The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-02-06
TO TRY TOBACCO RAISING.
The Experiment TO Be Made in South
east Georgia This Year.

east Georgia This Year.
! Traffic Manager Owens OF the Savannah,
I Florida and Western railway is sending out
seed Of the best Havana tobacco to a few
/ farmers along the line of the Savannah
/ Florida and Western and the Brunswick
/ aud Western. The seed was obtained in
| Cuna. and Is guaranteed TO be of the best
/ quality The experiment of trying some
( Georgia lands along the lines Of railway
! mentioned IS TO be made this year. A linn
I tied amount Of seed was sent out last year,
( but the reports were not SO favorable.
/ Tobacco culture, however, cannot be sue
CeSsfuuy prosecuted without a practical
I knowledge of the cultivation of the plaat,
I from the preparation of the plant bed until
I the harvested stock Is housed, and the
| handling of IT in the barn requires as much
I knowledge and care as when the plant is
growing.
The culture of tobacco in Georgia can be
/ made profitable, and new ground, for two
| years, VIII make a very light textured aud
/ pretty leaf for wrappers, and the flavor
of the LEAF will be fine, but after two crops
| have been grown on the land 1t requires
! fertlizing, and this deteriorates the flavor,
and the leaf IS heavier and darker.
Tobacco culture in Florida and Georgia.
was the subject of quite an interesting dis
cussiou in the Office Of Traffic Manager
Owens yesterday morning, in which Mr..
Owens, Assistant Traffic Manager Papy, and
Col j. ii. M. Chnch participated. Mr..
Papy said that Messrs. Stratton & Storm
had established the fact that tobacco culture
IN Florida can be made 10 pay largely, and
Mr.. Papy said that the crop raised last year
on their Florida plantation had realized to
them such profit as to meet the entire
expense for the purchase of the land,
Its preparation for planting, the
cultivation, harvesting. curing and ship
ping Of the crop, and the cost for erecting
the pretty little houses built for the Asa
tian tenants who worked the place. The
entire expense, which amounted to about
S9O,OUO, had been fully met by the revenue
from the first crop raised, leaving the vast
plantation in the highest state of cultiva-
ton, making 1t appear like one great gar
den, and dotted by the pretty cottages of
the Alsatians. SIT is" said Mr.. PaDy, "a
magnificent drive of nine miles around the
farm over road made by the owners, and
bridges crossing the drains connect all por-
tIons CT the farm
Col. Cliuch gave his experience with a
ten-acre lou planted in tobacco forty years
ago, and he said that while he sold the TO-
bacco at 81 per pound, he lost money by the
operation, and never tried tobacco raising
thereafter, although he says he can see no
reason why tobacco cannot be profitably
the best quality for fine cigars.
The planter who expects tobacco will re-
qulre no more care than corn or cotton Is
much mistaken. Experienced tobacco
raisers, however, find it one of the least
troublesome crops, and few Kentucky aud
tennessee farmers fail to plant at least a
few acres in connection with their other
crops, and for the reason that it is not only
profitable crop, but can largely be cult
waited with cheaper labor and handled in
the barn when outside work cannot be done
The small boy can drop the plant, worm the
crop, and pluck the suckers from the plant
after topping, even better than adult labor
When the tobacco is cured on rainy days it
"comes into case" and is stripped and tied
into hands, when there would be no work
possible in the open field.
In this section the proper way to go about
preparing for tobacco is first to select
rich spot of new ground with a southern
exposure, and, after removing all the under
growth by grubbing brush should be piled
on the plant bed, aud burned, for the pur-
pose of killing out all grass and weed
germs. An ounce of tobacco seed, thorough
ly mixed in a gallon of fine ashes, should
be sowed broadcast in the bed, which must
have been finely pulverized with rake. If
the season Is dry 1t NAV be well to water
the bed occasionally. When the plant has
attained to a growth of three or four leaves
1t Is transplanted in hills or burrows, and
requires no more cultivation with hoe and
cuitlvator than cotton
The secret of keeping the growing crop
from being worm eaten, is to worm it early
and often, and principally in the morning
when the worms feed on the plant Ths
| after cultivation, housing, and curing prop
erly, requires an intelligent study Of the
subject, or, what is better, the presence on
the farm OF some one who has had expert
ence in tobacco culture.
Tobacco for heavier manufacture than
cigars is hardly likely to be attempted in
this state or Florida, as soil everything lime
stone formation appears to be so much
better adapted to the heavier grades of
tobacco; but for the finer grades for cigars,
and cigar wrappers. it nas been de non
strated that Florida is hardly second to
Cuba, and it is believed that Southern and
Southeastern Georgia is just as well
adapted to the culture of the Cuban vari-
cites of tobacco, aad it only wants expe-
rienced tobacco raisers to establish that
fact.