The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1872-03-11
Eucst;ons rrcm Richmond, sa'' A''"
Santh Windsor, C"h".
THE QUESTIONS.

| RICHMOND, VA. February l''
! r,,,,o, E,ryjua Post. Hdr:ford' 1o"".
nc,r Sir-tjur local papers are Iei to lr,
,..,,, ,.,,,, co,umnS IN article on 'rc ,r,rnra
"", n 81 Connecticut valley ana o, I IT,. ,n,trr
>'" n, WiIl YOU pleas" intern n't a IL ,s
.hnre f. write that may have ' ., 'u'iV I rn
',,ns,ious answered or. h"ltet >''''' w., "
n,T',.c qu.wcr them through i"e .ui'',,.
,hn posi that they may ilaNc& s'n''" ~, "'a
s;nn and follow the ar'c:caii'oc" - ''n0"o"
he Virginia papers: ,,,r.
U-h,i is the soil oi Connecticut Na"es
W.h1t kind ui tobacco is raised!
Is the manure applied broadcast OF III Tic
hill? .ro.
AZ what Stage OF tie crop Is II il'itc"'
With many others ain anNi1H> 20 sec
small farms and good farming i'll Tins STATE:
bat we don't know how.
Ev "iyin" little OF your Nalrahlc ti'hc
md space to the matter You W!ls confer Il
o:hNr benefit OF many tohacco growers o.
hi. section. The prices You quote Go nor
exceed ours. hut the yield tniISl hc cnoT-
nous. Respectfully, l.. T. l.
THE ANSWERS.
W. II. White. Esq. oil south Windsor. r,-
plies to the above ~ follows:
I'm order to the Lest understanding OF the
,,,iaIity. etc.. of the soil of the Connecticut
t;iycr valley, perhaps tie best course l can
pursue in imparting Tie Information oc>ir'o
would be to say that tie geologic cohlorila,
ion of The towns OF south lhtsVl anu
East Hartford, where the greatest success j.
attained in growing tobacco, Is malhiy Il SUE
r;>Sicn Of platcauS or steps. FIRST, TIC hank
If the river is higher than the ground 4 iittIc
back to the next step. This portion Is U>u-
ally overlooked by high water, Is known aS
meadow land, and is chiefly devoted to grass,
furnishing large amount OF hay, win more
or less pasture, in the lower ground ana lack
portion. Next follows step i:l!ordng SOIL
or culture Of various crops, pasture, etc.
Ne next come TO the highest ground. along
watch tic main road runs, near winch i
ne best soil for the crop. The sol; l.
generally an aliW io, same! Ioain, varying
a composition from I heavy sandy loain
r. a LIGHT one containing very iIIiG c'if.
:'hc heavier soils produc" the heaviest TO-
,.Gco. the treat cron' OF 2,JGO Ho"nto 2,o'v
pounds. Tic lighter loa!ns are unf!cE!a. c
with Il yclowisl sandy loan; The heavier
ones have darker sub-soll, with darker
coorcd surface soil. The light colorcd sur
.acc. with light suh-soil, crows the hlcr
lua!itir> of wrappers. "%l averages, under
thorough culture, about =, 900 to- 400 pounds
,jcr acre. liz Inc back part OF these toWn>
he soil is OF somewhat different character,
vet growing good crops OF tobacco, rSi'a:iy
selling 1t Il Little ica& price than that ncillsi
.Ae river. TO the traveller, OF Casual Oh
,cYycr, much of the soil appears like al ul-
productive one, especially where uncllltl-
waited, vet with high culture and nanurinG
miracles are wrought, almost, III productive
ness.
The variety of tobacco grown is that COM
monty known rs Connecticut seed leaf,
which is very similar to the Virginia to-
racco": there are different Varieties on
rather variations, in the seed leaf. ~roWa out
ol' culture, etc. varying i'll their burning
qualities chiefly. seed is changed from a
..luycliy to Il sandy loan soil. and rjcc rer$N'
This is thought 10 prevent what is termed
rust" not ini!cquCnt disease when the
..nc seed is soWu and grown year after YEA
iii the same locality OF oil The sam" farm
Giiis same variety AID seed has been WidCI!
di,ill>cd throughout the country, especially
the West. yet the cured leaf from this seed
has very little. if any, Of the qualities it has
-rowM in this vicinity. | am informed That
the tobacco grown iii some OF the western
states must be worked az soon as 1t h;!>
passed the "sWcat' OF il Is good Tor l;ii!'
:0r cigar wT1ppers; but that grown her,
improves III quality by age. losing note oi
IL ioughneSs or strength for fine Wrappers
the reasons for this variation remain yet Uni
explained.
Farm and stable manure are mainly relied
upou tUr fertilizers; this on the ground costs
where purchased. about so per cord Of 1Gt
feet, and is applied broadcast just hcforC
n.;ian,in@ time III spring, evenly distri
| butcd over the whole surface and plou-hcd
under four or five inches deep. The !nno
| then remains until about week before set
| ting time. Just long enough TO prepare th,
ground for setting previous to time. when il
| /. plcuwIcd again about two inches deeper
| Than II first. In tie intervening time one OF
| Two harrOWiagS are given to DESTROY weeds
| etc. Ten to twelve cords OF stable manure
are applied 10 the acre, and. III addition, from
! 300 TO 2j0 pounds Of Peruvian gllano, Chin
cha brand, with IN equal OF somewhat @rc:iltl
quantity of plaster (miycd) 10 the acre
,trcwcd III the dill as The ground i tlltot
Tor setting tue plants. No OlhCr application
OF fertilizers l. MAZE 10 the crop with lis. hiI
Il very important essential is in >cttin" gouo
| strong plants well, and then 10 keep then
growing evenly throughout Tie whole field
from the time th"y take root to the lime OF
har> cSting, doing all in just the right time.
The writer can look back 10 1880 when he
assisted in growinga small patch of HE weed
! which sold for some four OF five cents Dcl
pound, when tobacco culture WAS very littsC
understood and the quality inferior. Tho
greatest Improvement III culture, etc. ha
been wrought out during The last itccr
years. When tobacco was first beginning t
nc cultivated in this vicinity, 4 man Of Til
town, l am crcdibiy informed, was cutting
his tobacco when 4 Virginia gentleman Wa
passing, and his practice being so dillcrcn
from that Of the Nirginian's that the latte
left his carriage, entered the field to iylstruc
the workman, saying. and enforcing the eX
PLANTATION by example with Il pockct-kniie
ave split down our plant stalks, and tlcl
cut them; they cure BETTER" etc. Our pee
pie never split the stem. but hang without
we find that the tobacco weighs better, AM
cures up better, and is every way better
where we hang without splitting the stem
We also find it better TO cut and house lie
fore it is fully ripe than 10 wait till dead ripe
From tie Hartford Post.
IOaacco IN Connecticut.