The daily gazette., 1880-01-03
Mtsstons In Home Tobacco.
HOW LANCASTER COUNTY Is GROWING
RICH IN RAISING THE WEED.


RICH IN RAISING THE WEED.
LANCASTER, Jan. I--At the com
mencement of the tobacco season this
year, the farmers In the counties Of
York. Lebanon and Chester were erea.-
ly troubled with the cut-worm, and In
some instances 1t became necessary to
replant the tobacco two or three times.
Then came the dry spell, which lasted
until nearly the middle of July, and
during all this time 1t was thought by
many that the crop would be q failure,
but ths rains Which came near the close
Of July had the effect Of giving new life
to the plants, and at the end Of the sea-
son the crop v as found TO be one Of the
best vet produced.
The good quality Of the tobaeco here,
u Is said. Is owing to the fact that stable
m 'nure Is used, instead of guano and
! other T rtilizers, as Il the pra tice In
Connecticut and other Sites. II Is es-
timat 4 hat the crop Of 1870 In Ian.
caster. York and Lebanon viii amount
to 60.00p cases Of 400 pounds each, be-
ing one OF the larges' crops q er grown
in these counties. Half of this amount
has ready been purchased by de4 ers.
|
other half Is fast coming into ma ket.
The prices for this crop ranges from Is
TO 30 cents per pound for tobacco suit
able for wrappers; 8 to 10 cents for
seconds. and about cents for filters. A
large quantity OF the tobacco Is used In
the county for the msnuf ,cture of cheap
cigars, this being one Of the largest rev.
enue districts, so far as this article is
concerned, in the country. The entire
production ibis year, according to the
estimate made by those most familiar
with the business, Is over 24,000,0 900
pounds, which will weld In the neigh
borhood OF 100000.
The farme engaged in the business
plant from l to 40 acres, and In good
season, they expect to gather from 1.50O
to 1000 pounds from each acre, which
yields them from $500 to $400. according
| to the quality of the tobacco. In the
| first place the land must be rich. and II
planted In tobacco every year, heavily
m.nured after each crop. The seed is
planted early in the spring, generally in
forcing b. ds, and the young plant Is set
out from the last of May until late in
July, in rows ~ feet apart, the plants
frnm IL to 1S inches apart. The work
| Of caring for the tobacco commences
soon after planting, and continues al
most without intermission until deliver
ed into the warehouses of the purch ser.
The ground must not only be kept clear
Of weeds and we'll 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 tobacco
MT lnnx
attain anv size they would ruin the leai
by eating holes in il, and thus destroy II
for use as wrappers for cigars. In some
places turkeys are used to d. stroy the
worm. The turkey not only seems uC
have quick eye for the worm, hut {
vorac'Ous appetite for them, swallowing
them as If the ugly green things were o
the mosc dainty character. The tobacct
Is cut about the last of August. and ther
hung in buildings 10 dry. These build
ings are thoroughly ventilated, having
generally SLATED openings that can bt
closed or opened as the weather Is favor
able or unfavorable for drying purposes
The tobacco is carefully watched unit
ready for shipping.
| The tobacco barn is now one of the
important features connected with the
business. The barns that have been ol
are now baing erected are large and cost.
ly. All these bans have cellars, which
are indispensable for preparing the leai
Tor market, for II pei mits the removal oi
the tobacco flom the laths when In
stripping condition, and its remaining in
that condition until the grower has time
to prepare 1t for sale.
The farmers before selling assort the
tobacco, SO AZ to have the same size and
color, but when the dealer gets 1t he re-
assorts the leaf before packing. Each
bundle Of half dozen leaves Is shaken
mp and examined, and II all the leaves
J are of the same color, size and quality II
IL allowed to pass. The deficient leaves
are taken out and graded afterwards
separately. Every pound Is thus handled
| The lower gra jes, of course, not with the
same care, and each graders putin case
TO itself, q sample of 1t beng kept out
the sales being made by the sample dur
ing the summer before fhe sweating pro.
cess has been completed. But II he hold-
on to his tobacco until the fall or wiuter
It has to be re-inspected by regular In.
speotors who are recognized by the trade
and the samples selected by them art
used for selling purposes.
In the counties of Lancaster, York
Cumberland and Perry there are a great
many hands employed In the mauufac-
ture OF cigars, and in Lancaster alone
So. 900 worth of cigar stamps were used
In Srptem ber last, which is equi vale' tG
a sale of 100000 cigars. The tota
amount of revenue collected from the
cigar industry of this district for the fis.
cal year ending june 30Ih. 1879. was
500. .S66, showing a production of cigars
amounting TO one hundred and sixteen
million eight hunered and eleven thon-
| sand