Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1881-05-28
FROM PORT royal.


EDITOR OF CHRONICLE LET us
resume the discussion of the Burley
craze. Craze ? Yes craze it was at
one time; but thanks to the CHRoN-
ICLE, the craze is now subsiding;
for it was through the medium of
the CHRONICLE that the planters
in this Clarksville region were
warned to go slow on Burley-were
told, in good, plain English, that it
was an experiment, and if not
adapted to our soils would inevita-
bly, result disastrously to those who
rushed headlong into the cultiva-
ton of it. At one time it was moth
ing but Burley, Burley, Burley,
Burley, ringing in our ears all the
time. But above the roar and din
of that mighty howl raised by those
who were paid to advertise the
Burley and "blow" that variety of
tobacco generally, could be heard
the warning voice of the CHRONI-
Gle: go slow. And they did go
slow, after taking time to think
and reflect. What terrible blow
to the sale of the Burley seed
Many bought 'em, but when they
came to their senses, didn't save
'em. When the Burley boom was
at its height tobacco dealer from
Louisville came among us. There
had just been some sales of Burley
on the Louisville market that
reached high figures, and the far
mers were anxious to hear call
about it." 1t was amusing to hear
them talk. Listen:
Planter-"Say, how about that
new kind of tobacco that we see so
much about in the papers, and is
bringing such big prices three or
four times as much as our tobacco
on the Louisville market ?''
Dealer -''That's the Burley to-
bacco; and it will pay you to raise
it here in the Clarksville region"
Planter" Does the Burley make
as much to the acre as our tobac-
coz"
Dealer-"M twice as much,
for you drill it."
PIanter-"As easy to cultivate ?'
naoIor GLE7oOia,. -
Planter-'eWhy ?''
Dealer-''It does not sucker as
bad, nor you don't have to fire it."
Don't have to fire it Let us dis
cuss the firing business, Mr.. Editor.
What does that mean? Why, it
means that those who intend plant
ing the Burley had better go to
building barns. Every planter
knows the housing capacity of his
barn with our mode of curing
with log fires. By simple calcu-
lation he can tell how many plants
and sticks the barn will safely
house and cost without house burn.
If the tobacco is very large and
sappy, six or seven plants fill a
stick; if not SO large, eight or ten
if medium size and smaller, twelve
to fifteen, and the sticks, six inches
apart, when placed in the tiers in
the barn preparatory to firing and
curing. If hung and housed as de-
scribed above it requires regular fir
ing to prevent house-burn. Now,
in our close, tight barns, how would
the Burley fare without fire? In
barn of average size how much
Burley could you barn and cure,
"safe and sound" without fire? 1t
would not be safe to put over three
plants on stick, with the sticks at
least a foot apart, in the tiers.
Then go ahead and knock out
the chinking, tear the planks or
boards off the shed part of your
barn, throw open the doors and
windows and let in light and air.
Burley must have 'em or it will
rot. Seriously and candidly, Mr..
Editor, "a close, tight barn, that
would safely house and cure 10000
pounds of our tobacco would not
cure 1900 pounds of Burley. Bur-
ley would inevitably house-burn,
which is species of fermentation
that utterly robs the leaf of every
particle of substance. So those who
grow Burley will have to build
open barns and drying sheds or
ruin those already built.
Again Our soils are not adapted
to the growth of the Burley nor any
any other variety that is used ex-
clusively for manufacturing pur-
poses, as is the Burley. 1t is the
peculiarities of the soil rather than
the plant that makes a manufacture
ing article of tobacco. Mr.. Editor,
let us glance at the history of to-
bacco culture in what is now known
as the Clarksville region. The first