Los Angeles daily herald., 1874-04-25
LETTER FROM MEMPHIS.
suggestions About Tobacco Growing
New Town, Simms' Town and Gem
cral Banning's New Wagon.


New Town, Simms' Town and Gem
cral Banning's New Wagon.
EDITOR HERALD: / have brother
in-law living in Decaturcounty, Geor-
gia, which is within the charmed cir
Gle dedicated formerly to the produc-
ton of Florida tobacco. He annually
planted hundred acres or more before
the war, and has planted several times
since; but the business does not pay,
and does not pay for the reason that
Florida tobacco went out of fashion
during the war, and has not since
gained favor with the public. This
you will say is strange when / tell you
that the tobacco is the same as it al
ways was. have often discussed this
question of tobacco growing with Col.
Munnerlyn and his neighbors, and l
think can give your readers some
excellent practical hints about the
growing of the weed, and which may
save them some money.
1T is A LAW
OF the tobacco plant, or one which
governs it, put it whichever way you
like, that it rapidly changes its nature
and quality in obedience to changes of
soil and climate. That is to say: the
Havana tobacco planted in Florida
rapidly deteriorates and becomes Flor
ida tobacco; the Florida tobacco plant
ed elsewhere rapidly assumes the type
which the new habitant will produce;
and reverse the rule and l have no
doubt but that tobacco springing from
seed taken from Kentucky or Missouri
to Havana will rapidly improve from
year to year until it reaches the best
type, or rather the peculiar type, of
that locale. This is a law, about
which there can be no dispute. There
fore, if your tobacco growers desire to-
bacco nearly approaching the Cuba
kind tsey must get the seed from that
country every year, which is not diff
cult, as the New York seedsmen inn
port them. Tobacco seed clings to
life for ten years, hence if you have
any over they will answer for years to
come. l will not venture to attack
Mr.. Culp's process of improving the
quality of the article by curing by
chemical or other means, as l know
nothing about it; but | will hazard
grow from the seed sent to Los Ange-
les recently by Bishop Keener will
equal any that has ever been treated
chemically or otherwise. Do not wait
for the good Bishop to send more seed
if you want good tobacco, but send to
Peter Henderson, New York, and he
will sell them to you. DO not plant
seed from tobacco grown in California,
but plant imported seed every year.
THERE is THE SECRET.
They tell me that New Town has
grown into Wilmington, ard Will
mington has grown to be a place.
Wonders never will cease. Timms
and / never thought much of New
Town, but am afraid We were fogies.
The ne,U people of Los Angeles must
know that the writer held the office of
agent for Collier & Tomlinson at
Timms Town for six months, during
withholding yOung-he imbibed a
violent prejudice against New Town.
The greatest victory we ever achieved
over Banning was not beating his eX-
press up to town, which we essayed to
do once, but was witnessing the fail
ure of his steam wagon. An English
man built road steamer aud shipped
it to California, and Banning bought
it on condition that it would operate
successfully, which he was confident
it would do. A day was set for the
trial. Banning passed around anx-
iously; Tom Workman chewed tobac-
co furiously; Mcdonald would bet it
would work, and Sanford said nothing.
The native Californians sat on their
horses and cracked jokes, whilst Capt.
Jordan the last l heard of the Captain
he was in Montgomery, Alabama,)
mounted the engine in a bran new
shirt, seized the steering apparatus and
said, ego ahead ~ Half dozen of
those big wagons were attached be-
hind, and much to our delight this
don't mean Timms and myself the
train moved Off and got along first
rate on the flat, firm ground near the
slough, but directly it came to the
sand and then it stopped. The driv-
ing-wheels dug themselves holes, and
the more steam the engineer put on
the faster she eXcavated. The boiler
foamed and vomited wet SCOT, which
spoiled Captain Jordan's new shirt,
and set him to disappearing. Ban
ming went mournfully to the office
and said, 'put her back in the lighter
and ship her back" Timms and
were happy. But 1 have repented
since then and think Banning was
rather more enterprisiug than we.
GEORGE w. GIFT.
MEMPHIS, Tenn, April 10, 1874.