Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1873-11-14
From the American Farmer.
Growth Of the Tobacco Interest in Con.
necticut.

necticut.
Messrs. Editors of the american Former:
AS a close to the series of articles on
Tobacco Culture in New England,
herewith reproduce an article written
by myself, and published in the Even-
ing Post, Hartford, August Z, 1872, as
follows:
"Just at what date tobacco was in
troduced into Connecticut we are not
at present informed; but that it has
been grown from an early date in the
history of the State is evident from the
fact that in the early ecclesiastical re-
cords, we find that in connection with
certain moneys, ETC., the ministers were
to be allowed, or paid, a certain num-
ber of pounds of tobacco as their sala-
ry. The amount of tobacco grown, or
the area devoted to its production, was
small, and the number of growers few,
unless we count those who grew few
plants in the garden for individual
use; of these there were more, but the
increase in production was quite slow
till within the last 20 or 80 years, the
greatest increase occurring within the
shorter period. Something like 25 to
40 years since, tobacco-growing was
looked upon by many in Connecticut
(of certain class) as of an immoral
tendency, and one which they would
not countenance either by practice or
otherwise, and would not even allow it
to be grown on their lands: At this
time, as also for previous period, it
was customary for all farmers to grow
corn and rye, as commercial crops, and
these products were sold to the distill-
ers to be converted into gin, whiskey,
etc., and the consciences of strict tenn
perance men seemed not to twinge
thereat, but when it came to tobacco
the case was otherwise, for a time, till
the price went up from 2, 8 to 8 cents
per pound. Those who grew the weed
always claimed that there was more
money in the crop when it sold for 5
or 6 cents 8 H., than in rye and corn,
or other cultivated crops, and hereupon
hangs an anecdote of two neighbors, one
residing in the lower part of East, now
South Windsor, and the other in East
Hartford, whom we will designate as
O. and B. O. was opposed to the cul-
ture of tobacco, while his neighbor B.
grew it in a moderate amount yearly,
claiming that he made the greatest
profit from his farm thereby. Nearly
every TING they met especially during
the summer, something must be SAID
by each in support of his side of the
question. In the course of time tobac-
co advanced to 8 cents Y h.; the next
season B. kept.a little lookout, as his
neighbor O. did not have quite so much
to say against growing tobacco, and a.
bout the season of the year, in passing
along, he discovered on O.'s land a
field set out to tobacco; reserving his
fire till meeting 0. one day, he says:
Colonel, how's this, I thought you
wouldn't have any tobacco grown on
your farm? o. replies, oh! | thought
| would try small piece this year,
growing grain is getting rather dull,
don't find it as profitable as it used to
be- Says B. that's not it, I can tell
you, it's the s cents p tb. the tobacco
brings, that's the principle, s cents per
poated.' Undoubtedly that is the prin-
cipal reason which has brought over
to tobacco culture a great many who
now grow it, to a greater or less extent,
there being very few exceptions of men,
yea, women too, who own farms thro'
the valley who do not grow, or allow
it to be grown on their farms. The
present 'Seed-Leaf' tobacco. has been
grown generally only some Is years; !;
previously, what was known as Mar
row-Leaf,' 'Shoe-string,' etc., was the
variety cultivated; that never required
the nice care, etc., in producing which
is requisite for the Broad or Seed
Leaf or at least it never received any
thing like the care, etc., which is ac-
corded to tobacco at the present;
worms troubled less, and pole-burn was
a thing seldom known; the tobacco
was not assorted by the grower, neith-
er was it very particular as to manur-
ing high, very little more manure be-
ing used than was required to we'll fer
tilize piece Of corn land of equal ex-
tent, and the labor of producing two
acres of corn about equaling one Of to-
bacco. By degrees the growers in
formed themselves as to the better pre-
paration and marketing of the crop,
and as information increased better
practices prevailed, better prices were
realized, more pains were taken in all
it's culture and preparation for market,
leading to the change in variety culti-
vated, and then an improvement on
that, till now we have a variety which
is noted far and near; yet it is not all
in the variety, very much is due to the
soil, experience in culture, etc.; and
then experience has taught that heavy
manuring with horse-stable manure,
with a certain amount of Peruvian
guano to give the plants start in the
hill, produces the finest and best quail
ity; and also, that it is essential to
bring. the plants forward early, so that
good strong ones may be had ready fol-
transplanting early in June, that the
crop may have ample time to mature
before early fall-frosts, which often oc-
cur as soon as the 10th of September
Great pains are taken to select plants
of near equal size and strength ot
IT q ?