Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1843-10-27
COMMUNICATED

TO THE HANOVER AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY.
Essau or e proprcfy Of attending The culture Of To-
bacco" and The best means II calt,rat,n" tie same
In considering the utility Of cul'vs;ing Tobacco, IT
is deemed advisable enter upon estimate ol the
comparative OF tina, and the crop, for poF'
ton of which II Is usually substituted An wi" rea-
Oily admit, that the crop which aiifds tae argest pro
fit 10 the planter on the labor expended, Will enable
him. other things BEN" equal make the greatest im
provemen of his l..i, aud 10 eaaance the comforts OF
his home.
Let the comparison be made ,Aus: Take en- acre Of
land rich to produce barrels OF corn, and esti
mate the value OF the crop as follows:
Eight barrels of corn, - sh,ngs per BARREL $50 90
Four cwt OF blade fodder, al 30 cents per c~t., oo
Shucks, stosks and top fodder, may be put at 90
s24 90
Land that will produce : barrels OF corn per
acre will, with equal certainty, bring 10
cw, of Tobacco which beng estimated at
S4 per cwt., @ produce the SUN of $40 GO
Giving balance in tvo, of TIE Tobacco crop of SIG 90
1t IS manifest that 20 make crop of tobacco, re.
quires more abn. than 10 make Of cora but much
Of the additional labor requisite 10 be done, perform
ed by small and tntrn hands, and n, season OF the
year WHEN much else of importance is found 10
engage tho farmers a:iention and when The weather
is 50 lnciement that would 5e mprudent 10 employ
the lahurers ont Of doors. The more convenient and
chea per por'aon o.! The crop market, saving
the planter, by means 10 be overlooked m the
credit of this crop, IS tina, II is cash article The
farmer ,he whole sum q, once, and may IN
neda:ey make such disposition Of IT, his necessities
require ms mel nation prompts
Il is d,iicul, "iih accuracy, the difference
in the Of labor required Cor the cultivation Of
the crops but may be safely asserted, that does
not amount Is than 50 pe. acre. against the to
bacco crop whcn beng taken the difference, vii!
leave stall rs favor, tis Of 81 per acre.
The foregoing estimate, # correct, settles the point,
that tobacco and that At low price is more Prohta-
BILE crop than carn ia natural competitor. |, will OF
he understood, that 'f there takes place any
considerable change the prices of these articles,
the should vary according the change; and
that districts oil country where the soil has peculiar
fitness for and lily adapted TO the growth Of
tobacco, the of the above calculation will most
likely prove true.
IT. then We have established the fact, tina. more
profit realised !or year, from OF land cui-
;vaed tobacco, Than corn, we Will next proceed
to the consideration Of the comparative INJURY sustain
ed by the a2d when cultivated th- or the other
crop The prevailing op,u'Da is, HAT tobacco ~ inc
greater eGhaC.,r OF The two and That no iatu can b.
kept long from rapid t0"r'ora,on which it's ex,en
svely cultivated This cTroneou, r;aiGa, l!n, has
been fixed 10 the minds o! the present gene!a,inn 10y
The land killing system pursued by ancestors; who
finding it The money making CROP and that their
rich lands, cultivated IN IL, would pay them large
per centaga on the capital invested, cultivated them
after year. snccesstvelv without regard 10 the
cessi,y of rotation in crops, and without much regret al
witness ng ihe. manifest depreciation, under system
of the most cxhausiing cultivation. we'll knowing, that
from the abundance Al rch virgin land IN hs coun'ry
they could easily, when they had exhausted one fam
obtain another Such o: iillage well cal
culasd to induce those who jrdFed from appearances
aud without reflection the subject to conclude tha
tooacco more injurious TO land tHan any crop what
But, proper Investigation o! Tie matter, no
will be found, 10 Justify such conclusion
while on the contrary, tnere is abundant ground 10
sustain different opinion. For tobacco being tap
plant, draws portion OF It's support from hsncath The
SOIL while It's many broad leaves receive large portion
of nourtshnent from the cabonc acid and carbonate nj
ammonia, contained in the atmosphere. Another ad-
vantage arising from the cultivation of tobacco that
wheat grows better when preceded BY It, Than by
other crop. The greatest objection To The tobacco crop
is, that it affords very small amount of ofaI, from
which manure may &c made bu this evil IS than
compen sated for the excess of profit arising iron,
the tobacco for according 10 the foregoing estimate
the whole OF the nta! al the eight barrels of made
the acre, amounted, in value 10 four dollars only
the manure itself amounting 10 probably not more than
one dollar on The value OF lie.cc OF me which
being subs;fac,ed rom the remaining, IN favor o
the tobacco crop, would stall leave handsome pus
10 be expeHded Il desired, - enfichng the land. /,
may also be gwen, reason for the cultivation n
this article Of luxury that The greater portion of it is
consumed and, OF course, paid for by the subjects
foreign nations and serves the purpose Of commerce
instead OF specie, which it may hs interest
tam al home Again, Gy making tobacco, necessa
ry abstract portion Vi labor from the cultivation
corn, and keep up the price Of staple article tina
might o:herwise sell 50 low not 10 compensate the
farmer Tor making H. Arriving, them as we have
DONE at the conclusion, that expedent courar
the cultivation OF tobacco vii, proceed as distinct
Iy, and briefly can, 10 forth "he best mean.
Of cul,ivaiing tn same
The first thng to be 6one Is, TO make ample r5era
ration 10 suHiciency Of plants 10 enec
which object, select piece OF ground the margin
Of swamp, covered with rich vegetable mould, hav
ing Southern exposure, and protected, if possible
by woods from the Northern wcds; for, the warme,
the situation, the rapid will be the growth Of The
plants, and the better chance they will have 10 escape
the ay-,hat greatest enemy OF tobacoo-makers. The