Litchfield enquirer., 1881-09-22
Housatonic Valley Tobacco.

We clip the following New Milford letter from the Hartford Courant of Friday last: The towns in which most of the tobacco in 3the valley IS grown are those in the northern l part of Fairfield, and southern part of Litch- field counties, known as New Milford, Sher. 5man, Washington, Kent, Bridgewater, Brook field, New Fairfield, Danbury, Bethel, and sNewtown. New Milford is the sorting and the packing centre, although some of the to. bacco is sorted and packed in most of the towns named, they being not the only towns Fin which tobacco if raised but the principa ,nes. At present considerable of the weed is 3being grown in the eastern part of Duchess acounty. N. Y., with fair success, and is most 5lv packed in the valley. The setting for '81 was largely made from a week to ten days later than usual, and then aseemed slow in starting. Even as late as the middle of August it was thought the yelC would be light and the quality medium. But lowing to light local rains about that time il : began to improve rapidly, and to the agreed ble surprise of the tobacco farmers they have just completed the harvesting of crop, excel. lent in weight and quality. It is now estima ted that against the 10 GOO cases packed in this section last year, there will be nearly 12, 100 this. The local, and the New York buy CTS with their agents, have been driving among ,he farmers most of the time while the cutting has been going on. Within few days pasl where crops have sufficiently cured to give an idea of the quality, few of the best crops nave been reported as purchased at prices rang ling from 1S to % cents per pound, in the bun He; These prices are so much per pound, ''all around"
 There is material difference in quality be tween much of the tobacco grown here and in the Connecticut valley. Much of the soil neal the river is both too light and sandy to grow good crops that will cure and sweat well. I, is more apt to be an uneven and lighter color. e|than that grown on the richer, moist and heavy soil, from mile to ten miles from the river. which is darker heavy leaf, yet as pliabls aand elastic as kid glove. If there may be claimed for it superiority over the tobacco oi fthe Connecticut valley, it is in this: it will stand any number of sweats, and be improved 1by each as wine improves under the cork by $ decade of years. Most of the tobacco in this section is grown on thew ground" By thew ground" is not necessarily meant ground on which tobacco has not been previously grown, but ground which has been seeded and grown srass for number of years since the growing If the last tobacco crop. Not but a few wears &since it was thought that tobacco must be zgrown repeatedly on the same gronnd. or land on which some crop has been previously raised, Generally corn) in order that finer and tighter leaf might be had. But that has all changed, and much the best quality of leat is raised on green sward. turned under. and thoroughly titled just before setting. .Old ground" is generally largely wanting in nitrate If soda thew ground" has an abundant sun. ply. so much 90, that if. the tobacco is hung ir Buildings that can be tightly closed when nee. 3essary, it will keep moist while curing and 3invariably q dark even color, with the best aburning qualities, will be the result.
 As to patent fertilizers. but little is used to the acre if any. and seldom to exceed BOO apounds The barn yard manure is applied aaccording to the quality of the land or the re. asources and fancy of the farmer-from sixteen Sto forty loads per acre. The ordinary faFme, wlth 100 acres of land will raise besides gener. 9al crops about four acre, with an average 3yield of 1,600 to 1, TOO pounds per acre.
 F.