Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1891-11-26
Saint Nafg's Beacon,
TOBACCO CULTURE IN MARYLAND.

Mr. j. s. Rawlings, vice-presi-
dent Of Leaf Tobacco Association
Of Baltimore City, gives the fol-
lowing account Of the growing Of
tobacco in Maryland:
"The magnitude of the leaf to-
bacco trade in this city and State,
the extent Of its growth in former
years, when the Western and the
Eastern Shore counties added many
thousand hogsheads annually to
that grown in the middle tier and
Southern counties, its uses in late
colonial times rs a purchasing me-
dunn in lieu Of currency, would, if
written, make an interesting vol
ume.
"The planting interests have
waned from time to time until the
culture of the weed is now I'M
known On the Eastern Shore and
but little in the Western section of
our State, its growth being confin-
ed almost exclusively to the coun-
ties Of st. Mary's, Calvert, Charles
and the lower half of Anne Arun-
del. The average production in
hOgsheads has gradually declined
from about $4,000 to $4,000 per
annum, the quality likewise deteri-
Grating. Various causes may be
and are assigned for this very great
decline. No attempt, however, will
be made in this article to elaborate
these reasons, the object of this let
ter being principally to call the at
tention of all interested to the sit
uation and if possible, to awaken
renewed interest, that by improv-
ing the quality of the staple Mary
land as producer and Baltimore
as market may again occupy the
prominent position formerly held
in the tobacco centres of the world.
''The use of tobacco increases
annually, and as the civilized ma
tions grow richer the demand is for
the better grades, while that for
common grades grows constantly
less and being confined to the regal
markets of Europe, where govern
mental monopoly compels those ad-
dicted to the use of the weed to take
that which is supplied. from the
crown factories.
at may be promised without fear
of contradiction that, would our
Maryland planters adopt and use
such methods of culture and cure
as to produce only good quality leaf,
then the demand would be limited
only by the supply ; in other words
if the quality were brought up to
the maximum of excellence the
stimulated demand would greedily
take the full supply and at enhanc-
ed values.
''The query naturally follows:
Can the means be practically adopt
ed by our planters by which the
quality can be greatly improved
without materially curtailing pro-
duction? Unquestionably yes,
and undoubtedly increased values
would follow, thereby gradually
but surely largely increasing pro-
dnction. When It is established
that farmer can by proper culture
secure q larger revenue from one
acre than, as now, from three or
even five, then the effect would be
smaller farms, more farmers, bet
ter farming and the return of many
of our most progressive planters
who have abandoned the growth of
tobacco to it's culture. The facts
are indisputable that where tobacco
can be grown to advantage it pays
larger per cent. of revenue per
acre than any field crop in this
State. There is scarcely a county
or neighborhood in Maryland but
where land highly suitable for to-
bacco culture may be found. Let
it be demonstrated that three or
five acres properly cultivated in to-
bacco will give to the grower prompt
and remunerative returns for his
labor and care and the problem is
solved.
ITO state with any degree of de-
tail the improved methods for this
needed improvement in perfecting
the culture of tobacco would take
much longer article than this is
intended to be, and to treat this
branch of the question properly it
would be necessary to call attention
to some of the fallacies now in
vogue, as well as the modern meth
DDS in use by successful planters in