New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1921-04-11
TOBACCO PLANT IS
NOT MADE TO ORDER
New Haven Experimental Station
Has New Specimen

Cambridge, Mass. April 11.-What
is claimed to be the first plant actual
ly made Ia order according to speci-
hcations listed i'm advance, has been
developed by Professor Edward NJ
East OF Harvard for the Connecticut
Agricultural Experiment station at
New Haven, Conn.
The new plant, known Round
Tip, is q cigar-wrapper tobacco com
binins, il is claimed. the desirable
qualities OF several existing varieties
and none Of their defects and possess
ing several worthwhile chara cteris.
tics unknown in the older varieties.
1t was produced by scientific appli-
cation of the laws of Meredith with
the investigation of which Professor
East has been identified for many
years.
New varieties of plants are not
particularly rare, it is said, and new
names for old varieties are as COM
mon as freckles on n red-Headed boy,
but in the past, according to the Har-
ward biologists. the new things in the
plant world have been more less
occidental Crosses they say, have
been made indiscriminately, trusting
to Providence that something good
would turn up: and occasionally
Providence has come TO the rescue.
In this case study of cigar leaf
wrappers was made. and the charac-
teristics demanded by grower, manu-
facturer and consumer were set down
as cold-bloodedly as a builder. would
plan the requirements Of house.
Existing varieties were then exam
ined in the field and in the warehouse
with the minutest care, seeking those
which when combined would give the
greatest possible chance of success.
Finally it was decided the success of
the project depended on crossing the
two varieties Sumatra and Broadleaf.
Why these varieties were selected
and how the scheme was carried out
| is a long and technical story. Suffice
| it to say that a knowledge of the prin-
ciples of inheritance was the basis.
| Through these principles the work
| could be carried out with no greater
| loss OF time and with as much GER
| tainty of reaching the end in view as
| that of a chemist in producing a new
] tooth paste. TIL" result was the
| Round Tip.
| The Round Tip" said Professor
| East today, has the large leaf and
| the close arrangement OF leaves char
| acteristic of the Broadleaf variety.
| The leaves grow upright AS do those
| of the Sumatra. thus eliminating the
| loss from torn leaves which SO often
| results from the dropping leaves oil
| the other parent. The leaf is even
/ broader than the Sumatra. and so in
| creases the yield OF cigar wrappers
| Since the Broadleaf is too thick and
| has too pronounced flavor for most
| smokers and since the Sumatra is too
/ thin and has no flavor, the new to-
| bacco was made intermediate in these
! respects Finally the Round Tip de-
| velops six or seves more leaves than
I! the old varieties possesses wonder
| full root system max ing it stand up
| under winds that lay other tobaccos
| low. and has a resistance to root rot
| which came to it by accident rather
| than by design.
| ..,rhe Round Tip has been distribut
| ed to Connecticut tobacco growers by
| DR.. Donald r. Jones, n former pupil
at Harvard who ia now connected
| with the Connecticut Agricultural Elk
| periment Station. 1t has had three
| years test, and has been reported on
bv some forty odd planters, Crops
4 OF $500 pounds per acre. double the
| Weld Of ordinary varieties. have been
| obtained under exceptional condi-
| lions. and on the average 2,ooo
| pounds may be confidently expected
| But what pleases US most is that oy
| this experiment We nave ueHlohsI'a.
| cd that the true fundamental princ'-
pie. of plant breeding which we nave
| spent years in studying can be appiled
| TO a specific problem with sucn use
| ful results
Professor East holds the chair OF
| experimental plant morpholosy at the
| Russev institution, the department OF
/ Harvard University devoted to re-
| search and instruction in applied biol
| opv. He is the author Of several vol
umes of technical papers on hereoity'
and i'm collaboration with DR.. Jones.
! published work on the snects or
"Inbreeding and Outbreeding' in ami
| mails and plants. and the bearing OF
the results on the upbuilding Of ma
|