The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1891-11-14
TOBACCO.
A Most Excellent Letter From Our
State President.

A Most Excellent Letter From Our
State President.
President Noodle in the Florida Tobacco
growers and we particularly request every
grower to read over TWICE that part that
refers to the Mckinley bill.
ATTENTION FARMERS.
Under the above head see that a meet
ing of the farmers of Columbia county has
been called to meet in Lake City on Tues
day, November s, to consider the neces-
sity OF reducing the sea.island cotton crop.
AS president of the Tobacco-Growers AS
ISOLATION was about to call a council of
this body, when friend suggested that it
would be better 10 appoint the same day
November 8, as more general attend
ance would be assured, and many cotton
planters who have not hitherto engaged in
this rising industry could be interested and
encouraged 10 plant tobacco next year.
l am aware that many who planted "the
weed" two or three years ago became
discouraged because the quantity produced
was not sufficient TO induce buyers or
manufacturers to come and take hold of it,
and therefore it was not quickly disposed
of, but it is quite The reverse now. The
tobacco crop OF 1891 in Florida will reach
probably 100000 pounds, and nearly all
OF il has been eagerly and promptly
bought during the months of Angus,
September and October. and probably
before JAnuary, '92, there will not be q
crop ..unsold in the state, aud the price
paid has been very satisfactory, ranging
from 90 cents to 81 per h., according to
quality and grade, and the gross proceeds
have been from 500 to S4o per acre.
do not eXaggerate the facts when as
sert that Florida tobacco has now come to
the front and come 10 stay. Thu McKn-
ley ia,if bin, imposing duty of s. per ID.
on Sumatra and Cuba wrappers, has prac-
tically Cut them off the New York party
TO whom l SOLD my 81 crop told me h few
days ago that American contracts out
standing on Sumaua and Havana wrans
have been filed that the present duty 81
SO per 10. is practical prohibition thai
they would tuy but little, II any, more
that they must have a substitute, and
(mark this 1T COULD NOT BE HAD OUT
SIDE OF FLORIDA. And, moreover, they
confessed that out of the hundreds 0
thousands Of pounds they had seen anC
bought, none was better than, or even as
good as, the Columbia article! And, il
addition, venured to say that we were
sleeping on a mine of wealth, over mo
nopoly, as seems apparent from the above
For six years have persevered anC
persisted, my faith never failing, my
courage not the least daunted Except by
the lack Of company and CO -operation)
and if there are any Doubling Thomase
Except my friend Ed Thomas, thar
whom there is no m )re successful tobacco
handler in Florida), let them 90 to Gads
den, Leon and Decatur (Ga.) counties
call for the books and see for themselve
that over 1900 mortgages that cottol
had put on the books have been cancelle
in one, two and three years by tobacco
and moreover let them note the numbe
of tobacco growers; white and colored
whose old cash balance in 1890 has bee
swelled this fall by hundreds and eve
thousands of dollars; and let them sc
the bright faces and cheerful, happ
homes, so long darkened by their forme
austere master, King Cotton, (whol
they have deposed as relentless tyran
coronating the Royal Weed, and the
will come back thoroughly satisfied thu
tobacco should supplant cotton forevt
in COlumbia-for no other county can g,
Gel her in quality or quantity.
Let every farmer who has ten acres an
an OK come to this grand rally and rev
luton Nov. 8, and will take great plea
ure in showing them how to throw {
the CALLING yoke Of bondage that deman,
'sbrick even without straw" and no
they can make our own county prosp
a. never before. F. W. NOODLE,
President Tobacco Growers ASS
Lake City, Oct. 20, 1891.