The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1889-02-07

20 =
thcc~ IS 10 *.Tn ,r2y g~ova IS i
sf7p:c IA lie Gut-I states tngs l.lvs
bitter thar .ef2r to5a-~. anil 20
gry"' good tobacco .elun.e, IN tie
first place. good SEED g; foc 2>ud scc;i
IS At the foundation f3r al ,u~ce-, fIi
farming, ana more essential, II posi-
he. a. regards tobacco, ;ngn in any
other crop. For IN Tar, rDc range Of
types. grades, and pr:ccs. ale wider
than IA any other cT.:p. willie tx seed
affect and Ccn'goi I'll Ties" IN J5u than
any other factor. Soil, climate. and
management, next TO variety, operate
TO determine the character of the prod
uCt.
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 yell
low tobacco cannot be produced on
dark rich soil, nor rich dark "ship-
ping on poor gray soil : nor will the
rich, coarse varieties produce fine
silky yellow goods, or the thin silky
varieties made heavy, fat tough export
tobaccos.
There has been wonderful improve
ment in varieties of tobacco during
the past neutrality-suspicious. Ey
selection in the old kinds and the in
PRODUCTION of new varieties, with SUI
perior qualities and characteristics 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's IA
vorites. The world moves, seeds are
improved, and industries developed
and advanced. Our ancestors sue
ceeded with the varieties of tobacco
they planted, when there was manly
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 wheats once used by
his an. cestors1 L1ok at the improve
ment in varieties in vegetables, fruits,
farm and horticultural, in the past
century. Seeds, like animals, are
greatly improved by propagation of
selections and judicious crossing and
especially is this true as regards the
improvement Of seeds, when carried
on under the most favoring conditions
of development as to soil, climate and
cultivation. Virginia is the home of
the tobacco plant, and here it devel-
ops to the highest perfection, and,
consequently, here have originated the
best and finest varieties. She grows
now all the types used in the plug to-
bacco and for pipes and cigarettes
and she has some sixteen hundred
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 COM
pete with the West in growing grain.
Here IS an opportunity that ought to
Ike improved.
1t is recognized fact that where
any flora &c 'clops to greatest perfe,-
ton, there is where the best seed c IN lie
grown. 1t would pay planters in the
South and West, who grow the yellow !
and dark tyl eS, to get their seeds every
year from Virginia, as market garden /
ers get seeds from localities where the
several varieties develop to greatest
perfection, rather than grow their sup
plies at lower cost, but under less fav-
orng conditions, as to adaptiblity Of
soil, climate, etc. They know where
to get the best, and are aware of the
tendency to degenration in seeds gem
orally, and the importance of ga fire.
quent recurrence to first principles,
to promote healthy normal growth and
Planters have no excuse for using :
poor seeds when pedigree seeds of all
types may be SO cheaply procured.
The cost of tobacco seed per acre ,
anseS from ten to twenty ccnts-the
cost Of seed Of no other farm crop is
50 little.
The Planters and Mechanics In l
'urance company OfMobile, Ala, has
,.pp rnhbnd nf Con Onn nv ~, .,x,.r,+o ,.,.