The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-10-15
Tobacco Culture in Florida.

Tobacco Culture in Florida.
QUINCY, FLA, Oct. 9.-Thinklug your
many readers would like to hear from the
tobacco plantations of Florida, have con-
Guided to give them the benefit of the
knowledge of one who has seen what has
been done in the last year in this section by
the cultivation Of this now famous plant.
Gadsden county, Florida, and the lower
part of Decatur county, Georgia, have long
had the reputation for growing a fine
quality of tobacco before the Late I'M
pleasantness
Tobacco was the money crop of these two
sections, and the wealthy planters put all
of their surplus cash in tobacco, lands and
Degroes; hence the large planta ions that
are now "layiug out" After the war the
cultivation of tobacco was continued for
several years, until wild, haram-scaram
New Yorker by the name of Haiman, with
a large lot of money and no brains, came
here, and paid all sorts of prices for good,
bad and Indifferent tobacco. In fact, he set
all of the planters wild by his reckless ex
travagance, both in spending his money for
tobacco and in riding all over county
i'll his fine teams, drinking fine wines, and
telling the people that they had a fortune at
their doors, etc.
The entire crop was bought and paid for
in cash, and Dumped all together in a ware
house here at Quincy by NJ. H., and allowed
to remain here for two or three months, and
then repacked without any regard to quality
or color, and shipped to New York. From
There it was sent to Germany. 1t was there
of no earthly account. His house sustained
a loss that il was never able to overcome.
The following season all the planters put in
81 2Ytra lat.pp md m bt.N CON
ence their loss was very heavy. This was
i'll 1868 or 1870, and from thea to the present
time the culture of tobacco here has not
bee1 popular, only few farmers planting
any at all. In tue early part of 1887 Gel. II.
R. Duval Of the Florida railway and navl-
cation railroad, and Hon. w. ID. Chiply of
the Pensaco a and Atlantic railroad dis
tributed tobacco seed gratituousiy all along
the line Of their roads, and got a good many
to plant FROM one to two &C es each. The
tobacco was sold at a fair price, the most of
it having been bought by w. NJ
Cory for the large cigar manufacturing
company of S,ratbon & Storm of New
York city, and Carl Vogt & Sons of Brook
Ign, N. Y. They were so well pleased with
IL, that they have since invested very
largely in lands in this county, having
bought between Il, 900 and 5000 acres, the
most of taeir pur, bases being near this
place. Mr.. Storm is a member of the
Florida TObaceO Trading and Producing
Company, which has a paid sup capital of
800, 600, all of which they claim has been
expended IL buying lands, stock and build
ing barns. curing and tenant houses and the
cuitivatiag of 90 acres of tobacco IN this
county the present year. If one will come
and see the vast amount of work that they
have done, then he can not gain say but
that fully that amount has been spent. The
company has to-day the largest amount of
tobacco ever grown in America by any one
company, and are more than pleased with
their Investments.
Messrs. Carl Vogt & Sons cultivated this
season about 100 acres and are satisfied that
they have struck the place to get fine arti-
cle
In addition to these crops nearly all of
the farmers have grown from one to two
acres, and some as much as three acres. All
Of the crops are good, and are now ready
for market.
| know of the crops that were sold yester-
day to John L. McFarlin, a cigar manufac-
turer of this place, at 2T55 cents per pound.
William Mcintosh was one of the small
farmers who sold his crop at the above price,
He had one acre in cultivation on which he
raised $50 lbs, at q q per pound, or 1894.
After making the sale Mr. Mcintosh said
his p antation could not be bought for any
price, as he could make fortune in few
years raising tobacco at that price. men
ton the above that any who may be at all
skeptical can inform themselves of the
facts. Now many who may see this article
will ask in what way has this great indus
try benefited your town? To all such /
take pleasure in saying that we have in
course Of construction a large fifty room
hotel, by j. l.. McFarlin, four brick store
houses by Thos. l.. Ward 81 Co., large
warehouse by e. Z. Dismukss, a good livery
and sale stable by Henry d. Dun, several
fine dwelling houses and plenty of work for
all who may come. We have a climate
that can not be surpassed anywhere In
Florida 50 far we have had only one
death in town Of 1000 inhabitants for
the year. Quincy, the county seat of this,
Gadsden county, is pleasantly located upon
a high hill 300 odd feet above the sea, 90
miles from the Gulf coast. 100 miles west of
Jacksonville on the Florida Railway and
Navigation railroad and % miles west of
Tallahassee. It is the home Of ex-Gov. A.
K. Allison, Hon. f. G. Love, Hon. r. II.
NJ. Davidson (the present member Of con-
gres,), Hon. z. NJ. White, Col John W.
Malone, Capt. William b. Malone ard
Thomas B. Nathans, the Oldest circus clown
now living Out he has long since quit his
"deavilish ways'1, and many Others who
have figured in the ups and down of Florida
life, such as the Munroes, Du Points,
Braces, Stocktons, McFarlins and others.
To all who are In search OF good lands,
water, school and climate, we say come and
see and you will be convinced that Middle
Florida In the place.
Quincy, with the whole state of Florida,
deeply mourns the sad death of Col. J. j.
ID mel Of Jacksonville. He was truly one
of Gods noblest handiwork-a perfect man.
This county will eloct its entire demo-
cratic ticket. The county Is being thor
oughlycanva ssed by the local politicians UNI
der the leadership OF Hon. Edward G.
Love, one Of the staunchest democrats in
the state.
Cotton Is coming in very rapidly, and Is
being sent to your city by the local buyers.
Savannah gets 80 per cent. Of the cotton
raised in Middle Florida, and she deserves
tho xvhola of IL III r. r.