The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1878-06-03
Official Press of King County.
Monday, June 8, 1878.
TOBACCO.

The bottom lands of Puget Sound,
are adapted. perhaps, to no one product
more especially than tobacco. The
trouble found in the tobacco growing
districts of Virginia, Kentucky. Con-
necticut and elsewhere, is the rspidity
of the exhaustion of the soil that results
from the raising of few crops of to-
bacco. Our bottom lands, fortunately,
are proof against that trouble. A to-
bacco crop, it is true, is a ravenous con-
sumner of the nutrient elements OF soil
and makes heavy drafts on its fertility
Blu! our bottom lands have resources of
periodical renewal in the overflows that
cover them annually with rich deposit
Of silt and sediment from the noun.
tains.
In Japan they raise 1000 pounds of
leaf to the acre, which sells at Sl60,
using $40 worth of manure, subsoiling
their land and picking three times
The Miami valley, in Ohio. alone raises
100000 pounds per annum, worth
$4,000, 900. The valley is something
like our own overfowed in winter, thus
escaping the tax for manure. The crop
Of the whole country is estimated
worth $4,000 900, occupying 10000
acres, AMI amounting to 320.000,000
pounds. The export trade of Brazil
alone in tobacco is 100. 000. 900 pounds.
With numerous tobacco manufacture
ing establishments already in operation
in San Francisco, and at various other
centers of population throughout the
coast. the raising Of the leaf by our own
farmers ought to be very profitable
venture, and judicIous alternative for
variation of crops From an exchange
we CLEAN the following instructions
relative to its cultivation
About two weeks before planting
time the ground should be cultivated
and rolled, as the saying is, like q
garden" 1t should then be ridged and
marked off. as each may think best.
about 81 feet by 80 inches. to be ready
by the first of June.
Plant ut such times when the sun is
not too hot; and, should dry spell
take place. | would recommend covers
made of small boards. | would here
mention that some of my farmer neigh
bors have about 1900 what they call
little houses" made of thin boards,
with the use of which they were very
successful. When the plants are all
properly started. keep the weeds down
with hoe cultivation. or by any other
implement to make the ground loose
and mellow. Top your tobacco from
the tenth to the twentieth leaf accord
ing to tie season and growth, so that
the top leaves may be the largest.
When ripe, cut it with a Ratchet or a
cutter, a. Q knife will be very apt to
make your hand sore. The precise
ripeuing period / will not attempt to
instruct you in. but Judge by the vel.
low spots and the yellowish tinge OF
the whole leaf.
After the plants are wilted we string
them up on inch by half-inch lsths. and
hang them on a scaffold in the field fol-
about two days. when we haul them
home ON scatfeld wagon that will
hold about one hundred laths. ! prefer
to sort into three qualities or kinds. and
pile it up in proper place, when, in
my estimation, the growers work
terminates. except to sell to the packer
and to deliver it as soon as sold. 1t i.
perhaps unnecessary to say that as a
general thing, tobacco should not be
handled in very dry weather, or a,
least not when the plaut becomes dry
crispy or brittle. as much of it may be,
come lost or damaged.