The Asheville citizen. [volume] (Asheville, N.C.) 1885-1889, 1886-05-01
.Asntyl1rR. \. c. Apri. %. 1885.

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Editor Ciiizea
The following from the New York
Tribune on the culture of tobacco in the
Island Of Cuba might be of interest as.
well as profit to our tobacco growers. In
my opinion Col. Lopez de Querelta is
right in his views on Americs tobacco
cultivation, and it no doubt would be
profitable for our erowersto try andstudy
and follow tbeir plan. Resp't,
N.PLBMADoRE.
Cuba and American Tobacco.
Breathing the delicious aroma of q
f'Perfeete" ap town the other night, /
askedC6l. Lopez de Querelta, who has
been often in Cuba, how it comes that
they are able on tnat island to raise so
much better tobacco than anywhere
else. He replied: Because they have
it's cultivation reduced to science. Your
American tobacco-raiser pays no atten-
ton whatever to natural laws. The
Cuban planter applies the exactness of
mathematical calculation to 80 small al
matter as the planting of his seed. He
lays out his field so that the rows of plant
shall run exactly north and south. Thus
ever leaf gets an equal share Of the san
during the course of the day as it passes
over, or rather as the earth rolls round.
= his makes che Tobacco even IN havoe.
The Yankee planter puts his seed in hit
OF miss. 'rhe result is hit or miss tobacco,
often miss. It is the same way about all
the cultivation. Do you know how they
kill the tobacco worm? They go though
the Il Ids with three or four pound
cannon, which they load and Gre every
fifteen or twenty feet The conclusion
kills the grabs. I have had Americans
ridicule me fnr making sach a statement,
they thinkia. it could not be poss. Bile.
Yeti /. .ane of the WAYS the tabact,o
crop. is brs'agils t.asps.rfsetisa "
LIGHTNING AMONG Us.
Thursday evening, after tea, we
were sitting in our Office, in compa-
ny with few visitors who had
dropped in. The day had been
showery; and to wards dark had be-
come somewhat threatening. About
8 o'clock vivid flashes of lightning,
but without thunder, gave signal of
a coming storm, and the rain began
to fall in heavy sheets A compost
tor had brought us a proof slip, and
we were correcting it. Our eye had
just fallen upon the following SEN
tence in a local item, published in
yesterday mornings issue: "Just as
he went out very severe clap of
thunder, accompanied by a severe
fash Of lightning shook the walls
of the city, &C." when, on, the in
slant, blinding food of lightning
and a ripping crash of thunder came
simultaneously. and brought the
house to it's feet. Looking through
the window, which we faced, the
most astounding, splendid. terrify-
ing spectacle met the eye. The ems
kindfed atmosphere still blqzed
with the fiery flood. Every rain
drop glowed like meteori showers.
But the most splendid, yet terrific,
sight of all was what looked like a
lava flow of incandescent flame,
which seemed to overhang the corr
nice of Vangilder and Browns bull
ding, just opposite. 1t seemed to
run down like the overflow of mol
ten metal from an overcharged fur
mace, a very cataract of liquid fire.
In a moment all was dark again;
and then we listened for the cry of
fire or the asonies of pain from some
one struck down by the sudden
bolt. Butall was quiet; and though
we knew we had been wrapped in
the mantle of the deadly lightning,
we realized that all had esca ped its
blasting power,
Next morning. investigation
showed that the Court House square
had been the point of discharge for
the electric current. But no harm
was done except to the telephone
wireswhich had been made to carry
more than they could hold. Itwas
the effect of the eyercharge between
Vangilders and the Central office
which caused the appearance of the
fiery cataract. ..Mr. Cliff was busy
all day gathering up wrecked and
ruined instruments. Among those
destroyed was one in the room next
'te ours. Ours, being cut out of cir
cult was not injured.