The Iowa transcript. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1858-1866, 1863-02-26
Tobacco Culture.

1
TON, D. y. ::-Eear Sir - have the
honor to acknowledge the receipt OF
your communication of the 18th inst.
covering one from Hon. John A Kassor.
late Assistant L. NJ. General. and Cong.
rcssman elect for the 5,h District q.
Iowa, making enquiries in relation to
the cultivation Of, cnr,ng and prizing
tobacco, in Southern Indiana.
have carefully examined the queries
rropoundcd by Mr.. Kasson aud yonr.
self and having consulted with some of
our most successful tobacco planters, il
relation thereto, and now prepared to
give you the results Of my knowledge,
thus derived l will, however, say in
advance, that the farmers Of this county
have been remarkably successful in the
cultivation Of tobacco, so much so in
deed, tllat..it is fast becoming the staple
article with us. 1t is realizing to our
people very hanl>om remuneration
for their labor, and bringing much capi-
tal here.
There has been over $1,000. 900
worth Of tobacco raised in Spencer
county alone, during the last season.
The average proceeds to the fairness
for their cr'p, for the six years prcyi
Gus to the present has been about ST. 90
per hundred pounds. This year i, goes
up to the handsome figure of s 90 per
hundred. anl | doubt knot, but they
Will get $1,000 next year from ali indi
cations. II is one Of the most remu
lucrative ard certain crops grow here.
and hence nearly al! the farmers of this
LEGALITY are turning their attention in
that direction. NJ candid impression
is that there will be s. 100000 worth
of tobacco raised in Spencer county
next year. The reason tor This belief is
that it has paid so well this season that
nearly every man, woman, and chil.l in
the country. able to wo,k cu, oi doors
viii plant in tie spring. Oar SOL i
well adapted TO raising tobacco, ani
yields well! The average yield to the
acre is about 1000 pounds when prop
er'y cultivated. Ti.e tobacco grown
here and in other counties, in Southern
indiana, is beginning to compete with
the best Kentucky iobac'.o grown, and
will eventually oversee! It III the mark
cts from the fact that our soil is more
adapted to pertecting the plant, being
stronger, cct But I am depressing,
and now 70 the main point in Mr. Ka-
sson's letter.
FlRsr-The soil best adapted to the
raising Of tobacco is sandy soil, ii
river Or creek bottoms, and on up.lands
a mixture Of clay and sand. Such soils
will usually be found where hickory
pawpaw, or dogwood abound. It also
does we'll in soil producing the beech
New ground, in beech deade ings, has
always produced excellent tobacco, in
Southern Indiana, and many tobacco
planters manage to have such dead
nings, every two or three years SO as to
have the advantages Of strong new
ground to plant in.
SEcoNp-Sowirg the sssa.-Sclcct a
rich place, clean everything off make
the ground perfectly bare OF trash, then
cover with brush and wood, and burn
% ashes, let the ashes burn or 10
hours, until perfectly cool, when the
ground thus burned over should be
spadcd up carefully and made a. fine as
possible, rake it over to mellow It, then
mix the seed with ashes, and SOW.
After sowing rake it in we'll. A table.
spoonful Of seed will SOW a bed Is feet
square, aud teaspoonfnll, if propcrl,
sown is sufficient to plant one acre ol
ground. The seed should be sown ,ht
FIST dry spell after.Christmas, bccaus.
when sown then, the plants are knows
to stand the drought much better ,ha,
when sown later The ground must b.
perfectly dry when the seed is sown. I,
order to keep cattle and other stock of
OF the tobacco beds, throw over then
straight brush 70 protect tac plants
In tie spring take off all the leaves ane
brush 50 as to allow plants to grow
thrifty.
Tnlap-Ireparing TIE ground TO-
pltnting-This is important, and shonl.
be carefully attended to. lst-Breal
up the ground deep, go down to tn
subsoil, it possible. DO this carly i
the spring, SO soon as the ground is il
, good order for breaking let it then Ia
: until yon are about ready for planting