The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1886-09-21

/ Quoted through sheet iron hueS from ten
to twelve inches in diameter, toward the
rear of the barn, and then il makes two
turns and travels back through a central
fiue and passes out through the front
wall. The Ballard Brothers Waldo and
Will, who were young boys when their
father was postmaster at Palatka-are
turning out from their large establish
ment here great many sets of these
tobacco flues. The fires are kept going
night and day until the curing is com
pleted, which usually takes about "A
week. There is much talk about putting
the tobacco lin case" for taking down
giving it precisely the proper degree of
dampness-by the injection of steam.
In addition TO the securing of superior
quality, an important object of these de-
vices is the Fastening of the time when
the tobacco can receive its final hand
ling and be ready for market. Ii is said
that men have frequently witnessed "A
heavy decline in prices while waiting
for the weather to put their tobacco lin
case. When 1t has been properly cured
and packed in tierces it can be kept for
years without Tetriment 10 its quality.
The better opinion seems to be that to-
bacco Is not so eXhausting crop as |
had supposed. Major Rollins, W no is the
Ian gest grower in this region and is said
to have hundred tenants on his various
farms, Is quoted as saying that the plant
can be- raised on the same land for three
successive years, and that the full
strength OF the soil can then he restored
10y putting it down i'll clover. | am
told, also. that good crops of tobacco
can be raised on comparatively poor soil
by ludicious fcrtiliZiDg. Some growers
express decided preference for old
fields over new land. Here is another
topic for the journalists OF Florida To
discuss. At the outbreak of the civil
war planters in Gadssien county We're
getting rich very fast by raising to
bacco. They procured their seed every
year from Cuba, and produced a thin,
velvety leaf worth seventy five cents
pound. In the absence of demonstra-
ton to the contrary, | shall believe that
we have immense acres in Marion and
fernando counties. and all along the
central ridge of the peninsula, on which
tobacco culture can be made exceedingly
profitable. Let some of our land own
ers come up here and induce a few m.n
who know all about raising and handling
the plant to go to Florida and try the eN-
pertinent. There is no use in swamping
us old orange fogies by an over produc-
ton of the golden fruit, while there are
such possibilities in connection with the
fragrant weed.
The proportion of waste land in this
vicinity Is much smaller than in noun
tain regions generally. There are
scarcely any outcropping rocks Ia he
seen, and the mineral elements of the
soil are the same on the mountain-t tops
as i'll the valleys. Moreover, the noun
tains are densely covered with deciduous
trees, which have been supplying veg
etable mold for centuries. The develop
ment, which may be expected To take
place hereafter, is indicated in the fact
that the primeval forests still cover
seven eighths of the area of the French
Broad valley, and every sIep in that dc
velopment will promote the growth of
Asheville. l.. L. BISHOP.