The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1882-04-05
farm aud Garden.
For the Central Presbyterian.
Does it Pay to Grow Tobacco
in Virginia?


be. comes out in debts being asked this
year by larger number of farmers than
usual. 1t is being asked, moreover, with
more than usual interest. The cause Of
this is manifest. Not only did the I'M
precedented drouth and destructive frost
of last year greatly affect both the guam
tity and the quality of the tobacco crop
but other considerations affecting the val
ne of the crop have forced themselves
upon the notice of tobacco growers. I'm
der ordinary circumstances regulating
the laws of supply and demand, when
crop is universally short, the amount re
allied therefrom by reason of the higher
price paid, is almost or quite equal to,
in fact sometimes greater, than if a full
crop had been made. This rule, however
did not apply to tobacco, and especially
to Virginia tobacco, the past season. The
prices paid for even good tobacco are not
sufficient to be remunerative. Growers
of the types of tobacco, hitherto grown in
this State, find themselves menaced with
an unlocked for evil Fashion-so mex
plicable in its whims regarding every
thing not strictly a necessary OF life
seems to affect even such thing as the
use of tobacco Virginia tobacco is go
ing out of fashion, and year by year the
demand is growing less. The stocks OF
dark Virginia on hand in many places is
very large. This is so much the case that
England is actually reshipping tobacco
to Richmond The demand now is said
to be for tobacco that is to all intents
and purposes the mere vehicle for sugar
licorice, &c, and that which is the best
absorbent for these cheap compounds is
the most profitable to the manufacturer
The White Burleigh has been thus far
found to answer this purpose best, so the
manufacturers tell the farmers they must
raise White Burleigh But will White
Burleigh pay in Virginia? 1t has not
yet been sufficiently tried to say Many
will try it this year; but we would eau
ton all to go slowly. The soil, climate,
&C., of Kentucky and Ohio, where this
tobacco has been heretofore grown, are
quite unlike those of Virginia. More
over, on the thin lands of Virginia, it is
more than likely that the yield per acre
of this light and papery stuff, even if it
grows we'll, will fall below paying crop.
What then must the Virginia farmer do?
If he cannot get good enough price to
pay for raising dark tobacco and cannot
raise enough Burleigh, must he quit
growing tobacco altogether?
1t is very likely that in the end that
would be the best thing he could do; but
laying aside the conservative habits of
Virginia farmers, it is not practicable for
whole State to drop at once one of its
most important industries, even if it was
urgently desirable. We should recon-
mend, therefore, the adoption of mean
between the extremes-grow less tobacco
This plan has so much to recommend it.
that it is strange that farmers have so
long stood in their own light and not long
ago have diminished to half the total
product of tobacco.
There is a certain limited demand for
dark tobacco that is not likely soon to
cease. This is for export to several Eu-
ropean countries as well as for home con-
sumption. If there could by any posi-
bility be secured such concert of action
among growers of this class of tobacco as
would secure the production of lust
enough to supply this demand, there is
little doubt that the price would be SO
enhanced that each farmers crop would
bring as much money as the larger one
has usually done, and the greatly reduced
cost of production would ensure a rea-
8onable profit on the crop. 1t is a matter
for regret that it is not possible to secure
any such concert of action. 1t seems. on
the contrary, that whenever there is a
generally prevalent impression that the
acreage of any particular crop will be less
than usual, it turns out, in fact, to be
larger than ever. Every individual hop
ing to profit by the small general crop
plants more than usual, so that in the
end, the acreage is greater than usual in
stead of less. Since, therefore, nothing
can be expected to be done in concert,
let each individual cease to speculate
upon the possibilities or probabilities of
the total crop. and regulate his own acre
age by the rule he would wish all others
to adopt, and he will find in the end that
a small crop pays better than large one.
Diminished cost of production is not
the only, nor indeed, the most important
advantage accruing from diminished acre
age of tobacco. The application of more
manure to the acre and better attention
to the crop, will so improve the quality
OF 1t as to add to the gain in price already
secured by the reduced supply Further
more, the opportunity thus allowed to
give more attention to the making OF
manure, to other crops and TO stock will