often as possible. But by reason of much trying we succeeded in getting
quite a number of experiments in good shape, considering the dry sea-
son.
 On the 29th of May, when one experiment was just ready in which
 to commence the harvest, a tornado, followed by an unusually hard
 rain and hail, destroyed it and every other tobacco experiment in the
 field,'as also the seed beds to a large extent. The result was that only
 the naked stalks were left. This storm was so severe as to entirely
 wash away the soil and fertilizer of another experiment. With what
 was left us we did the best we could under the circumstances, on which
 a report is made below.
 In March we made a trip to Cuba in the interest of tobacco culture.
While there we learned that the methods of culture differed from ours,
rot only in the distance between the rows, but the distance between
plants in drill. It was observed, also, that the plants were topped at
an earlier stage of their growth, and that they were taken from the
field, being considered ripe by different signs and conditions than
those governing us. As near as we could, under the unfavorable
circumstances, we tried to gather and cure our experiments, which were
mainly from second growth, by the Cuban rule. The only thing left
us was to test the quality of texture and flavor. This tobacco, in con-
nection with lots from different parts of the State, we have resweated
and manipulated, by the assistance of a gentleman employed for the
purpose, a native of Cuba, and we had segars made from it and tested,
and the uniform testimony is, from different persons capable of judging,
living in different parts of the State, that they will compare favorably
with the best made from Cuba tobacco.
 The other samples from other parts of the State have also been sim-
ilarly tested and pronounced to be of very fine quality. It is conceded
that resweating and betuning very greatly improves our Florida
tobacco af er it has passed through the barn sweat. The uniform tes-
timony of segar manufacturers is that our Florida tobacco is not ready
for them as it is prepared by our growers. Being apprised of this, for
nearly two years or more, it was with the object in view, that of learn-
ing the methods of preparing segar tobacco for market as the Cubans
do, that we sought a man who understood the process, and from him
learn it, in order to teach it to our agricultural students, and also
to those farmers who felt sufficient interest in the industry to under-
take the necessary course. To give the process to the public would
gratify curiosity and possibly induce some to attempt to sweat and
betune their own tobacco. This might mislead and be attended by
loss. Like everything else of value and importance the knowledge has
to be attained by patient care and attention, and also by diligent ap-
plication to the details. For these reasons it would be better to wait the
process of further experiment and thus obtain a more accurate and
thorough knowledge before it would be wise to try and teach the farmer
the process by means of bulletins. The fact that the farmers generally
do not know how to prepare their tobacco for market, and the diffi-
culties in the way of their learning, will necessitate the establishment
of sweating houses in every section of the State, convenient to growers,
and those houses must being charge of men who understand the art of
sweating. Until the farmer learns how to prepare his tobacco for mar-
ket those who understand the business must do it for him. The pres-
ent crop, for which there is, at this writing, no demand, should be re-
sweated, and it does appear that unless it is thus handled there will be
no demand.
 The station is preparing the next season to make a large number of
experiments in tobacco, and on a more extended scale than hereto-
fore. .