The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1880-05-12
Gold Leaf Tobacco.

| venture to intrude on your Valu-
able time and space with a few re-
marks. on Virginla's chief staple, to-
bacco. This is a subject which
closely concerns all! of the farmers
residing in the counties embraced in
the section OF country designated
the "black belt" and l think their
interests demand that my observa-
tions should be heard. In Granville
county, N. c., grows the finest to-
bacco raised in the United States, if
not in the whole world; its reputa'
ton is world wide, and l have no
doubt is we'll known to the editor. l
have not space to enumerate the
almost fabulous prices paid for it by
the buyers suficel it to say that it
has brought as high as 5000 per hun
dred that $50, $50 and 500 are
frequently given, and the average
prices range from S35 to $50, varying
of course according to quality. The
tobacco is called the Granville Gold
Leaf-taking its name from its color,
which is a brilliant yellow This
color is given it by the mode ct cur
inc. which process differs from ours,
and there all difference ends, for our
Oronoco and the Grandville Gold
Leaf are identically the same. 1t
has been tested and proven, and is
now indisputably demonstrated to be
the same tobacco. The lands on
| which the Gold Leaf is grown to
best advantage are light, sandy
plains, somew hat analogous to our
cotton lands, and the average yield
is about five plants to the pound, a
little lighter than ours.
Their mode OF curing is known as
GLUE curing" and is as follows: Two
large pipes about eighteen inches in
diameter, pass into the barn, which is
as closely Theoretically sealed as the
hull of an ocean ship. These pipes
are on the outside OF the barn placed
over furnaces, and conduct the heat
in the room where it is regulated by
a thermometer. Thus they avoid the
danger that attends our custom of
building fires within the barn d.
rectly under the tobacco. For sew
eral DAYS the fires are kept actively
alive and the temperature is so high
that person could not possibly
endure it for twelve hours. At the
end of this time the fires are allowed
to die out, the tobacco as soon as it
is in order is bulked down and 1t is
ready for market.
Now l claim that our farmers can
raise the Gold Leaf as successfully
as the North Carolina farmers; our
lands are the same, temperature and
climate exactly similar i'll every re-
spect what is to prevent our far
mers from reaping a portion OF the
golden harvest which has SO long
waved for our North Carolina breth'
rem alone? Persons living in Ok
ford, we'll acquainted with the nature
of our soil, assure me that my assump-
tionis correct and the plan practicable.
TO illustrate 1t more fully let me
state that l Induced Mr.. Cincinnati
Gus Short, of this county, to cure bis
crop in this way, and 1t succeeded
beyond our most sanguine hopes.
His crop brought at the Petersburg
market twice as much as any other
that had been sold there, and four
times as much as the tobacco OF any
other farmer of his section. He is
warm supporter OF my theory, l
have given but a very brief and I'M
perfect account, but parties desiring
information or seed OF the Gold Leaf
tobacco can obtain them ny writing
to MIR. Smith Cooper, Henderson,
Granville county, North Carolina.