticut Havana has long been recognized by the trade as the most desirable domestic tobacco for wrapper purposes, yet the difference in price shows at once how the tobacco is regarded by manufacturers in comparison with the imported leaf. The Connecticut tobacco is worth, on an average, about 18 or 20 cents per pound; the Sumatra tobacco, imported exclusively for wrapper purposes, pays a duty of $1.85 per pound and sells on the market for from $2.50 to $3 per pound, duty paid. The Connecticut leaf is too large for an ideal wrapper, being often from 26 to 30 inches in length; the veins are very large, and only the tip of the leaf is suitable for high-priced ‘cigars. Either on account of the physiology of the leaf or in the method of case sweating, the desirable grain, color, and style are con- fined to the tip of the leaf, the lower half being glossy and very undesirable for wrapper purposes. This makes a great deal of waste, which can only be marketed in foreign countries at an exceedingly low price. Lastly, the tobacco is more highly flavored than is desirable for wrapper purposes and frequently masks the desirable qualities of the filler used in the cigar. These defects, as already stated, are to be made the subject of an exhaustive inquiry in the Division of Soils. “One of the objections urged by the manufacturers against the Connecticut tobacco—a fact which certainly largely reduces the price paid for the crop—is the unevenness of color and the poor grading as to color, length, and quality of leaf. In order to maintain a uniform brand of cigars, a manufacturer is forced to purchase a large amount of Connecticut leaf from which to select. Furthermore, on account of the difference in length and in texture of the leaves, there is considerable waste, which is difficult to estimate. It is hard to plan, therefore, for an economical use of the product when a purchase is made. This is not the case with the carefully sorted Sumatra. % % * - * ¥ * * “The one great trouble with the Connecticut tobacco is that it does not conform to the present requirements of the cigar trade. The leaves are too large, the veins are too large, the base of the leaf is too glossy and lacks texture and style, while the color of the leaf is far from uniform. An attempt is soon to be made to secure a radical change in the type of the leaf by close planting, allowing many more leaves to the stalk, by very rapid growth, by shading, and possibly by irrigation. These experiments with the Connecticut tobacco will be undertaken in the hope of pro- ducing a leaf approaching more nearly the Sumatra type of wrappers, this type being generally accepted in this country as the standard for cigar wrappers. ‘With the intensive cultivation that this will require, it is quite possible that these Windsor sands may be looked to for the finest wrapper leaf. I am of the opinion that even with the present style of leaf it would pay to irrigate these lands where this could be done easily and cheaply, in order to secure a crop four times out of five ~ at least, where now it is only possible to obtain one or two crops out of five. ‘‘The Hartford loam is decidedly a safer soil and can be relied upon to produce a fairly good crop of the Havana seed-leaf variety each year. % - % % * * + “Such questions as these will form the basis of an extensive line of investigations already outlined, requiring several years of systematic work.’ } —_—_____ ______— e In December, 1899, Mr. M. L. Floyd, the Tobacco Expert of the — Department, was sent to Connecticut to cooperate with the experiment station at New Haven in the fermentation of the crop which had been erown in the experimental field under the direction of Dr. KE. H. Jenkins, and to see if a more uniform color and more desirable quality could be developed from the present style of Connecticut leaf by the bulk method of fermentation, which had long been used in Florida, Cuba, and Sumatra. The crop thus fermented showed some improve- ment over the average crop of the State, but not suflicient to make any notable difference in the commercial value of the leaf. Accord- ingly, in the spring of 1900, arrangements were made through cooperation with the Connecticut Experiment Station to grow a small area under cheese-cloth shade. A framework was erected over about one-third of an acre and covered with ordinary cheese cloth, which was sewed together so as to cover the entire structure on the top and sides. About half of this area, or about one-sixth of an acre, was planted with the ordinary Connecticut Havana seed, and the other half with Florida-grown Sumatra. On the fermentation of this tobacco it was at once seen that the Connecticut Havana seed leaf was much finer than that grown outside, but that the ribs and veins were still too large for the most economical commercial use. The Sumatra leaf, however, was a vast improvement over anything that had been grown in the State, and while it was not a perfect substitute for the imported Sumatra leaf, it gave promise of more desirable results if the experiments were continued on a larger scale and under somewhat different methods. In both cases the plants were put close together _(12 inches apart) in the row, and it was found that the plants that were not topped were decidedly better than those that were topped. The leaves were thinner, more elastic, and the color more uniform. The use of the shade was not new, as it had been used in Florida — with great success, and the seed which gave the most valuable leaf was the Florida-grown Sumatra seed. Nevertheless, there was a good deal of adverse criticism in the Connecticut Valley of the idea of attempt- ing to change the character of the leaf, as the Connecticut Havana seed had been grown there for upwards of a hundred years. The culture and treatment were believed to be thoroughly understood by the growers, by whom it was argued that even if the fine Sumatra leaf could be produced the high cost of labor would prevent the expensive work of grading and assorting essential to competition with the imported Sumatra product. In spite of these objections, however, and in view of the fact that there was such an enormous difference between the commercial value of the Connecticut leaf and the imported Sumatra leaf, the Department decided to continue the investigations and to see if the leaf could be commercially grown under the condi- tions prevailing in the Connecticut Valley. As it was considered 8 desirable to make this demonstration on a commercial scale, in the — spring of 1901 arrangements were made with a number of growers by which about 41 acres of shade were erected, and the crops were culti- vated under the direction of Mr. Floyd and a number of assistants. The arrangements provided that the farmers were to pay the entire cost of the erection of the shade, cultivation of the crop, and the fermentation, grading, and sorting of the leaf; that the Department should furnish the seed, and should control in every way the cultiva- tion, fermentation, grading, sorting, packing, and actual selling of the product, the understanding being that the Department would receive no financial benefits from the sale, but should simply have the right to offer the crop for sale so as to determine the value placed upon it by the tobacco dealers and manufacturers. There were thirteen growers who cooperated in this undertaking, located in various parts of the Connecticut Valley, both in Connecti- cut and Massachusetts. The names and addresses of these growers follow: H. Woodford, Avon, Conn.; C. O. Gates, Pine Meadow, Conn.; James Stewart, Pine Meadow, Conn.; E. C. Hills, Southwick, Mass.; H. L. Miller, South- wick, Mass.; H. K. Wright, Mapleton, Conn.; Clark Brothers, Poquo- nock, Conn.; William Hayes, Tariffville, Conn.; August Pouleur, Windsor, Conn.; L. M. Case, Barkhamsted, Conn.; W. S. Pinney, Suffield, Conn.; R. H. Reed, Tariffville, Conn.; Ariel Mitchelson, Tariffville, Conn. It is estimated that the growers invested from $20,000 to $25,000 in this work, including the erection of the shade, cultivation, handling, and baling of the crops, while the Department spent about $10,000 for the supervision of the work. At the time this bulletin is written the work has not been quite finished, as one lot of tobacco was somewhat delayed, and the final results can not be given. On account of the great interest in the — work, however, and the number of people who are going into the raising of shade-covered tobacco during the present season, the publi- cation is justified even before the crop is sold, as the growers want to know the cost of producing the crop, the yield that has been obtained, and the proportion of wrapper leaf of different grades that has been produced. It is expected that the crop will be all packed and ready for market about the 1st of May, when it is to be sold at auction in New York, and the prices which it brings will be a matter of public information in the daily press. By invitation of the Secretary of Agriculture, a committee of prominent tobacco brokers of New York — and Philadelphia have agreed to advise the Department in regard to the sale, and at the special request of the Connecticut growers the Hon. E. Stevens Henry, Congressman from the First district of Con- necticut, who has taken a very active interest in these investigations PLATE lI. Bul. 20, Bureau of Soils, U. S. Dept. Agriculture. EIGHT-ACRE FIELD COVERED WITH TENT CLOTH ON MITCHELSON FARM AT TARIFFVILLE, CONN. i 9 from the start, and who has done much to insure the success of the undertaking, has been made chairman of the committee. The other members are M. E. Flaherty, New York; Steven G. Ruth, New York; S.-M. Seymour, New York; Capt. Darius Ferry, New York: Herman G. Vetterlein, Philadelphia; and James Ertheiler, New York. In the progress of the work many suggestions have been made, and much experience has been gained. While the results have been exceedingly satisfactory and the product is looked upon with the utmost favor by the tobacco dealers and brokers who have examined it, it is not to be supposed that improvements can not be made in the future. It is well known by all tobacco growers that the different kinds of soils require different treatment, and different seasons give their several problems which have to be met and worked out in a practical way. There will naturally be many ideas developed as to the improvements that can be made; some will think the leaves are rather too thin, and that the plants should have been topped, and others that the plants should have been crowded a little more, or given a little more space in the rows, or that the picking should have been a little earlier or a little later to get the best results. Such differences of opinion are likely to arise and it will take years to develop the best methods. In the experiments this year a number of soils of different texture were purposely tried, to study the influence of the soil on the character of the leaf. The season happened to be an exceedingly dry one during the early period of growth, and this was followed by an unusually wet spell, as there were about 8 inches of rain during the month of August. A season with a normal rainfall or lower tempera- ture than prevailed during the greater part of this year would give different results, and would require different treatments in various stages of the work. It was planned to make very complete records of the moisture conditions of the various soils and to study carefully the influence of the shade upon the temperature and humidity of the air; but the experiment was so large, the fields were so scattered, and the labor needed so much constant instruction and supervision, that it was found that all of the energies of the Department’s experts had to be given to the actual field operations. The result is that many of the observations that were to have been made were of necessity omitted and the data obtained is of too fragmentary nature to give a satisfactory idea of the conditions of soil and climate which it would be desirable to have. It was realized, however, that the main point was to see if the tobacco could be successfully grown and produced upon an economical basis, and that these supplementary observations could be carried on at some future time. Now that it has been proved that the tobacco can be grown, these other obser- vations will undoubtedly be made, and the production of the leaf 10 and the relation of the soils to the character of the leaf and to tha, . necessities of cultivation and irrigation will be further studied and will unquestionably be beneficial. . PREPARATION OF THE SEED BED. No special plan was adopted in the preparation of the seed beds at the various plantations, the methods in common use being accepted; but suggestions were obtained of the best method of preparing the beds which may be of interest In this connection. The Sumatra seed requires an unusually high temperature for germination. At the ordinary temperature of the soil in the spring the germination of the seed is extremely slow and very uncertain. It is very important that in the preparation of the seed bed an ample supply of seed should be sown and provision made for a succession of plants, so that when the planting season comes the supply of plants suitable for transplanting will be ample for the purpose and the supply will be maintained throughout the period in which the planting is to be done. The use of the mechanical planters makes it possible to set the plants regard- less of dry seasons, but the actual planting of a number of acres takes considerable time, and the plants must be available in the right condi- tion as the work of transplanting proceeds. In the preparation of the seed bed work should begin the preceding fall, when the ground should be well plowed or spaded, and divided into beds about 6 feet wide with any desired length, surrounded by boards 2 inches thick and 12 inches wide, set 2 or 3 inches in the © ground. These beds should be highly fertilized with cotton-seed meal and stable manure well spaded in to a depth of 6 or 8 inches, and the whole covered with leaves, manure, or trash to keep out the frosts during the winter season. About the Ist of April this top dressing - should be taken off, the bed again spaded, and the soil well pulverized, after which another application of cotton-seed meal should be given, which should be raked in and the surface made smooth and loose. About five days before the time of sowing, the seed should be put to sprout in apple-tree punk or similar material, made soft with warm water. This should be put in a fruit jar or other suitable receptacle, and kept in a warm room at a temperature between 75° and 80°. It will be noticed that the seed do not sprout uniformly, but it is well to wait until nearly all of the seed have germinated. The seeds so sprouted should be mixed with bran, cotton-seed meal, or well-sifted ashes, and sown at the rate of about 2 tablespoonfuls of the seed to 100 square yards. It is well to mix about an equal proportion of sprouted seeds and of fresh seeds with the ashes or other material before sowing, as the plants from the sprouted seeds will be ready for transplanting when the plants from the unsprouted seeds are just coming up. This will insure a long period in which transplantine can Bul. 20, Bureau of Soils, U. S. Dept, Agriculture. PLATE Il. FIG. 1.—PORTION OF EIGHT-ACRE FIELD, SHOWING METHOD OF FASTENING CLOTH. CPt tome a AS RR == i= =e — | acaatae S Na = Se SS ae Se A Ry PAE Ne Ri A NTE LN A TOO NG AOR: ENA Be ane SF as Fic. 2.—END OF FIELD, SHOWING METHOD OF CONSTRUCTION AT THE CORNERS. - i 11 be carried on. After the seeds are sown the ground should be rolled with a heavy roller, and if the soil is at all dry the beds should be watered, and they should be kept continuously moist, but not wet, until the plants are set out. On a commercial scale a little over half an ounce of seed is used for an acre of land, or a pound of seed to 25 acres. This insures an abundance of plants, and in favorable seasons there will be more than enough, but it is poor economy to have scant seed beds and have to wait for plants. After the plants are sown they should be covered either with glass or cloth. Mr. Mitchelson had a very desirable arrangement for his plant beds, which were constructed in the follow- ing way: The beds were surrounded by boards, as described before, and pipes were run along the inside of the boards and connected with a small boiler. In the fall the ground was made exceedingly rich, and the surface was made quite fine and smooth, and over this was spread a piece of cloth. The bed was then covered to a depth of 6 or 8 inches with manure, leaves, and trash, both to enrich the soil through the percolation of rain and to protect the soil from frosts. Just before the seed was sown the cloth was pulled off, removing the surface cov- ering of manure and leaves and leaving tbe surface of the ground in an unfrozen and moist condition. The beds were then heated by steam and maintained at the proper temperature for quick germination and for continuous growth. Ordinarily it requires from sixty to seventy days for the seed to germinate and grow to sufficient size for trans- planting. By forcing them a little by the use of steam in pipes laid beneath the surface of the ground or along the inside of the boards the same objects can be attained in from thirty to forty days. This prac- tice is frequently used by truck farmers in producing sweet potato plants and other plants of a similar nature which are to be set out in| the early spring. Instead of steam pipes flues are used by the truck farmers, the products of combustion being led under the surface of the ground to a chimney at the far end of the bed. In this case the slope of the flue tends to equalize the temperature of the bed at the two ends and in the middle, the flue being farther below the surface near the furnace. If the land where the seed bed is to be made is foul with weeds or grass, it is desirable to burn it off by building fires over it, or by par- ing and burning, as is frequently practiced even ona eee scale in English Ae The beds should be watered whenever it is neces- sary, but they must not be too wet, as there is trouble from damping off. SELECTION OF THE LAND. As was pointed out in the report of the soil survey of the Connecti- cut Valley, the Hartford sandy loam is believed to be the safest and on the whole the most desirable soil for the Sumatra tobacco. This 12 is a very light sand or sandy loam, identical with the early truck soils of the Atlantic coast. It is admirably adapted to garden vegetables, but is not suited to general farm crops. It has been pointed out in previous publications of this Department that the Windsor sand, or the so-called ‘‘ plains” of the Connecticut Valley, will probably produce the finer quality of leaf, provided the seasons are just right or if irrigation is practicable. It is thought that possibly the use of the shade will do much to obviate the necessity of irrigation on these light lands, but it is believed that irrigation, where practicable, would be a profitable investment to insure the crop against injury in the event of drought. The Windsor sand is a coarse sand, with a con- siderable amount of very fine gravel. In the production of these fine grades of cigar wrapper everything depends upon the quick and con- tinuous growth of the plant. very moment that a plant suffers for lack of moisture tends to thicken the leaf and to make it less elastic. There are numbers of small streams in the Connecticut Valley which could be used for purposes of irrigation, and it is believed that when the industry becomes well established this method will be used toa considerable extent. : The Enfield sandy loam shown on the soil map of the Connecticut Valley is probably as well adapted to the growth of the Sumatra to- bacco as the Hartford sandy loam. It differs from the Hartford sandy loam in having a clay subsoil within an average of 2 feet from the sur- face. There is comparatively little of this soil in the valley. At the time the soil survey was made it was not thought that the Triassic stony loam would be so desirable for this fine-textured leaf, but the results during the past season have indicated that the crop on this type was about as fine as that grown upon the Hartford sandy loam. It was not tried, however, upon typical Triassic stony loam. This has been, however, an unusual season, and the crops grown on the several types of soils have not shown the differences which it was expected would be found. It may be, of course, that these soils will all have nearly the same value, but for the present it is recommended that the opinion given in the report of the soil survey be adhered to, viz, that the safest soil is the Hartford sandy loam, and possibly the Enfield sandy loam, while the Windsor sand will make the finest-textured leaf pro- vided the climatic conditions are suitable or irrigation is practiced, while it was considered that the Triassic stony loam was less desirable than the other soils. There are no other soils in the Connecticut Val- _ | ley which itis believed will be adapted to the Sumatra tobacco, except possibly the Podunk fine sandy loam, which has not been tested. While a large edition of the Connecticut Valley soil map was printed, the demand has been so great that the edition is practically exhausted; but so many have been distributed within the area of the valley that they can easily be consulted. 13 THE ERECTION AND COST OF THE SHADE. An attempt was made to keep an accurate record of every expense incurred in the production of the different crops, but this was found to be impractica- ble, because the whole work was new, every detail had to be worked out, and every emergency had to be met with un- trained labor and without any prec- edents—at least in this part of the country—for simi- lar work. Itisim- practicable, there- fore, to give the exact amount of material used by the several grow- ers or the exact cost of the mate- rial. It varied in different places. Some of the grow- ers were able to obtain their posts at a lower price than others; some | of them obtained | their posts on their | own land; some purchased more material than was actually needed, and all of them used their labor for an indefinite time on this and on other farm | operations. The average cost of the material used can be given, but the cost of the labor is much more difficult to estimate. *pot[ojo1}s 9G 0} YOTO 1OJ ApBar ‘TO6L JO UOSBAS OY UI posn SB ‘apBYs JO YIOMOWIVIG—'T ‘OI 14 In the erection of the shade, posts 12 feet long were set 3 feet in the ground, leaving 9 feet for the height of the frame. These were placed 163 feet apart and were principally of chestnut 4 inches in diameter, or 4 inches square. These posts were connected one way by stringers 163 feet long, and across the other way were run heavy cable wires stapled to each post and made secure at each end of the field by stakes driven well into the ground. Parallel with and between these cable wires (No. 9) were run wires of lighter weight (No. 12) to support the cloth. These were placed 53 feet apart, making two between each cable. The entire shade was surrounded by a baseboard 6 inches wide, made up of 163-foot lengths, which was set 6 feet from the base of the outer posts and fastened to the stakes driven in the ground to which the ends of the wires were stapled. Along the stringers and the baseboard was also run the lighter-weight wire, around which was wrapped the selvage of the cloth, when it was stapled. Formerly laths were used around the baseboard, but it was observed that these often rotted before the season was over, and the wire was tried with more satisfactory results. The wire on the stringers relieved the strain on the selvage of the cloth. The entire structure was covered with tent cloth, which came to the ground on all sides. This cloth was 53 yards wide, sufficient to cover the space from one stringer to another. This was run the entire length of the field and brought down to the ground at the twoends. The other two sides were covered with cloth of the same material 126 inches or 144 inches wide. A gate was provided, covered with cloth, and in fields of large dimensions a road was left lengthwise through the field. The details of the construction of the shade as used during the past year are illustrated in fig. 1. The material and approximate cost of the same and the labor are as follows, the estimates being based upon an acre in a rectangular area 165 by 264 feet, or 10 by 16 rods: Cost of materials and labor for rectangular area 165 by 264 feet. Materials: 187 posts (4 by 4. by 12), at 18 cents each. --_ 22) = == eee $33.66 | 196 stringers (2 by 4 by 163), at $18 per 1,000 feet B. M_--.------------ 38. 80 924 feet of baseboard (1 by 8), at $18 per 1,000 feet B. M ____-__-. see eee sae o6 stakes .(4 by 4. by 4),.at 5 cents each ._ 222 2) 2 2 eee 2. 80 166 pounds (9,796 feet) No. 14 wire, at $3.60 per 100 pounds ------------ 5. 98 179 pounds (3,077 feet) No. 9 wire, at $3 per 100 pounds .........------ 5. 37 16-pounds 8d. nails, at 3 cents per pound =. 22. - o22 42 ee ee - 48 23:pounds 20d. nails, at.25 cents per pound = 2 ee - 98 10 pounds 14-inch staples, at 4 cents per pound _.........-.----------- - 40 8 pounds #-inch staples, at.6 cents per pound. ...._....2-2-----542--- - 48 952 yards tent cloth 16} feet wide, at 174 cents per yard ........-.----- 165. 02 187 yards tent cloth 12 feet wide, at 124 cents per yard..._.------.----- 23. 38 288. 04 Labor in. construction-of shade oe. 42. 2.2) 2252214 eo eee 27.00 Approximate cost of materials and labor...........-..----.--------- 315.04 ast pote enlace PLATE III. Bul. 20, Bureau of Soils, U. S. Dept. Agriculture. 8 eo pg & aor es ote Completed. Date. IN B. Date. AS iB: Date. A. OSB On °F. CFR © F. Noy12 2221.25: 105 ee Nov 25/2 98) |) 120" ||eDecstoe tees 100 Bd ae ae 1O6S|Eeneee De atin me 98 120 TSe Ee ee 110 10 Weegee See 1OSi| See cere Py | Deemer pee nn hes \Y Se 3 Gee ae 110 UD sanei coe TTOn| hee SO. 96 85 nb eeeereaye 108 NG Geese 2 WOME eee Deer i2e ese 96 102 VA ee [etree eee ee = 8. TA ee Na 5 A Be ees 111 108 ste Sara 108 ithe eee 80 99 ABS pchehe? 110 110 OAT ae Seats 109 1S eer. 86 108 Det sre 114 112 2) eae eee 109 7 Yate ia ne 93 110 eee ae 114 112 Diet ees 104 lie het 98 118 OS eens 118 112 OS aeons 104 page ae 98 119 10a. 5) 55). See be ee Bene BON aes 104 PES ate 100 120 a8 Mes Seth 96 79 || Jani ibe. 22. | 42 ee 2 Bulk turned. b Completed. BULK NO. 3, 1,201 POUNDS SUMATRA, AND 2,783 POUNDS HAVANA. Date. A. B. Date. DXS BS Date. A. | ° FF. °F. ° Ff. °F, °F. | MO CTs es ot oe 103 99 i fe ee 98 109 || Nov.232 .2:.2:l222. 3. ee 198324230 120 113 Oia 101 111 GI bess ree 100 | 7A bath gta 127 107 Ahh eer 101 110 Pe ae 108 D3 Fa ones 122 102 ih peering ereallor er Ly Diem aes 111 D3 ws Cad weal Soe es ee eae 1D si soee 95 91 8) Sean 115 DANE ae 92 104 | 1 aie Rie 98 95 OY Naa ae. 115 Dee ay 99 109 1 Reps 0 103 105 S0r Sse 116 7): ane a 101 111 Liye ese 106 108h||) Week Qe eas 115 Cf Pee eee oe 102 113 AS ie eee 115 106 Bes Se 114 7 eae ae 102} 112 Nee see 117 101 7 einer) Gea Ge at 99 109 | Faia 117 103 Fier ek 99 109 | DOR cope 115 103 25 BULK NO. 4, 5,812 POUNDS, SAND LEAVES. Date. A. Bs Date. A. B. Date. A. B. 74 Ook Orie CRE 28, OF. Sie, HE Oeees eee cenee eeeeoaE SOUZA coeseoe 114 HO Il OXeus Peeeccecclloase es epalepcoceme Ey SMR Pr Rese = ear icllla:s inte) ovo,0 Dik Weer Saja | oe clseeye ell Msioe, Fermentation completed. ¢ Bulked. BULK NO. 5, 6,441 POUNDS, FIRST AND SECOND PRIMING. Date. A. B. Date. A. B. Date. A. 183; OPE: OPE Oe, 7H, Or ORE Se ptelitn sens << OB y| Eee Octiomeesesee 112 TAO Ct 24 e 121 124 Seer. ee 107 104 Gay ates 119 118 DOES en 121 124 110) 2 Sea 115 112 Gece 122 121 PA See ee 122 125 Il) SACS 120 119 Sree 126 123 De hen ha 121 123 Cl. aes ae 120 128 Oia eve 126 123 28 119 122 Dee aes eta 124 132 Oia 126 1238 eG ace SOs 120 124 DB eer 22, 132 Digerati 126 124 OU Be yt oy Ne rae a een DANS a2 se 122 135 a Age eee 126 DAS WENOVerl bes 4a 111 103 Ny af a(S Ve Gs Sere 127 124 Dr Oe 115 110 DBraSse fae 105 103 A ee eso 127 124 Bieta nal 115 BAD ste aaa 111 110 Se eee 126 122 Ae ee 121 116 DALE ey aye 117 115 Ge ena 126 121 bleh es aoe 121 117 DOW sat ae 121 | 120 tps Oey 126 WAL Ona | 120 115 ee 126 124 TS Geeta 122 120 Mie eee Nee 120 115 SORE ries 127 125 gl Barend: eae lice Woew ais ie ota Si eee ek 120 115 OCA UE ae ee 127 PATS Ibo) eae ae 102 107 QUE a aes oe LAG eae eres DNs HERE 127 127 DORKS eae 108 114 dU eee ae TAN eee Shee resoees 127 127 SAL Se aaa eer 112 118 I Apes a He EAS poe eee ee 80 lok Sacnd| Sees s DAD) ite Se 118 122 1B Boe aues 113 (») eS ae 102 104 Dds alee 119 123 4 Bulk turned. b Completed. “26 BULK NO. 6, 4,058 POUNDS, THIRD AND FOURTH PRIMING. | Date. A. B. | Date. uA: B. Date. A. B. oF oF oF °F. oF oF. Ocho eee Gp lara \SOets20e ees 98 TOO" Nove diles se: 4 (Sees 1 aD gh oe 10041 See eee OU capes 102 104 gO meeeaehal pe Oa Lc. 110 Lp a La NOS 7/2 ceeuae OA ee ae 110 110 13 rete 3 eee 109 eee Re? eree bya (samee Dy 4} 14 jaeee 110 110 Gens. 1OGR ese Dope 116 114 ise xan 110 110 Ti et te TAO legen ell OTe eee 117 116 16ers il 110 Cees. 1B ee 5g. Mei ay 118| 118 ised tee 110 110 Barat. elope mee 5 | D0 psa 114 114 1g: sea 110 109 Oe ees aD Pee 2207 | = aOR ae 115| 116 i Oath 109 109 10 eeoe se 97 103 Bile Saas 115 116 90 Were 112 112 elect eee HOD) C106) NOve teste 115 117 AN tes 112 112 ne een ae 104 | 108 Phase oie 117 115 D9 Retains 112 111 TON re 108 113 Os ae 117 114 OB Nene ol 110 109 Ate eee 112] 115] ig aera 117 113 Oaaeee hed 109 | 109 Dts esse 114] 115 || Diesen ATA be op se Denes 109 | 107 16ers 116 116 ae cote lace pee (at ak OG ieee ae 108 107 sie Nae 116 117 (genes ot 92 97 | Oa. eee 107 107 ARs 116 118 PARE ee 104 106 pe Meee ei: 107 106 lope ee 118 118 pecs: 107 110 O0)b tae Alri Si Oy nen tees 120 121 re eA Hi pepo 111 1 Sy aR a i | 10 2 |e es 2 Bulk turned. b Fermentation completed. SIZING AND ASSORTING. When the tobacco has been thoroughly cured the next steps are to size, assort, and bale it. The sizing is the first work, because as the various lengths of tobacco represent the various characteristics and types of the leaf it has been found much easier and less confusing to assort tobacco of a given length than to assort tobacco of many lengths. Therefore, all the tobacco is first sized, making 9 lengths, from 10 to 22 inches, with a difference of an inch and a half between each. After this work is completed the assorting or shading is done, mak- | ing light, medium, and dark unspotted wrappers; light, medium, and dark spotted wrappers, and light and dark broken leaves. With the broken leaves are also placed leaves of uneven color or those which are in any way imperfect. In the first 6 grades of spotted and un- spotted wrappers the leaves must be perfect in texture and uniform in~ color. It will be observed that in each crop of Sumatra tobacco there will be 9 sizes of 8 grades each, making in all 72 classifications. The tobacco is then tied in ‘‘hands” of from 30. to 40 leaves each, according to the size of the tobacco (from 40 to 45 small leaves and from 30 to 35 large leaves constitute a hand). These are tied with bark fiber, which is preferred to a leaf for this purpose, and the tobacco is ready to be baled. xo 4 ' | | 27 BALING. The last process through which the tobacco must go is the baling or packing. The Sumatra type is tied in what is known as fan-shaped hands, tightly packed in cases, and allowed to remain five or six days. By this time the tobacco has undergone a slight fermentation, suffi- cient to assist in evening up the colors. It is then packed in bales 30 inches square and pressed to a thickness of 12 inches—the exact size of theimported bales. Such bales should contain from 150 to 160 pounds. The covering used is matting imported from the island of Sumatra, which can usually be obtained from cigar manufacturers, and over this is put another covering of burlap. The baling box and press used in this packing are shown in Plate VII, fig. 1. Although the seed planted is Sumatra, we often find a small per- centage of the leaf will have more the appearance of the Cuban type. This applies chiefly to the first leaves of the stalk, commonly called sand leaves, which are of a dull color and have little of the real Sumatra gloss. For this reason it is found advisable to pack some bales similar to those in Cuba. These leaves are assorted according to size and made into carrots. To make a carrot, about 60 leaves are tied in an ordinary bundle or hand, and four of theses hands are tied together with the bast fiber used in Cuba. The outside leaves are made smooth and wrapped from head to tip with Cuban bast fiber, making a neat bundle of tobacco weighing about 1 pound. Of course the weight depends upon the size and thickness of the leaves. As soon as made these carrots are put in bales of 80 carrots each. The material used for covering this bale is palm bark, imported from the island of Cuba, and when finished these bales have the exact appear- ance of those made in Cuba. Over this is put burlap to hold the bark in place. This being done, the tobacco is ready for the market. The care of the tobacco after being baled depends largely upon the condition in which it was packed. If it is thoroughly cured and well dried off it should be stored in a place where it will remain as near dormant as possible, as further fermentation is unnecessary and unde- sirable. If the tobacco is packed in what is known as ‘‘high case” (with considerable moisture), fermentation was not completed and the tobacco should be stored four bales deep in a room in which the tem- perature is 75° or 80°. The position of the bales should be changed once each week for at least four weeks. Then it should be allowed to stand on end to cool off and to stop fermentation. A FEW SUGGESTIONS. It may be well to state that the only value of Sumatra is its wrapper quality, and the grower of this type of tobacco should at all stages of the work bear in mind that he is striving for a leaf suitable for wrap- ping cigars. Therefore, he should use every precaution to preserve the _ soundness of the leaf. He should study the plant carefully, so as to. | determine just when the tobacco is in the condition to be harvested. | If it is harvested underripe, the tobacco will be exceedingly green | when cured, will have a poor grain, and will be undesirable for a wrapper. On the other hand, if the tobacco is harvested overripe, | the fiber will be brittle, the leat not elastic, and hence not of valueasa — wrapper. ‘There is, sheen. a particular stage of ripeness at which | this tobacco should be harvested, and this knowledge can be gained only by watching the plant and the leaves as they mature. The handling of ordinary tobacco will not apply to this type. The |; leaf is delicate and needs to be handled with all possible care in all stages of the work. This great care involves expense, but when it is considered that the tobacco is worth $1 to $2.50 per pound by proper handling, and almost valueless with indifferent handling, it is easy to see that the great care and expenditure of money is justifiable. As hasbeen before stated in this article, as soon as the tobacco has been cured in the barn it should be transported at once to the packing — house where it should be put into bulk for fermentation. This may seem to handicap the small planter; but as the growing and barn- | curing of tobacco is one branch of the work and the fermenting, grad- ing, and assorting is another branch of the work—the same as the | ‘manufacturing of the cigars is still another branch—it is difficult for each planter to master all these lines. Therefore, with this new method | a thorough knowledge in all this work is not expected with each planter, and it seems advisable for the grower of a small crop to make | some arrangement with the grower or dealer who is able to handle his tobacco. To take the tobacco from the laths, pack it in cases or bundles, as is ordinarily done, and allow the tobacco to remain thus for any length of time will make the crop valueless. The various stages — of work should follow closely upon one another. RESULTS OF THE EXPERIMENT. The total cost of the shade on the 13 farms on which the experi- ments were carried on (the area covered aggregating 41 acres, of which 35.88 acres were Sumatra tobacco and the rest Connecticut Havana), ranged from $260.03 to $403.64 per acre, the former cost being for a large area, while the highest cost was for an area of about a quarter of an acre. The average cost was $286.70. This includes the cost of the material, such as lumber, hardware, and cloth, and the labor of ~ | putting these together. } These estimates are based upon the actual amount of materials used, and, so far as possible, tne actual price paid for the material, but it — does not include an excessive amount of material purchased by some of the growers and not used in the actual construction of their shade. : asl Bul. 20, Bureau of Soils, U. S. Dept. Agriculture. PLATE VI. Fic. 1.—VIEW OF THE INSIDE OF A TOBACCO BARN, SHOWING THE SPACES BETWEEN THE BOARDS, THROUGH WHICH THE RAIN AND MIST DRIFT IN, WHICH MAKES IT DIF- FICULT TO PREVENT POLE ROT WHEN CURING IN DAMP SEASONS. Fic. 2.—VIEW IN THE CURING SHED, SHOWING THE METHOD OF STRINGING THE LEAVES, THE WAY THEY ARE ATTACHED TO THE LATH, AND THE BASKETS IN WHICH THE LEAVES ARE TRANSPORTED FROM THE FIELD. UES OM tmegiens : Nate i ; ah all . { hk Ai . rt yan: i evan eae ee TT, 7 y * Ltd aa = oc - 0H ie Ay ale {eset Fat # highs Os Lge hwy eee ' ” ' rs ) ‘ae i j & iN fi “ u ‘ fe ee vo Veag ins a) ‘ \ " wy . ~! 4 : { st i he Leen, i} ? i { Cae, o Hw t ee free gg ‘Ss y i i ‘ , ‘ ‘ SS Hi q f * f mn ' ’ r a if oy 1 : vay 1 1 ‘ ¥ ae ‘ a . ‘ » s i i i % ; ' ‘ . “ ; , 4 } z qi ; ; ‘ ; H “Vs A : t , 4 int, ‘ i i x i | ' - ) Se ~ t 5 \ , i 4 4 r y 7H ] 4 } , A \ ? ‘ ' c , ; f y y t hg . 1s , \ wo Mi rf . ee iM ‘ 4 5 . r 1 ; 1% i i i ‘ j f ent ‘ . i ; : i n t 1 5 , Fy i Wy ‘ ‘ ‘ my 29 The cost of fertilizers ranged from $10.51 to $64 per acre, the average being $45.31. The cost of cultivation is estimated at between $34.21 and $73.28 per acre, with an average of $47.94. This includes the preparation of the seed bed, or the purchase of the plants where no seed bed was con- structed. This estimate it is believed approximates as closely to the facts as possible, but it is a difficult matter always to give the actual cost of cultivation where farm labor is used for a portion of the time on other parts of the farm. The cost of harvesting, including the priming, stringing, hanging, and taking down and tying the tobacco is estimated to have ranged from $108.48 to $283.20 per acre, with an average of $137.93. These estimates also are not exact, as labor was used for intervals on this and other work. The warehouse work, including the fermentation, sizing, assorting, and baling, is estimated to have cost from $111.12 to $179.52, or an average of $139.29 per acre. The total cost of the crop, including the shade, fertilizers, cultiva- tion, harvesting, and warehouse work, as near as this could be determined from the accounts kept by the farmers and by the Depart- ment agents, varied from $613.42 to $849.55 per acre, or an average of $657.17. The following table gives the acreage grown by each of the 13 farmers cooperating in this experiment, the yield per acre, the total yield of cured tobacco, the total yield after fermentation, and the per cent of loss in fermenting and baling the crop: Acreage and yield of cured and fermented Sumatra tobacco. Cured tobacco. After iene Name. Place. INE || Yield Total Total Teese: per acre.| yield. | weight. Acres. | Pounds | Pounds. | Pounds. | Per ct. Peyyoodiord ..:....... PV OU OMM Ae seme cari ener 4.51 1, 250 DR6304 |S ec eees [oceeeeer OOM er Pine Meadow, Conn .......... 1.02 1,571 if, a 9717 3.0 a Ot a Cee ae teas . 80 1,677 1, 337 A (SG Southwick, Mass.............. B25) 1,768 442 331 25.1 SL i ee O10) he OBOE REE cdeaerae 578} 1, 764 397 268 32.4 mee. Wrieht 2 ..2...- Mapleton, Conm: = - 2-2 sos: . 50 1,116 558 486 12.9 Oe Peogquonock, Counme.-so2 22-2 =- 1.09 1, 528 1, 635 1, 522 6.9 Wm. Hayes............ | Pariffville,Conn .............. 1.09| 1,416| 1,543] 1,358] 12.0 August Pouleur ....... | NY SOT COMM ness sene a eer ae 74 1, 700 1, 265 1,079 14.6 BoM, Case .......2..... | Barkhamsted, Conn..........- 1.56| 1,665|/ 2,613| 2,236; 14.4 OS Aah hl Suiueld: Connie. sts ees es 6. 44 123i 7, 968 6, 613 17.0 (Ys P bariiville;@onn .2cas-cose. 2d5 1. 24 1, 925 2, 245 1, 953 13.0 Ariel Mitchelson ...... "ESR (aver SRP eae ae 16.41 1,416 | 24,053] 21,648 10.0 GIRL CT GLGS Gig 35. 88 1, 480 51, 308 40, 211 12.0 30 The total yield on 35.88 acres of Sumatra tobacco was 51,308 pounds, or an average of 1,430 pounds of cured tobacco per acre. The total yield after fomncnertien was 40,211 pounds, exclusive of the Wood- ford crop, and the average loss in fermentation was 12 per cent. The following table shows the weight of the grades of tobacco — produced: Weights of grades of Sumatra tobacco. . Me- | Light | Dark b Ten wip. | dim | yvrap- |sPotted |spotted| Tack" | “sec | -see- |Trash. | ‘Total pers. | “2@P" | pers. | P P- | “ages. | onds. | onds. pers. | pers. | pers. 5,883 | 1,189 | 3,051 | 2,325| 8,287] 3,128] 3,083| 5,127| 40,2118 14.6 | 2.09 7.6 5.84 207 7.8 7.8! 12.8] 100.00 Total weights2.lbs.| 8,038 Per cent -....:----. 20.0° a Not including Woodford crop. From these records it will be seen that about 71 per cent of the crop — was wrappers, 16 per cent seconds, and 13 per cent trash. | The wrappers are graded as light, medium, dark, light spotted, dark spotted, and Cuban packages. The seconds consist of broken and torn leaves and leaves of uneven color, from which considerable amount of wrapper leaf can be obtained. The trash contains some leaf that could be used for filler, but it is generally undesirable for this or any other purpose. . The wrappers are all perfect leaves, without tear or puncture, and the color and grain are sufficiently none and the veins are suffi- ciently small to allow the entire side of the leaf to be used for wrapping cigars. The leaves average between 225 and 250 per pound. They are graded according to size, with differences of 14 inches in length between the grades, and the length of the leaf is marked on the package. This is a distinct advantage to the manufacturer, for with leaves of uniform length and uniform color a very close estimate can be made as to how many cigars of given length can be coy- ered and as to what length of leaf can be most economically purchased for a cigar of given size. The uniformity 1 in color also makes ita an easy matter to obtain a uniform line of cigars. The Woodford crop of 5,636 pounds of cured tobacco is not included in this table, as the erie and packing of this crop have not been finished. - | In addition to the 35.88 acres of Sumatra tobacco, there were 4.71 acres of Havana seed grown under shade. The total yield was 6,439 pounds, or an average of 1,367 pounds per acre. 7 COST OF THE TOBACCO. It is estimated that the cost of the Sumatra tobacco, barn-cured, anc 1d including the whole cost of the shade, fertilizers, cultivation, and Bul. 20, Bureau of Soils, U. S. Dept. Agriculture. PLaTe VII. FiG. 1.—FORM OF PRESS FOR MAKING THE SUMATRA FORM OF BALE. assent iat tO REE GO a RS pine PR Se ignapnte PS Ree een NA SS £ Bb ats ee ee ~~ fe Phe « - ie Sey FIG. 2.—FORM OF SUMATRA PACKAGE WITH MATTING INSIDE AND A COVER OF BURLAP. 31 harvesting, was a little over 36 cents per pound. It must be under- stood, however, that the framework of the shade is expected to last from five to eight years. If it is assumed that it will last five years and that the cloth will have to be renewed each year, then charging one-fifth only of the cost of the framework the cost of the tobacco this year, barn-cured, would be about 32.2 cents per pound. ~ The cost of the finished product, including the cost of warehouse work and allowing for the loss in this stage of the work, is estimated at 514 cents per pound, including the total cost of the shade, or 47.6 cents per pound, charging one-fifth only of the cost of the framework. It is understood that these estimates do not include any charge for land, buildings, or insurance, or interest on the money invested. SALE OF THE TOBACCO. As already stated, the Secretary of Agriculture has invited a num- ber of prominent tobacco brokers to advise about the sale of the product, and they have recommended that the sale shall take place about May 1, when all of the tobacco will be ready for market. The terms of the sale will be announced later and the prices obtained for the tobacco will be announced through the public press. __ This bulletin is published before the sale actually takes place on account of the great interest that is taken in the work and the recog- nized desire of those contemplating taking up the business to have information regarding the methods and cost of raising the tobacco and the yields that have been obtained. Samples of the tobacco have been submitted to leaf dealers, brokers, and cigar manufacturers, and have received very general commenda- | tion, the opinion being that it is equal to the imported Sumatra leaf as to style, color, texture, grain, and number of cigars it will wrap per pound. It has not the bitter taste that Sumatra so frequently has. While it is exceedingly thin, it is strong and exceedingly elastic. Dr. Jenkins, Director of the Connecticut Experiment Station, has reported in Bulletin No. 137 of that station that a portion of the shade-grown leaf raised at Poquonock during the summer of 1901 has been sold at an average price of $1.91 per pound, the prices ranging from $1.40 to $2.50 per pound. O RECENT PUBLICATIONS OF THE DEPARTMENT ON TOBACCO. — Bulletin No. 11, Division of Soils.—Tobaeco Soils ‘of the United States, a Prelimi- nary Report upon-the Soils of the ers Tobacco Bie cts, by Milton Whitney, Chief of Division of Soils. Farmers’ Bulletin No. 60.—Methods of Cae Tobacco (revised ane )> by Mil- : _ ton Whitney, Chief of Division of Soils. Farmers’ Bulletin No. 82.—The Culture of Tobacco, by Otto Carl Bare eck. Farmers’ Bulletin No. 83. hae OUaLCO Soils, by Milton Whitney, Chief of Dee of Soils. ~ Report No. 58. —Cultivation of Tobacco in Sumatra, en Emile Mulder. y Report No. 59.—Curing and Fermentation of Cigar-leaf Tobacco, by Dr. Oscar _ : ~ Loew, of the Division of Vegetable Physiology and Pathology. Report No. 60.—Femperature Changes in Fermenting Piles of Cigar-leat Tobaceo, by Milton Whitney and Thomas H. Means, of the Division of Soils. Report No. 62.—Cultivation of Cigar-leaf Tobacco in Florida, by Mareus L. F loyd,. - of the Division of Soils, in cooperation with the Division of Vegetable a oh and Pathology. ~ Report No. 63. phe Work of the ite Experiment Stations on Tobacco. Report No. 65.—Physiological Studies of Connecticut Leaf Tobacco. Reprint. —Growth of the Tobacco Industry, by Milton Whitney and Marcus L. __ Floyd, of the Division of Soils, in cooperation with ne Division of Vegetable Physi-_ _ ology and Pathology. Yearbook, 1899. Reprint.—The World’s Exhibit of Leaf Tobacco at ae Paris Enosion of 1900, a by Marcus L. Floyd. Yearbook, 1900. — - a " - . " 7 2 mgponn = — —— = ee ie ee ani Ds is ne ins ete” mys Bhipieie HOTS By av Gt Meant te i chek sbobateat of i tekat atte sf ij pubet siehet s| shelien tt Speiene: uss = ihe asf Bhat ht Whee ree he 4 Ty aa of a vabebabid fat oth ef th ep vial state eet ed ste? recat trieh m ‘ Mediatisert a peascaioneeesorteocat ites d rcpdoh chine af Ae el bB 0 4 t 2 Petras e: pi sty pat) cht whet foprte 0 Ph 4 as Aah atte be B oP ri hot tS oh’ Re OE af Mi py EAS AE BAS cha apap > Ra pprbote . 2 PRE RMIANS ET AYE frfeke Sahpyn ts PSEA iet wines eb re ober 50 sbrehseniebrte? ote Pid AGEL OF Lief eas is Bees: Sean: Bese a ins fete Mngetatetshcretar ee sceierse fe oiee hein er oldies P ote F at of 3 E af P : ti (* stybeied ‘j . ; 7 " : et et af . a Wibesetstet teres soit fatal = ’ waht) g . i eS