Abstract

While curing Virginia tobacco in any farm some inferior grades of leaves are obtained. Their disposal has become problematic this year much more than ever as shipments of this material to Japan, China, etc., have ceased. I wish to suggest an alternative use for this low quality leaf. These are Guntur grades VII and VIII and consist of dead, perished and scorched leaf and immature green leaf picked which are locally known in Telugu as "Gulla", "Madu" and "Moddu patcha". Even when these grades were saleable the value of such grades was from Re. 1 to Rs. 10 per candy of 500 lb. That is to say the average price of a candy was Rs. 5. It has to be considered whether such an offer is justifiable. If any leaf is sold, it should fetch at least the cost of its preparation, i. e, curing, grading and packing. I wish to suggest a means that is more profitable indirectly than the sale of leaf for cash at Rs. 5 per candy of 500 lb. Manuring the lands plays a prominent part in agriculture and the main plant foods are nitrogen, phosphoric acid and potash. International commerce was put to a dead stop owing to the "World War" and no fertilizer is imported into India. Secondly, in the opinion of scientists organic manures are better than inorganic fertilizers. Tobacco leaf with its stem is a good organic manure.

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