The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1879-07-26
THE WEED.
TOBACCO CULTURE IN LANCASTER
COUNTY.
BY FRANK Il. DIFFENDERFIER

| was unknown to the people of the Old WorlC
During this period no less than 100000, of
Of people have learned to Use it, and Il
annual production has reached the enormou
, amount of 1000, 900, 900 pounds. No 9th
narcotic is so universally used and its pf
duction is yearly increased to meet IL
growing consumption. That an agricu
tural product not Il necessity to the hum
race should in such Il comparatively br
period increase to such vast proportions
l little less than marvellous. 1t almO
seems to imply the absolute necessity
mans nature for mild stimulants of som
sort.
Tobacco-growing in Pennsylvania is II
an affair of recent years. There was not
colony Of the original thirteen that did II
: begin the business ut an early day, and
this State the culture soon reached co
siderable proportions. In 1859 fourte'
, vessels sailed from the colony of Penn Last
with this commodity. In the year 1929, Il
time Lancaster county was erected, Il
colonies, South and North, gave empu.
ment to three hundred sailing crafts
various kinds, representing tonnage
$1,000 tons and amounting in value to -
900, 900. The price was then fixed by til
Government: in 1917 it was three shilln-
per pound, but thirty years later it H..
fallen rs low rs SiXpcnse
The United States may be regarded as III
great tobacco-srowing country of the worl,
1t can be grown in every one of the Stat"
From the beginning in Virginia, th
country has now reached Il production e..
400, 900, 900 pounds, worth about S33, 00u,"jt
in its unmanufictured state. Fully 50,n'
persons are employed in its manutactu"
earning $4,000, 900 in wages, and turnii
out product worth $1,000, 900. Tobar,.
ranks sixth OH the list of our exports, al
last year we sent abroad about Sjo,00O,o'
worth. Germany is our best customer, hu
Great Britain follows closely.
While tobacco can be grown in aimn>
/ every country, there are some especial
adapted to it. Climate SOIL and skillful MAJ
ipuation are the chieftactors in its SUGGEST
| growth: the latter two are of paramo,tl
| importance. The JueH -lbGjO of Cuba
| everywhere known for its flavor, viii
Pennsylvania and Connecticut are noted +,
certain qualities possessed by the Tobacco
| grown by them. The tobacco OF the Mort
ern States is called seed leaf, and is almos
| exclusively used in the manufacture
cigars. That of the great tobacco-growin
States of the South is flrditierent in qualit.
and chiefly used in the manufacture 81.
chewing tobaccos. The former is softer an
| silllirr in texture, while the latter is strong
| in flavor, thicker, and as 4 rule cont;lim
more gum, and so it is better adapted to TIL
purposes for which it is employed.
The growing of tobacco i'll LancastC
county has been going on in Il desultory sort
of Il way for thirty-five or forty years. In
early days the rural population lived il
blisSful ignorance of internal revenue laws.
and the tobacco WAS generally converted
! into cigars by the local cigarmaker for home
consumption and if there was Il surplus,
sold outright to him. There is no way o,
arriving at an estimate of the production
twenty-five years ago, but the amount wa
insignificant alongside the crops of tl'
present. 1t was not until about twenty
years ago that our farmers entered upon il
cultivation or a large scale. The war con-
tributed It's share towards this end, al"
fashion did fully Us much. Connecticut hau
long been famous for the quality of tie
tobacco grown in the Valley Of the Hou>;,-
tonic. Its fine, large leaves of admiral"
off Inl
much as sev"nty-tive cents per pound, Will
forty and fifty cents were no unusual price.
The demand in those days by smo.'ers Wa
generally for light-colored cigars, and thi
condition the Connecticut tobacco filled f
perfection. But the memorable law
fashion stepped forward and demanda
cigars of Il rich brown. The LancaSt"
tobacco met this want, and fashion has 10
once been stable: dark-colored cigars sti.
command the readeSt sale, and the produc-
ton of this class of tobacco has progressed
steadily. Color is not all that renders this
tobacco desirable. The cigar manufacture
requires a leaf of good size, soft, tough and
elastic, but not leathery in quality, of which
the veins shall be small and not light in
color, and that shall when consumed yield
Il clear white ash. These conditions LaH-
caster county leaf supplies i'll Favorable
season.
The beds for planting out the seed are PFC
pared towards the latter end of February.
or early in March, if the season will aliow.
An early plant is generally considered dc
Siro1ln 4 mn with o. 81 q,
southern exposure is best. Generally, hu;
not always, weeds, brush, corn-Stalks, or
similar substances are burnt over it and the
ashes raked over the bed. 1t is deeply
spaded, veinches or more, and enriched
by a liberal application of barn yard ln;t-
nure a warm, mellow soil is indisren';,-
BILE to the growth of fine strong plants. Be
ing very minute, a heaped teaspoonful o.
seed is sufficient to SOW a bed covering on,
hundred square feet. Care must be taken
not to get the seed too deep or it will not ger
inmate. If the weather is warm, with soft
frequent showers, the plants come on rap
idly Some are raised under cold frame
which secure them against trostS and hay,
other advantages BUT in most eases the bed
are open; these latter yield the hardiesi
plants
The tobacco field must be prepared: some
times the ground is ploughcd in the fall, bun
generally not until spring, and it is heavily
manured. This manure is not lost, for
when wheat is sown-the crop that always
follows tobacco-the yield is commonly eX-
,nllent Horn y1rl manure is Drefprre,l To
all other. Rye turned down also makes an
excellent fertilizer. Too much care cannot BE-
used in putting the ground into fine condi-
ton. As the roots of tobacco 80 down deep
ly, the ploughing must be deep, and the
finer and more pliable the soil the better
If the weather has been favorable, the
plants will be ready to set out by the latter
end of May or the first of June, while the
planting season continues until the 10Th OF
the latter month. With the setting ont OF
Young plants the farmers troubles begin.
The plants are set in rows twenty-four to
thirty inches apart, the rows being from
three to four feet aSunder. Advantage OF Il
warm soaking rain is taken to set out plants.
They require moisture, and if dry weathcr
sets in must he watered. The cut worms at
once begin their depredationS. Some sea
sons they neceSSitate two or even more re-
paintings. The ground must he continually
cultivated to destroy weeds and give the
roots air. This is continued until the leaves
attain such Il size rs to prevent the passage
of horse and cultivator between the rows.
1,,,, 1,