Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1876-02-19
TOBACCO AGAIN.

am truly glad, Mi. Editor, to see the deep
interest you have taken to bring the great
Importance of tobacco growing before our
people. L was myself raised in the great
tobacco growing region of Kentucky, to-
wit: The counties of Mason, Buckner,
Pendleton. Owen and Campbell, have had
considerable experience In the cultivating
Of the plant as well as handling 1t after ma
turity, and have no hesitancy in saying that
am competent judge of the character Of
soil best adapted to the growing Of tobacco.
Seeing the article of my old and much es-
teemed friend, Col. L. j. Bradford, in last
weeks issue of the lntelligencer, has called
to mind what have long entertained In re-
gard to the soil of certain portions of our
county ,and its sultableness to the growth OF
tobacco. have been all over our county,
and taking out the rich prairie land river
bottom lands, we have large area Of As fine
tobacco land as any ever saw. All Of the
oak lands In Clay, Sni-a-Bar and the other
townships will produce fine article Of to-
bacco beyond all question while at the
same time there is also an abundance of tim
ber out Of which to build barns and sheds to
house the tobacco, q fair article of which
will always BRING u good price all the way
from 81 to $40 per hundred. In these hard
times our farmers are obliged to make every
edge cut and or acres of tobacco-and
there is hardly any farmer who can not
manage to cultivate as much-will always
come In good time to meet the urgent money
wants Of many who could and can realize or
borrow 1t from no other source. If you, my
farmer friends, who own small farms in the
timber, instead of covering them with deeds
OF trust, to borrow money, would put in and
raise each year q few acres of tobacco, you
could soon build up tobacco trade here,
and from your tobacco merchant draw this
money on your crop. This custom was and
is universal In the section of Kentucky to
which have alluded. The tobacco buyers
are always willing to advance money on the
crops Of careful, honest and industrious
growers, from the time the crop is cut and
housed until it is stripped and delivered to
them in their warehouses. Continue, Mr..
Editor, to urge this matter upon the atten-
ton Of our farmers, stir up our good broth
er grangers. This is a thing Of vital impor-
tance to ther1 as it is upon their shoulders
that the grest burthen of taxation rests.
Now is the time tor the selection of suita-
BILE places for beds. Let the locations for
them be setec.ed, the logs and brush hauled
and piled really to be burnt as soon as the
season is far enough advanced to SOW the
seed. Do tais while there is plenty of idle
time Procure seed, pick out timber for
sticks, select sites, cut timber, build barns,
clear up piece of new ground and get
everything In readiness and put in at least
n small crop Of tobacco, and my word for It,
you will not regret 1t. Most assuredly not
after you have found your wheat all frozen,
your corn crop failure or drug on the
market, and you find that you have realized
u handsome sum of money from your tobac-
co crop. Trp it once and II it does not beat
your wheat and corn over which you dig
and sweat 80 bng, then tell me L am no
prophet. You will find good market, my
word for it, gentlemen, here In Lexington,
as there are men of means waiting your de-
velopments to 60 into the purchasing. priz-
ing and shipping tobacco from this point.
Will extend this article in some other issue
Of your valuable paper, If permitted and will
enter somewhat Into details IN regard to the
manzer Of handling crop, &c. XYZ.