The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1888-02-23
yrem the Mariana Farmers Alliance.l
a LETTER FROM GEN. SEBRlyr
Tobacco in North Caroli.n.

DURHAM, N. C., Nov. IS 1887
Editor Alliance. have been spending some
time in this thriving little city, an am OF N.
opinion that have learned some facts concern
ing the culture Of tobacco, and the profit derived
therefrOm that will be of interest to our Flond.
farmers. and think can see new field open
to our farmers that will be of vastly more i'm
poftance than raising all cotton. propose to
give you q few facts as flnd them here and A
few figures 10 consider al your leisure.
Just after the war this section OF North Caro-
DINA, lying south of Tar river and between Dur.
ham, Oxford and Henderson, was in q. very dc.
plorAble condition, the land in the main very
poor. and the farmers bankrup,ed. What was to
be donef Some OF the more thrifty farmen
went to work raising tobacco for Colonel Black
well to manufacture into his Durham smoking
tobacco. The thought was happy one, and The
experiment soon became a very profitable one,
and the poor sandy land in this section
soon came into demand and the poor farmers
commenced to improve their farms, build houses
and tobacco barnes and to fertze their land
and to live At home, and to-day, in this section
Of North Carolina, you find the most prosper.
Gus farmers in the South. They are not oaly
raising cotton and tobacco, but corn and wheat
and stock they are simply independent What
has this new departure done for this thriving
town and section In 1850 there were about bali
q dozen families here !; in 1882, when was here,
this place had some 1850 souls; to-day, 1881,
they have over 1000. and store. residences and
churches that would do credit to Jacksonville
or Pensacola-churches and school houses that
would reflect credit on much older ciiies-Isc-
tories that are perfect in their respective lines OF
manufacturing. find eleven tobacco factories
as follows: seven manufacturing smoking tobac-
CO, TIVE making cigarettes, one making plug To-
bacco and one making snuff. The output from
these eleven factories last year was sixteen mil
lion dollars. Besides these tobacco factories
they have large cotton mill, a woed factory
and fertilizer factory, and three new lines Of
railroad being built to this city: one from
Lynchburg, Va, one from Norfolk, Va, and one
from Oxford and Henderson, this Stale In two
years more this place will have 10000 iuhsb-
tants, and all the time the farmers in this section
are making money No mortgage liens held on
the farmers crops, no selling goods at 800 per
cent The price paid for the leaf tobacco ranges
nom cents to one dollar per pound; the aver
age is about 10 cents.
A gentleman in Granville county put in 10
acres this year in tobacco. He. not being 10
bacco planter. went to Durham and got an er-
perienccd man and paid him $50 per month TO
take charge of his tobacco crop. and he told Col
Robertson, the Commissioner of Agricultureior
this State. that he would clear $10,0O0this year.
Now, Mr.. Editor, and brother farmers, ii they
have done all this In North Carolina, why cant
we do 1t In Florida2 answer, we can. We
have In fernando, part of Marion, Levy, Coum-
bia, Jefferson. Leon, Gadsden and Jacksoa
counties just such land as they are growing 10
bacco on in North Carolina and we can makein
Jefferson. Leon. Gadsden and jackson, the veg
nne bright leafihat is made around Oxford aud
Henderson. Why not try it! We can at tn:
same time raise the Cuban leaf which the old
North State cannot produce. Let our farmers
60 10 work, let some few get together and sena
to this State and get competent man to escn
them how to tend the crop. and wager thai 10
few years YOU will hnd Durham No on toe
line of the F. r. & N. Brother Wilson. urge the
hrmers 10 get out OF the old rut. Let them
plant tobacco, cotton, corn. oats rice and sugar
cane. and breed more good stock and they WI
soon be as independent as their neighbors nefe
The Alliance is strong here. l attended tne
Fayetteville Fair last week, and meyer Saws
more prosperous set of farmers. It carried me
back to our West Tennessee Fairs in 1878. Inc
FarmerA Alliance of North Carolina will %
heard nom. Col. Polk, Of the Pr0gresssH fdI-
xees, made my stay at Raleigh and FayrtteViiN
pleasant he Is host of himself and avery ear
nest worker In the Alliance cause. l see by yom
paper Of the nth inst. that Capt Comm. OF Lev.
~ doing good work. Levy IL always on hand
the proper time. We will get the war tarln q
duced, and some good wholesome legislation 10
the laboring masses, and think Florida VIII
mark new epoch in her history, one oil gfeA'
prosperity.
Success to you and your cause.
w. II. SEBRISG.