The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-08-23
EXPERTS IN TOBACCO FIELDS
SUFFIELD PLANTATIONS
Growth is Generally Fair, Though Somewhat
 Undersized.


 both of the bureau of plant industry of the department of agriculture; Professor Augustine D. Selby, bota- mist and chief of the department of plant physiology and pathology of the Ohio experimental station at Woos- ter, O., and c. II. Smith, of the Hart ford Courant visited the Suffield to- bacco section Wednesday, while the growers were ill the midst of their harvest. While the crops seen were somewhat irregular in growth, in gen. eral they were highly satisfactory and cannot be other than profitable to the growers.
 the long, continued drought has brought out conditions which make the farmers uneasy, and it was in these instances that the government experts were most interested. Pro- lessor Selby is an authority on the fungi that attack the roots of the plants, and was particularly interest cd in new conditions which he found on examination of the growing plants, which appeared affected by some un- precedented condition, and he for warded several specimens to his lab- oratory in Ohio for minute micro scopical examination.
 Much time was spent at Edmund Halladay's, where the department is running a series of fertilizer experi- ments, and the different conditions were closely examined and thorough ly discussed by the experts, Who found many original developments in this the first season of Q series of tests which are to be continued for several years The scope of the tests can be partly understood by the fol- lowing table showing the fertilizers used on each plat, consisting of one tenth of an acre:
 First Cotton seed meal 200 pounds; cotton seed ashes, 100 pounds; lime, 50 pounds Vetch planted in fall
 Second Cotton seed meal, 200 pounds; cotton hull ashes, 100 pounds; lime, 50 pounds,
 Third-Castor pomace, 300 pounds; cotton hull ashes, 100 pounds; lime, 50 pounds
 Fourth-Manure, tons; lime. 50 pounds.
 Fifth Cotton seed meal, 200 pounds; cotton hull ashes, 100 pounds; lime, 50 pounds; formalin 50 pounds.
 Sixth Cotton seed meal, 200 pounds; carbonate of potash, 30 pounds; fish, 50 pounds; lime, 50 pounds
 Seventh Cotton seed meal, 200 pounds; carbonate potash, 30 pounds; fish, 50 pounds.
 Eighth-No fertilizers.
 Ninth -- Cotton seed meal, 200 pounds; double manure salts, 45 pounds; fish, 50 pounds.
 Tenth Cotton seed meal 200 pounds; double manure saltz, 45 pounds; fish, 50 pounds; lime, 50 pounds
 The crop on each of these plots will be cured separately and will be sub. jected to exhaustive tests by the ex. perts in Washington The effect of chemicals on the plant and the prob. lomatical weakening which follows which has been advanced as a theory as to the cause, of the sudden appear. ance of rot diseases due to parasites is in large measure dependent or the results of these tests and makes the experiment of particular interest
 In the afternoon, the party visited the Pinney plantation in the southern part of the town where similar exper. iments are being carried on. Dr Garner of the bureau is stationed al this place for the present, preparing for some experiments in curing tobac- co and he, with Mr Pinney and Mir Whippie of olds & Whipple, who is interested in the plantation, joined the party on the tour of inspection. Or the eXpanses of Havana seed grown on this place various interesting con. ditions were encountered and the dis. cussions which followed were technical
 
 found some interesting root subjects for study and they were also shipped to Ohio for close examination. Tht whole day was given up to scientific inspections of the crops and expert ment plots, but acre after acre of flnt tobacco was seen. The E. A. Fuller crop which is grown by Howard Full Ter Pease, was being harvested wher | Professor Selby called and it was fine, even lot of tobacco, although slightly undersize In a five-acre plo some distance from MT. Fullers homt was an ideal growth of Havana seed just the kind that makes the harC work worth while when cutting sea son comes.
 On Edmund Halladay's home lot ant on the one on the mountain. a fin 1 crop was being harvested On thi farm winter oats, acclimated by tn, bureau of plant industry, were beint shocked and they attracted attention as the development of an oat that vii survive New England winter mean much for the New England farmer for the yield of winter oats is materi ally larger than spring planted.
 The party left in time for Professo Selby to catch the evening express fo New Haven, where he will visit tn Connecticut Experiment station befor leaving for the west. The gathering O the experts on the plantations here 1 abouts cannot fail to bring about concerted effort for bettering the con ditions of the soil and plants, which i protected in a healthy state will pre- serve an industry that has brough millions to the Connecticut farmers.