Tobacco, from the seed bed to the storage of the manufactured products, is subject to attack by insects, etc., and vigilance must at all times be exercised to keep it free from such harmful influences. Only a few of the principal agencies attacking tobacco will be mentioned here as the subject is of more interest to the specialist than to the smoker. The growing plant is particularly subject to Cut-worm disease and Horn-worm disease. _Cut-worms_ are the larvae of several species of moths. They injure the young, tender plant and feed on the leaves. _Horn-worms_ are the larvae of the Sphinx Moth. 2 or 3 will ruin a plant in one day. Stored tobacco is subject to many diseases. _Bud caterpillars_, the _leaf-miner_ or _split-worm_ and the _Tobacco flea beetle_ are minute beetles which attack it. _Mosaic disease_, _Frog-eye_ or _Leaf-spot_ are probably bacterial diseases. In addition, tobacco, particularly during the curing process, is subject to pole-burn, pole-sweat, or house-burn, stem-rot, white-vein, and various forms of mould, all these being probably due to bacteria. For additional information see: U. S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE. _Farmers' Bulletin_, 120. HOWARD, L. O. _The principal insects affecting the tobacco plant._ Washington, D. C., 1900. U. S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE. _Bureau of Entomology._ Bulletin 65. SPECKLED OR SPOTTED CIGARS Many smokers of cigars have the idea that there is some special virtue in a cigar that shows specks or spots of discoloration in the leaf. As a matter of fact such spots have nothing whatever to do with the quality of the tobacco. The occurrence of such spots is accounted for differently. Some say the spots are due to certain bacteria which attack the leaf either when growing or fermenting and this most probably is the correct view. Others say that the spots are due to rain drops which, sprinkled on the leaves, act as lenses and concentrate the rays of the sun, thus causing a burning of the leaf in such spots. Some think the spots are caused by a worm. On account of the prejudice of smokers for speckled cigars dealers have been known to produce this appearance in the leaf artificially. There are different methods although resort is not often had at the present time to this practice as the belief in this sign is no longer as prevalent as formerly. The following are examples of such cigar speckling preparation, the chief ingredient being some active oxidizing agent: Cigar speckling fluid: (Method 1.) Powdered Ammonium Carbonate and a concentrated solution of (H{2}O{2}). Dissolve one part of the Ammonium Carbonate in 25 parts of the (H{2}O{2}). Touch the cigar with this in spots with the end of a pointed stick. This gives the appearance of speckled Sumatran leaf. (Method 2.) The following method is said to be used by a large firm: Sodium Carbonate--3 parts. Chlorinated Lime--1 part. Hot Water--8 parts.