The daily morning journal and courier., 1900-09-03
TESTS MADE WITH TOBACCO


 Raised Under Cover-Havana Seed in Connecticut Soil-Interesting Trial
 Being Made.
 The experiment in raising tobacco ur- der cover, which is being conducted at Poouonock by Professor E. H. Jenkins and Marcus L. Floyd is attracting widespread attention among the tobac- co growers of New England, ana, III fact, throughout the country, The eX- pertinent is being conducted under the direction of the agricultural station or New Haven, with which Professor Jen- kins is connected MT. Floyd is the to- bacco expert connected with the United States department of agriculture, and his experience is wide and varied
 It will be recognized that the experl- ment could not be in better hands, and 1t is one which will be of great value 1t is confined to two kinds or tobaccc, Sumatra and Havana seed, ana MT Floyd told Post reporter to-day that so far as the Sumatra was concerned It was proving great success. There IS some doubt as to whether the Havana seed will grow successfully under the CUllAtlUuS, Llou5iA U ID eN iAeeA~ >' ' ' to judge definitely.
 The undertaking of the experiment. IS due to the fact that it has come to De recognized that Connecticut topacco ls no longer meeting the demands or the trade as it once did. Consequently the attempt to raise the Sumatra ana Ha- vana seed in Connecticut soil results. 1T 1t proves successful and it is shown that those kinds can be raised here the Connecticut industry will be brought to the front again and the prosperity or the growers will be greater than ever before.
 The idea of growing tobacco under a cover is not entirely new, having been tried in Florida, where MT. Floyd has had an extended experience, and other parts of the country with more or less success. But this is the first time 1t has ever been tried here. Poquonock was selected because the Connecticut Tobacco Export company has given the use of land there to the station for eX- periments in fertilization and cure tor the past eight years. So naturally when this experiment was decided upon the same spot was chosen.
 The covering consists of tent nine feet high and containing 3,l00 feet or cheese cloth. It is fastened securely to the ground at the sides, making com plete inclosure, so complete, in fact, as to prevent the entrance of insects ana worms which are so often the pane ol the crop It presents many other ao- vantages, one of the grardest of which is the confinement of the moisture. The ground, protected. as it is from the dl- rect rays of the sun and the wind, re- tains the dampness much longer than land that is exposed
 | At the same time the cheese clotn k so thin that it does not prevent the sunlight from reaching the plants suffi- ciently to aid in the growthsto the 1uii' | est degree One standing in the ten' l finds little if any difference from the | conditions existing outside, so far as the sun is concerned except that 1t is l from five to ten degrees warmer inside | than out.
 Another great feature is the protec' ton afforded from hail and heavy sweeping rains. The tent will with stand light hail. and even if storm should be so heavy as to cut througf the tent the resistance offered would pf | sufficient to break the force enough tt save the leaves from being cut. Ihs | wind Is also held back to such an eX l tent that even when it is blowing tre mendously outside there is only a lgh breeze noticeable inside the tent. Ralr comes through readily, but cannot drive the plants before it as in the open. | t, +t,n r,1n h6npQth | tent there is also some of both the Ha vana seed and the Sumatra being groWi outside to test the difference betWeer the two methods. The superiority ol l the covered Is already established, fol while the outside tobacco looks well i ia of coarser texture than that which is | enclosed. That in the tent has brighter green leaf and Is of silky ap pearance. The leaves are also smaller and of fine shade.
 The growth, will be harvested by thf method of picking the leaves as they mature instead of drying it on the stem This process begins at the bottom ol the plant and the field has been picked twice already. It Is being picked fol the third time to-day. In this way the leaves are secured at their very best anc the result is much better than # ths plant is. picked all at once with some ol ] the leaves only partly matured. What the final result of the eXpcri ment will be cannot be told until the tobacco is cured and made into cigars | but the gentlemen in charge of 1t say that they have every reason to expect excellent results from the Sumatra anc I the Havana seed may yet prove sue cess, though the indications are not al that could be desired at present.-Hart ! ford Post.