-grown seed and could not see any
serious deterioration or change in the quality of the tobacco, but a
singular change in the form of the leaf took place. That from
home-grown seed grew longer, and the veins or ribs, which in Havana
tobacco stand out at right angles from the leaf stalks took an acute
angle, and thus became longer and made up a greater part of the leaf.
Of Florida tobacco the home-grown seed comes true.

Tobacco is now being tested in the several counties in the State and
with every promise of success. Many of the ranches seem well adapted
for the plant and the planters are confident by their new process of
curing, of being able to produce an article equal to the best Havana
brand. The plants attain a remarkable size, and grow up like many
kinds of tropical vegetation, without much care being bestowed upon
them, although the plants are regularly cultivated and hoed. The
planters are not troubled with that foe of most tobacco fields, "the
worm." They attribute this in part to the excellence of their soil and
partly to the abundance of birds and yellow jackets. The planters do
not always "top" the Havana and do very little "suckering." If the
ground is rich, and free from weeds they let one of the suckers from
that root grow, and thus become almost as large and heavy as the
original plant. They believe that the soil is strong enough to bear
the plants and suckers, and that they get a better leaf and finer
quality without suckering.

In summer the roads are very dusty in California, and this dust is a
disadvantage to the tobacco planter. On some of the plantations double
rows of shade trees are planted along the main roads, and gravel is
spread on the interior roads; and to protect the fields of tobacco
from the high winds which sweep through the California valley, almonds
and cottonwoods are planted for wind-breaks in the fields.

Some of the planters employ Chinese to cultivate the plants, who are
very careful in hoeing and weeding the tobacco, living an apparently
jolly life in shanties near the fields. A witty California
correspondent of the _Tobacco Leaf_ writes concerning the early
cultivation of tobacco in that State:

"We are doing a great many other things in California now
besides raising grain, fruit, wine, wool, and gold. We are
doing a lively business in tobacco. Fifteen years ago I was
down East on one occasion when they were gathering the
tobacco crop--which goes