[Editorial]

When the most approved methods of cultivation and curing have been mastered by the growers there is every reason to believe that tobacco growing will become a most valuable industry in this colony. Mr Bondurant, the Government expert, is striving hard to inculcate modern methods, and is giving a good deal of attention to the Government experimental farm at Edi.

This statement is from a recent issue of the Melbourne Argus. It may be interesting to state that Mr Joseph Allan, of Hope Hill, Allanton, is trying an experiment in growing the tobacco plant. We were shown at Messrs Maitland and Tucker's some half-dozen leaves of the best Virginian, which Mr Allan brought into town as a sample. The leaves are each about 20in long and about 12in wide, and have the appearance of having been plucked from a healthy and vigorous plant. Mr Allan has some 20 plants growing in the open, each bearing between 50 and 60 leaves. The plants are at present in flower, which is of a dark pink colour. Possibly the remarks of our contemporary, given above, may apply to Otago as well as to Victoria.