The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1883-03-02
TOBACCO CULTURE
SCIENTIFICALLY CONDUCTED
To b. Tested ia I'll, ylelllty-rA, Dltrsr.nss Ia
Tobacco when Properly sad ImprOpsrI, Pre-.
pared for the Markst-k Scheme with
Some Great Possibilities In II.

Tobacco In some Of lis yarisus forms Is now
used In slmost every country, certainly in
every civilized country in the world. Itwas
not cultivated until about 20 years ago, and
not on an extensive scale for commercial
purposes until even later, yet It is estimated
that the product OF the world now reaches o
billion and half pounds per annum. The
first tobacco known 10 the civilized world was
taken from Virginia 10 England, II Is said
byl authorities that 10 It's native state the
weed does not differ materially 10 the various
portions OF this continent to which l. Is In
ligenous most OF the difference In guality
being attributable 10 the manner o. culture
and treatment, though Of course eli nate aud
soil have also much 10 do with It's varying
peculiarities. go,
which fringe II was settled by white people,
TOBACCO culture has been more or less. grown.
| The culture OF the plant Is now speciality
In many localities in this vicinity, notably In
the southern and southwestern portions oil
Belmont county, in Monroe county, and III
parts OF Noble and Guernsey, over the river.
| For some reason the tobacco grown hereaboutt
haa been Of low grade, and has found a
market principally abroad. II Is said by
persons who have lived In tobacco countries
Tor years, that the Ohio tobacco has deterior-
a,ed in quality. probably owing TO the ex-
hHustion Of this soil where successive crops
have been grown. 1t requires rich soil 10
thrive, and this 1t seldom gets:
A leading tobac:onist OF Wheeling, 10
conversation with a reporter the other day,
showed some peculiarly nice.looking cigars
Of his own manufacture, and explained that
the wrapper was OF Wisconsin tobacco. "oi
course" said he, "up there they cannot raise
the rich, scgsy tobacco they do 10 Tennessee
or Louisiana or the Carolinas, The season IL
too short. But they raise this tobacco, which
is superior artiole.H
AiiUf the tObscco raised Ia tide Northern
States, from Connecticut TO Wisconsin, Ia
known Ia tue market as seed leaf, and Il
used exclusively In the manufacture oil
cigars, part for wrappers and the rest for
filters. Tobacco possessing certain indispen'
sable qualities Is required for this purpose.
The wrapper leaf must be soft, plant, silky
aud elastic, not light nor aimsy, but thin
and tough, with ins so small as not "a
show above the level Of the leai, and only q
moderate amount OF nicotinti and above all
il must be handsome IN appearance and oil
pleasant favor.
The degree In which 1t possesses some oil
| these uIlAlltleS IN Jus luNbIy W tAu Aouhei
Of curing" or drying and preparing for mar
ket, But the flavor ant. texture are also due
in large degree to the amount Of attention
the growing plant receives, and above all u
the quality OF the soil. The cigar maker
quoted above went on to unfold o plan
which he proposes to put into execution the
coming season. II Is 10 ny on u small scale
the growing OF tobacco from imported seed In
rich sol! aud with careful cultivation In this
vicinity. He Is convinced that the principal
fault Of the tobacco now grown hereabout.
arises from the poorness OF the soil
LIT Is grown in and the fact that
Iit 10 allowed to grow with little
or no cultivation. He proposes TO tnaugpfate
new plan. For his purpose the many Little
islands In the river near here, especially those
which are submerged by the annual freshets
offer favorable soil. They have rich allu
| vial soil, which is replenished by the sedi
ment deposited by high water, and he pro
poses II be can lease one Of these TO attempt
| 10 produce tobacco here which will compare
fayorably with the famed Connecticut or
Wisconsin "seed." The project. Is
good one, and II the originator
succeeds, no doubt many others will follow
bis example, aud new era in tobacco grow
ing In this region will be inaugurated. En-
couragement 10 found In the success OF 0
similar experiment in Lancaster county, Pa
which now has an unsurpassed reputation
for raising tobacco OF superior quality.