The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-11-30

| quantity to all parts Of the United
States. The systematizing of all OPP
eratlonS has been so perfected that
there is little or no friction at present
Growing of Cuban Seed Tobacco.
In the line of tobacco Investigations
which is carried on by the Bureau Of
Soils, the most important work dur
ing the year was the experimental
growing of Cuban seed tobacco on GER
tain soils in Texas, Alabama and South
Carolina. Samples of tobacco grown
in 1903 We're submitted to the trade,
and the Texas leaf was found to have
considerable merit both in regard to
flavor and aroma. Some have pro-
nounced it to be superior to any filler
yet grown in this country The Ala
bama filler leaf is considered fair Final
judgment of the success of this VEN
ture, however. must await further adj
vices from dealers and manufactur-
ers Growing of the Cuban type of
filler has also been tried in Ohio. The
most important work in Ohio however,
has been the further introduction of
the bulk method of fermenting cigar
tobaccos. Over 655 900 pounds were
fermented in 1902, over 10000 900 pounds
in 1903, while in 1904 the quantity so
fermented exceeded 10000, 900 pounds
Considerable demand has been made
the past year upon the bureau to as
sst the growers of the heavy export
types. Experiments have been UNDER
taken to grow the tobacco with diff
ferent fertilizers and under different
methods of culture to see which will
give the best financial results. 1t is
yet too early to give the results of the
present seasons work.
The Forestry Situation.
The present situation as regards for
estry in the United States the Sec
rotary regards as exceedingly hopeful.
The lumber industry seems to be awak-
ening to the fact that numbering with
reference to future as we'll as present
profits may be good business. The
general adoption of forestry as an es-
tablished policy now depends primarily
on business conditions. Extensive i'll
vestigations of forest conditions are
still urgently needed. Studies which
individuals can not undertake but
which must be made if the wealth-pro-
ducing power of the country as whole
is to be brought to the highest point,
need to be prosecuted in the public
interest. The furtherance of that part
of this departments work which is d.
rected toward informing the small
owner how he can to advantage prac-
tice forestry on his own account is of
the first importance.
ms HOa0 Material
The work of the Road Material Lab
oratory, now the division of tests in
the Bureau of Chemistry, has been
much broadened, and its value and inn
portance increased during the past fis-
cal year. Much time has been spent
in studying the physical properties of
clays in an endeavor to devise meth
DDS by which they can be utilized in
road making. OF 22S samples of road
materials reported during the past
year, thirty-five were clays. Clinker-
ed clay has been successfully used for
some time past as a railroad ballast.
Experiments were made with samples
of the so-called gumbo clay from the
YaZoo district of Mississippi and fol-
lowing these experiments the office of
public road inquiries built an expert
mental road in Yazoo City which has
been reported successful. The divis-
ion of tests has not confined itself to
Investigations of clays in their use as
road material, but to their useful prop
critics for any purpose, with a view to
developing the use of native CLAWS, of
which the production already exceeds
100000 annually, while of foreign
clays over 81, 100000 worth are reported.
Plant study i'm Public Schools.
Special efforts have been made to
encourage the study of plants in the
public schools. The secretary argues
that our system of elementary educa-
ton leaves no impression on the
childs mind of the Importance, value,
and usefulness of farm life, while in
many ways he is brought early into
contact with facts pointing to the
value of commercial life. He calls at
tention to the rapid advances made in
agriculture along all lines, and notes
the need for bright young men in this
field which he believes offers oppor-
tunities as great as in any other. The
distribution of seed is being handled in
such a way that encourag cement OF
plant growing will be a feature of it
in connection with public school work.
Farmers Institutes.
Work in the interest of the farmers
Institutes throughout the country has
been regularly organized in the office
of experiment stations, and attention
has been definitely called to the nu-
merous publications which the depart
ment and the experiment stations are
issuing, and they have been put in
the way of receiving these publica-