Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1880-01-02
Aancaster fntelligencer.
FRIDAY EVENING, JANUARY 2, 1880.
our Tobacco Crop.
As Seen by ThOs. NJ. Coleman.

One OF the most important anu pIollIttoio
crops now grown in Pennsylvania is that
of tobacco, and every year the area OF
ground in which it is planted is extended.
In 1S49, it is stated, the crop Of seed leaf
in Connecticut, Ohio and Pennsylvania
was set down at 5000 cases, One-third of
which was exported and the rest sold at
from IA to 16 Ger pound to spectators. In
1850 Pennsylvania grew $500 eases, the
largest crop grown i'll the state up TO thai
time. Since that time there has been an
annual increase. the crop Of 1870 being the
largest yet reported.
At the commencement of the tobacco
season this year the farmers in the cOun-
ties of Lancaster, York, Lebanon and
Chester were greatly troubled with the cut
worm and in some instances 1t became
necessary to replant two or three tunes.
Then came the dry spell, which lasted un-
til nearly the middle of July, and during
ull this time it was thought by many that
the crop would be failure, but the rains
which came near the close of July had the
effect of giving new life to the plants and
at the end of the season the crop was
found to be one of the best yet produced.
The good quality of the tobacco here, it
manure is used, instead of guano and other
fertilizers as is the practice in Connccti-
cut and other states. 1t is estimated that
the crop of 1879 in Lancaster, York and
Lebanon, will amount to G0,OOO cases OF
400 pounds each, being one Of the largest
crops ever grown in these counties. Hall
Of this amount has already been purchased
by dealers, principally those i'll Lancaster,
and the other half is fast coming into mar
ket. The price for this crop ranges from
15 to 80 cents per pound for tobacco sulta-
BILE for wrappers s to 10 cents for seconds
and about ) cents for filters. y large guam
tity of the tobacco is used in the county for
the manufacture OF cheap cigars, this being
one Of the largest revenue districts, SO far
as this article is concerned, in the coun-
try The entire production this year. ac-
cOrding to the estimate made by those
most familiar with the business. is over
1000 600 pounds, which will yield i'll the
neighborhood of S3. 600. 600.
The farmers engaged in the business
plant from. to 40 acres, and, in Il good
season, they expect to gather from l.IoO t"
1000 pounds from each acre, which yields
them from 5000 to 500. according to the
quality of the tobacco. The tobacco, when
growing looks like Il hardy weed, and not
at all a nasty one. but it is subject to many
mishaps if not nurscd and watched with
great care. In the first place the land
must be rich, and il planted in tobacco
every year. heavily manurcd after each
CROP The seed is planted early in the
spring, generally in forcing beds, and the
youns plant is set out from the last of May
until late in July, in rows ;! feet apart, the
planting from II to Is inches apart. The
work of caring for the tobacco commences
soon after planting and continues almost
without intermission until delivered
into the warehouses of the pur-
chaser. The ground must not only he
kept clear Of woods and well cultivated
but the worm. the worst enemy of the
plant must be watched for and killed as
soon as found. If these pests to the tobac
co growers are allowed to remain until
they attain any size they would ruin the
leaf by eating holes in it, and thus destroy
it for use as wrappers for cigars. In some
places turkeys are used to destroy the
worm. The turkey not only seems tohave
quick eye for the worm, but vOracious
appetite for them, swallowing them as if
the ugly green things were of the most
dainty character. The tobacco is cut
about the last of August, and then hung
in buildings to dry. These buildings are
thoroughly ventilated, having generally
Slated openings that can be closed OF
opened as the weather is favorable or un-
favorable for drying purposes. The to-
becco is carefully watched until ready for
stripping.
The tobacco barn is now one of the
most important features connected with
the business. The Old style of using
wagon sheds, garrets OF any old building
haS ,narIy 1,ocSaI oyoy Tho harms tl,.;t
have been or are now being erected are large
and costly. All these barns have cellars.
which are Indispensable for preparing the
leaf for market, for it permits the removal
of the tobacco from the laths, when in
stripping condition. and its remaining in
that condition until the grower has time
to prepare for its sale.
The farmers before selling assert the
tobacco, so as to have the same size and
color. but when the dealer gets it he re-
asserts the leaf before packing. Each
bundle Of half dozen leaves is shaken up
and examined and if all the leavess are of
the same color. size and quality it is
allowed to pass. The deficient leaves arc
taken out and graded afterwards separate
ly. Every pound is thus handled, the
lower grades, of course, not with the same
care, and each grade is put in Il case to
itself, a sample of it being kept out, the
sales being made by the sample during
the summer before the sweating process
has been completed. But if he holds
on to his tobacco until the fall or
winter, it has to be rc-inspectcd by
regular inspectors who are recognized by
the trade. and the samples selected by
them are used for selling purposes.
In the counties of Lancaster, York Cum
berland and Perry there are Il great many
hands employed in the manufacture of
cigars, and in Lancaster alone SS60
worth of cigar stamps were used i'll Sep
tember last, which is equivalent to sale
of $4,000, 900 cigars. The total amount
of revenue collected from the cigar indus
try of this district for tie fiscal year end
ing June Both, 1879. was S700,S6G, show
ing production of cigars amounting to
one hundred and sixteen million eight
hundred and eleven thousand.
Mr.. f. X. Dittenderffer, of Lancaster, in
a recent report to the State Board of Agri-
culture, states that tobacco can be grown
successfully wherever Indian corn will ma
ture. AS a rule, wherever the mean tenn
perature during the month of July is as
much as sixty-cight degrees Fahrenheit,
tobacco can be grown. From this it will
be seen that among the Northern states,
nearly, if not all New England, central
New York, Ohio, southern Michigan. In
diana. Illinois, and parts of Iowa and Wis
consin are adapted to its cultivation, per-
haps quite as well as Kentucky and Vir-
ginia, unless in seasons of unusually early
frosts. But even this disadvantage can be
overcome by a careful selection of he nrn-