Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1874-06-13
TOBACCO OFFICIALLY C0SSID-
Erred.


FIGURES anu factSs
Tobacco is a special crep, says the
Reporter, very regular in its distribu-.
ton and huetuating in extent of local
9TH. and hence specific investiga-
ton is necessary even to obtain com
parative estimates ofquantity. Though
it is produced in all the States, there
were only IA States in 1870 Ton census
authority (that produced as much as
] 900, 900 lbs. each, while several coun-
ties in tobacco States yield, each, two,
three to five millions of pounds. Ken
lucky and Virginia are credited with
more than half the crop, the former
State alone 40 per cent of it. Only
seven States separately exceeded TO-,
100000, Kentucky, Virginia, Tennes-
see, Ohio, Maryland, Missouri, North
Carolina, in order of precedence. Yet
ia point of fact. the product was much
greater than indicated by the census,
the fear of taxation doubtless prevent
ing full return. As an instance of
deficiency, the national census of Ohio
makes total of 1874. 923 pounds.
In 1869 the State assessors returned
for the same year 81, 953, 200 pounds !;
and undoubtedly neither obtained a
return of the entire production. These
seven States produced about IS per
cent. of the tobacco gorwn.
Few people apparently realize the
small area actually occupied by the
crop. Allowing ,000. 900 pounds in
crease over the 292, 735, 81 pounds re-
ported by the census, twenty townships
of land yielding 800 lbs. per acre will
suffice This is the size of a medium
county. This fact affords an explana-
ton of the necessity of care in pre-
venting great fluctuations in the
breadth of production, and shows how
easy it would be to glut the market and
ruin prices.
The report goes oG to give estimates,
derived from correspondents in coun-
ties producing not less than 100000
pounds, of the quality harvested in
1873, and other particulars. The fol-
lowing is what the report contains in
relation to Tennessee:
Tennessee returned, as the crop of
1869, according to the census q .465,
452 pounds. Nine counties, which
contributed more than two-thirds of
that quantity, now report about Z per
cent. increase, or 15.S20,000 pounds,
grown ON about 26, 600 acres, and worth
q cents per pound.
The following extractsare presented:
Sumner: The census of 1870 gives
the crop of 1869 as 995,568 pounds.
Since then at least two-thirds of that
country that produced tobacco has
been cut off, making us less prominent
in its growth. Weakly: The crop of
1873 was moderately good, but badly
worm eaten. Cotton planting has to
a great degree superseded tobacco cul-
ture, and consequently, what we do
make does not receive the attention it
did in years past. Smith: 1t is only
because the tobacco LANDS in the
country are the most fertile in the
world that they continue to yield the
quantity and quality they do. Tobac-
CO-SEOHtiS Hcie are HuJeu IOT HidhlDg
no improvements of any kind, neither
in horses, barns, fences, nor stock.
Robertson: About one-fifth of the
crop of 1873 is fine tobacco, and four
ffths inferior quality. The crop was
seriously damaged by worms and
drought. More of the crop planted
on thin land than usual, owing to the
wet May and June. The farmers got
behind with their work, and could not
manure the land or cultivate the crop
as usual. Wilson: Rather an inferior
crop; full one-half Tugs and inferior
leaf. Dyer: Quality good Cotton has
almost entirely superseded tobacco for
the want of reliable labor. jackson /:
Comparative quality equal to, if not
better, than last year, where it was set
out in time and properly cultivated,
but not so good where it was planted
late, because it had to be harvested
before it was fully matured. Obion
Medium. Our county has nearly
abanded the raising of tobacco. For
the last few years our farmers have
given much of their attention to cot
ton. Montgomery: Good body more
worm eaten than usual.