The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1870-02-23
Tobacco in the Northwest.

NALAS - H~o q hCGACSLCd S1Op
the northwest. We believe that the
II many thousands of acres in tn
state and in the states to the north an
west of it, that are capable of produ,
ing tobacco of good quality. So fal
however, the introduction of the Gu
ture of this crop has not been geners
even in sections where it was know
that it would succeed; and farmer
general have been reluctant to m;lk
experiments in relation to testing tn
capacity of their soils to produce it
We all know that the consumption o
tobacco Is enormous, and that it is III
try and in foreign lands. The Pop
may issue bulls kings may proclaim
cOunterblasts ; and republics may lev!
taxes; but they produce no diminut;o;
In the use of the weed. :
There are many advantages that.at
tend the raising of this crop for mef
who have small capital, and whe have
lands that are suited to lighter work
than the raising Of cornls and grain
But little land is required to. raise
crop that is worth a good deal Of mopey;
rs ten acres in, tobacco will bring moro
money than i tolerable G:.rm liz ofdi-
nary crops. :
Although there Is a good deal of In
Der attending the raising md curing of
a crop of tobacco, it may for the most
part be feekofied rs light work, such
as can be performed, if needs, be by
women and children-No costly tools
are required for working the ground OF.
for harvesting the crop; and if We ex-
cept the .expeffse of a barn 10 dry it in
less capital is required tolraise a thou
sand dollars worth Of tobacco than al
equal worth Of almost any product raj
sed on the farm. The cost. too, of
marketing n CROP of tobacco is very
trihing as compared with such bulky
substances as corn and grain. Again
all the labor of stripping und packing
tobacco can. be performed at a time,
when little can be earned at any other
employment on. the farm ~
1t is a mistaken idea that only SUI
perior tobacco is raised in the sunny
SOUTH There are certain favored
soils in Cuba, and other of the Vest
Indies that produces a tobacco of very
superior fafof.f But for the most part
the tobacco thhf'commands the high
est pricesapd which unites: the excel
lence of good favor, strong fiber and
evenness of thickness-qualrties that
fit it for making cigarsTs produced
in the north. The tobacco raised in
the valley, of the Connecticut river is
of much greater value than that which,
is produeedinl the Southern States
Not onlyis this go, but the yield perl
acre is greateE.it,-r..; Il.
The agricultural report for the year
1868, gives the Average yield per acre
in all the states where it is grown.
The table shows that, almost without
exception, the yield is least in the
on che Gulf, of Mexico, and
tut it gradually increases till youfget,
10 the noFtherA limit where7it can be
Thus, Florida produced
$50 lbs. pes acre; South Carolina, 5O0;
North Caroiinr, 657; Virginia, 1885,;
Pennsylvania, iS25 CONNECTICUT, 1,450i
-nearly.three times as much :Ss4s Pfeit
.uced in.the state. of perpetual now
crs and Sunshine. An. enumeration
Of the product of the tobacco grown
per acre IN the western states she~s
much the same state of things that eX-
ist in those east Of the Alleghanles.-
Thus, Taxes raises-466 lbs.-4ennes-+,
see, SIS 1Ksntucky, i705; Missouri, {
796; Illinois. 757; Ohid S14; and
Michigan ,I,10e., This is certainly all
most excellent showing ON the part ofA
the states that lie for the ;11orth and {
presents quite a different view Of the |
product Of, the tobacco plant from what /
most persons supposed really existed. I
The cultivation of tobacco has been c
on to some extent in southern |
illinois, for anght we know, from the c
time it was settled by the early French.
1t certainly has been grown there ever
s1nce it was settled'by the ancestors of $
the peoplelt that live there now.moThei e
kind usually cultivated, is what is q
as~Mary4and ~tebaccog and is 4
very similar to that raised in Missouri. t
The amount raised In six counties In a
southern Illinois in 1855, according {
State shs Agsidaitdsgf sGsiti!T was worth :
over half a million of dollars. .m~Y-lt
More eceptlx.Lha-ci toztt
bacco has been INTRODUCED into north ,
ern Illinois and southern Wisconsin ; /
and has proved 10. beWep4iheralyew
learn from dealers 5hsre HAT Inc /,
tobacco crop of wisconsin, R4 year |.
amounted to about MILLION and a
half pounds, and that "a Mas sold at an
average Of twelve and a ha1f. cents per
pound. Phe Western Farmer gives an
account q a field Of seven acres raisedf,
near Madison. the yield of which is
estimated at 1880 pounds to the acre.
The raiser has been. offered IA cents I
a pound for it. The wife of this farm
er cultivated half an acre with extra
care, andlit- is thought that its yieldl
will amount to 1000 pounds /; and such j
is its quslssy+ that easterarPaekers have 4
80 cents a pound for it: Dane
County probably produces the most
tobacco efafVfcdnntY in Wisconsin,
and after AatsHhl9orth.
In northern Illinois considerable to-
bacco has been raised fora numScr of
years in Stephenson COunty,-as vel
rs in Ogle and Winuebago. Tobacco
has also been raised in Sahgamon and
a few other counties in the central part "a
of the state. The tobacco raised In \.
southern Illinois, owing totketthiek- &
ness and gummy character of the leaf
is mostly mountaineering plug to-
bacco or into plug Ieaf;-whff that
produced in the northern part of the