The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-06-24
Seed For Tobacco Planting.

There is no farm crop grown as a staple
in the United States that pays better than
GOOD tobacco, says the Southern Tobacco
Journal, and to grow good tobacco requires,
in the first place, good seed, for
GOOD seed is at tue foundation
of all successful farming and more
essential, if possible, as regards tobacco than
in any other crop. For in this the range of
types. grades and prices are wider than in
any other crop, while the seed affect and
control all these more than any other factor.
Soil. climate and management next to va
rietY operate TO determine the character of
theproduct.
The variety must be suited to the type
which the planter intends to raise, and the
soil must be adapted to the type, or failure
is certain. Bright yellow tobacco cannot
be produced On dark, rich soil; nor rich,
dark shipping" on poor. gray soil; nor viii
the rich, coarse varieties produce fine silky
yellow goods, or the thin silky varieties
make heavy, fat, tough export tobaccos.
There has been wonderful Improvement
in varieties of tobacco during the past gen
ration-improvem by selection in the
rieties, with superior qualities and charac-
teristtcs for every type of tobacco. None
but an old fogy will continue to plant the
old. unimproved varieties because they
were his fathers or grandfather
favorites. The world moves, seeds
are improved. and industries de-
developed and advanced. Our ancestors
succeeded with the varieties of tobacco they
planted, when there was mainly but one
type-the dark shipping-but taste and
fashion change, new types are wanted and
new varieties suited to these types, and
planters who meet the demand are those
who make the most money by tobacco
planting.
Where is the successful farmer who now
sows the old wheat once used by his ances-
torsl Look at the Improvement in varie-
ties in vegetables, fruits, farm and horti-
cultural, in the past century. Seeds, like
animals, are greatly improved by propaga-
ton of selection and judicious crossing /;
and especially is this true as regards the
Improvement of seeds, when carried on I'M
der the most favoring conditions of develop
ment as to soil, climate and cultivation.
Virginia is the home of the tobacco plant,
and here it develops to the highest perfec-
tion, and, consequently, here have origi-
mated the best and finest varieties She
grows now all the types used in plug tobac-
co and for pipes and cigarettes; and she
has some ], 800 square miles of soil suited to
another type-cigar tobacco-and these
soils lie mainly in the Piedmont country,
where our people are striving to compete
with the west in growing grain. Hereis an
opportunity that ought to be improved.
1t is a recognized fact that where any
fora develops to greatest perfection there is
where the best seed can be grown 1t would
pay planters in the south and west who
grow the yellow and dark export types to
get their seed every year from Virginia, as
market gardeners get seed from localities
where the several varieties develop to great
est perfection, rather than grow their sups
plies at lower cost, but under less favoring
conditions, as to adaptability of soil. eli
mate, etc. They know where to get the
best, and are aware of the tendency to de-
generation in seeds generally, and the i'm
portance of "a frequent recurrence to first
principles" to promote healthy. normal
growth and maturity.
Planters have no excuse for using poor
seed when pedigree seeds of all types may
be so cheaply procured. The cost of to-
bacco seed per acre ranges from 10 to 20
cents-the cost of seed of no other farm
crop is SO little.