The weekly true Democrat. (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1905-1912, 1907-07-19

perpetuatiOn of 0Xeo types, since q
plant after one or two generations Of
inbreeding becomes permanently fixed
The prevention o. croge polarization
is effected simply b. Eing over the
opening blossom an ordinary manila
paper pag such is used IN the grocery
business. II must not be misunderstood
that hybridation or the crossing of one
type OF tobacco plant with another type
Is not advantageous Tor such Is not the
case, as the most desirable type now
cultivated, such az the Uncle Sans SUI
matra, were developed In this manner.
In this way it Il possible to counterfeit
the effect of a total change of climatic
and soil conditions which always
have a tendency TO break up
the type of imported seed.
When a type is developed in this man.
ner, however, the only way to main
tain it in its high state of perfection is
to avoid indiscriminhte polarization.
The Uncle Sam Samatra is the result of
seed selection from imported Sumatra
seed grown under shade in Flor
ida. 1t receives it's illustrious name
from the fact that IL was developed by
the Department Of Agriculture, and Is
in every way worthy of such a cogno-
men. The shape of the leaf, which is
broad, we'll rounded, with small veins
at nearly right angles, of good color,
gloss and, above ALL free burning, is
practically ideal for cigar wrapper,
and, Of course, il is understood that the
production of wrapper leaf is the aim
of all tobacco growers. The burning
quality of leaf of tobacco is a mysle-
rious attribute that is not well under
stood. Two rows of tobacco in one
field growing side by side, but from
different seed, may be totally different
in this respect, and one may have a
good, free-burning, aromatic leaf, while
the other is practically worthless and
we'll deserves its popular sobriquet OF
cabbage" 1t is by selecting the seed
of plants which have large leaves, and
many Of them on q single stalk of
proper height, that the fortune making
tobacco crops are grown.
Like all other vegetation the tobacco
plant is subject to large number of
pathological conditions, the result of
the diseases known as wilt, ''mosa-
ic, " etc. Here, too, the intelligent Sc
lection of plants for seed prOiu ,tion is
important. Occasionally a good, vigo-
rous plant free from disease will
be found growing in the midst of dis
GeAoC-lilACNNCA al "A bhG oGVu Vi ouCH
a plant be matured without Gro ,sing On
grown in comparison with seeds from
the same field of an infected plant, 80
per cent. of the latter will exhibit sus-
ceptibility to the disease when grown in
infected soil, while the plants from the
immune parent will show less than 20
per cent. susceptible.
Those who are familiar with the type
of tobacco plant grown in Pennsyiva-
mia, North Carolina, Maryland and Vir-
ginia are very much surprised at the
fields of the giant stalks grown under
shade in Connecticut and in Florida,
representing strains of selected Varie-
ties of imported seed which have been
improved and acclimatized by a few
years breeding under the direction of
scientific agriculturists. These are the
tobacco crops which are bringing in
their owners IN some cases as nigh as
81, 600 an acre, and which have raised
the agricultural end of the business
from one of the least profitable to one
OF the most remuneratIve of the pres
eat day.