The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1888-04-05
A Talk About Tobacco.

ton but now Of the firm OF L0ckett,
Vaughn & Co., tobacco manufacturers of
Winston, N. c., is on visit Of a few
DAYS to bis native city. Mr.. Follin has
spent almost lifetime in the tobacco
business, and probably knows as much
about the weed as any man of his age.
He gave talk about tobacco to re.
porter for the News and Courier yester.
day which will doubtless interest those of
the readers of the News and Courier who
have present or prospective interest in
the future crop of South Carolina.
Mr.. Follin's firm, of which, it may be
mentioned in passing, he is the &C.," is
engaged in the manufacture Of plug
tobacco.
Winston, said Mr.. Follin, is compar.
atively new town and is the outcome of
the growth of the tobacco interest within
the past twelve or fifteen years. 1t is
now one of the largest tobacco manufac.
turing centres in the South. It has q
splendid climate and is situated in the
midst of rich tobacco.growing country.
The population is about 10000 and there
are between thirty and forty tobacco
manufactures in the town. Property is
valuable and "the Winston boom" is
described as being Of the solid, iron
bound, come-to stay kind.
"There can be no doubt" said Mr..
Follin-replying to suggestion from his
interviewer about South Carolina tobacco
There can be 10 doubt that tobacco
can be pro6tably cultivated in South
Carolina; but it cannot be done in the
twinkling of an eye. The soil required
for raising al kinds of tobacco is in
abundance all over the State. But the
raising of tobacco is by no means the
most essential part of tobacco culture.
1t is the handling and curing of it that
gives the plant its value, and the knowl.
edge of this cannot be acquired in day
or month or in year. If planter
raises q hundred bales of cotton, his
work is not finished. What would be
the value of the cotton if he did not
understand the process of ginning and
baling it? So that when a man has
broug ght his crop of tobacco to maturity
his work has just commenced. 1t is the
curing and handling of the leaves that
gives tobacco its true value.
"I have seen near Winston two tobacco
farms. They adjoined each other and
were farmed by different men. The
owners used the same seed and the con-
ditions of cultivation were identical.
The soil was the same and when the
plants were ready for stripping, an
expert could not detect any material diff.
ference. between the two crops as to size,
body, texture and cleanliness. And yet
the crop of one man brought 80 cents
while that of the other brought only 10
cents a pound. This was on account oi
the curing.
'"The start given to tobacco culture in
South Carolina was q start in the right
direction, but people must not expect to
start right in and make success of it
the first year. There are several things
that are essential to profitable tobacco
culture. The first of these is to learn
how to cure it. Now, there was Mr.. F.
M. Rogers, Jr., of Darlington, who pub.
lished statement of his crop in the
Neacs and Courier, or in the weekly Neaus
and Courier, forget which. Mr.. Rogers.
I am told, got an expert from North Car.
olina to cure his crop, and, therefore, he
found it profitable crop. AS soon as
the farmers of this State acquire the art
of curing their tobacco they will find it a
profitable crop.
"Then there is another consideration
Where will they market it? 1t is neces.
sary to have home market, as far as the
tobacco grower is concerned. A tobacco
grower 10 lower or middle South Carolina
can't expect to compete with one in
North Carolina who has one hundred or
more factories within twenty-five miles
of his farm. There must be margin for
freight, &c. 1t is like the cotton ques.
tien. For years cotton farmers of the
South had to send their cotton to the
Northern and Eastern mills. Cotton
culture had achieved its highest point
when the Southern mills were establish.
ed, and now we have market at home.
So with tobacco. Our firm has been
asked if We would establish manufac.
tory at Columbia or Charleston. Mani
testify the first requisite for the establish.
ment of q tobacco factory is to have the
material at hand. And I may say that
Just as soon as the cultivation and curing
of tobacco shall have reached such 8
point that enough tobacco is grown to
furnish the raw material, tobacco facto:
ries will soon spring up in all parts Of
the State.
"In the meantime-those that are in
earnest about the raising of tobacco
should continue. They must learn the
art of curing, and ! should think that
this could be accomplished at a compar-
atively 'triaing cost to the producer
The State Agricultural Department
could manage. it very we'll, should
think, by means of the experimental sta
tions. They should not only grow
tobacco at these stations, but they should
secure the services of a number of expert
tobacco. curers, and, if necessary, send
these around to any farmer who has a
crop of tobacco and instruct him in the
art of curing his crop.
eff this is not practicable-and | don't
see why it is not-a number of farmers
in certain locality might plant each
certain acreage in tobacco and then com.
bine and send for an expert who could
teach them the drying process. The
expense to each would be comparatively
light.
1'The tobacco so raised can very readily
find market, although it would per-
haps not bring as high a price as the
North Carolina tobacco, because of the
added cost of transportation. But as
soon as the quantity of good tobacco
raised in the State assumed proportions
that would warrant it, tobacco factories
would be established, and home market
created" d."-Netvs and Courier.
Home Love and Sympathy.