The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1905-07-14
NOTE BOOK SKETCHES


this spring, that of holding public meet
ings in the tobacco growing sections for
the discussion of tobacco subjects, under
the auspices of the state board of agri-
culture. These meetings have been well
attended and have resulted in arousing
a great interest among tobacco growers,
in the methods of cultivation, seed Sc
lection, fertilizing and other phases of
the tobacco industry. This interest can
not help but be beneficial to every
one concerned, and we heartily recon-
mend such work, and advocate the gen.
eral extension and the holding of such
meetings in other tobacco growing states.
TX
At recent meeting in West Suffield
Mr.. Shamel said that as far as is now
determined tobacco breeding gives more
promise than corn, and everybody knows
the remarkable strides that have taken
place in the improvement of the latter
through seed selection. "Our expert
ments so far" declared he, "show the
tobacco plant molds easily to the end
desired and it appears that greater re-
suits in shorter time can be secured
than with corn breeding. In our early
experiments we selected three grades of
seed from all types of tobacco grown in
the valley as we'll as imported Cuban
and Sumatra. These grades were sep
arated into light, medium and heavy
leaf. 1t must be borne in mind that to-
bacco plant breeding is no new theory.
1t has been tried in Sumatra, Italy and
other sections. We have found that the
water plan of separating light seed
from heavy is not practical. This on &C
count of air bubbles attaching them
selves to the heavy seed and thus pre-
venting them from sinking. Hence we
lose many fine specimens. 1t resolved
itself into question of inventing sep
arating machine, and Yankee ingenuity
has come to the rescue. d. p. Cooley,
who is deeply interested with the de-
partment in experimental work, has
evolved a machine that separates the
light seed satisfactorily. 1t. blows out
the light chaff and inferior specimens
and drops the heavy seed into recepta-
Gle, the work taking but little time.
Practical results from seed selection in
this season are most gratifying, the heavy
specimens making by far finer beds than
ordinary tobacco seed. Many pioneer
growers who last winter informed me
they were skeptical of any benefit accru.
ing from seed selection, have since come
to re and personally acknowledged that
they are converted. [ believe that one
reason for the non-success of growing
Sumatra under tent in New England
was due to lack of proper attention to
seed. Growers here thought that all
they had to do was to bring in the i'm
ported seed and it would make just as
fine tobacco as the native Sumatra. 1t
has been demonstrated, however, that
the change of climate tends to produce
an inferior type of plant. Ii the earliest
importatiOns of Sumatra seed had been
we'll selected there is no doubt but bet
ter results would have been obtained. In
our selection of specimen plants from
Connecticut-groWn Sumatra we found
three distinct tppes Of leaves. First,
there was what we call the Belgian, con-
sisting of long, narrow leaf, which, as
all know, does not make an ideal wrap
per. The second type was the crum-
pied leaf, which broke easily after pass
ing through the sweat and wrapped up
on cigars The third type was the dis
tinct Sumatra leaf, but unfortunately
this formed only small per cent of the
total crop. Our experiments at CRANKY
have proved conclusively that selecting
seed under bag is the ideal method if a
uniform type is desired. We found that
with self-fertiliZing or bag selected
plants of 25 leaves we could the next
season produce from that seed a uniform
lot of plants with similar number of
leaves. At the same time the seed TAX
en- from the 25 leaved plants but not
self f-fertilized, proved very irregular, gave
plants averaging not over ten leaves
each. Thus we can lay down as an ak
iom that we can control the number Of
leaves by seed selection; likewise the
shape and size can be governed. AS a
general rule believe it pays for every
farmer to grow his own tobacco seed.
The conditions of each farm vary so
much as to soil, moisture, lay of the
land, ETC., that this is rendered neces-
sary. In saving seed for the department
we take an ordinary 12-pound paper bag.
This should be placed over the pod and
tied to the stem The cord should not
Uc uAoWu tISAC w PAONOAo oAO
growth and yet the opening should not
be left sufficiently loose for bees and
pollen carrying insects to reach the bios
som. AS the pod grows the bag should
be pulled up a little on the stem. When
ripe the stem is cut and the pod left to
dry with the bag still over it. Keep in a
dry place. Rene nber before tieing the
bag on the plant that all sucker branches
should be removed as we'll as useless up
per leaves. The bag must be placed be-
fore the flowers open"
-
The long looked for bulletin Of the
Bureau of Labor on labor and wage con-
ditions in the Philippine Islands has at
last been issued. The article in the bull
letin on these questions is by Victor S.
Clark, Phi. D., who was detailed by the
American government to investigate and
report on the matter. The bulletin states
that wages and the cost OF living have
risen since American occupation and
that dissatisfaction with industrial con-
ditions is manifested by employing classes
and reflected somewhat among the lab
oring population. A slow but constant
hla .porooco in nriaac ND