Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1891-12-18
LIGHT TOBACCO.
Change in the Markets and Demand for
Unsmoked Manufacturing Leaf

Tobacco is the absorbing question
just now, and it is well to call atten.
ton to one very impor ant fact that
our growers are not all taking note
of, and that is the change in the
fashion, the growing demand for
light tobacco. We take spells OF
cursing out the Reggie monopoly, and
yet but for the Reggie demand this
section would scarcely have any de-
mand for the kind of tobacco mostly
produced here. There is way out
to beat the Regies and bring compe-
tition, and every farmer must de-
pend on himself. No one who OBJ
serves at all has failed to observe the
wide range Of prices paid for differ
ent grades of tobacco of late years.
No one can fail to note the railing
off in the demand for our class of to
baccO, nor can any one overlook the
increase in the demand for Burley
and light grades of manufacturing
tobacco, and nothing here brings
fancy prices but foe wrapper and
good manufacturing leaf. The
greensboro district is now outstrip-
ping US in prices, because farmers
there have learned how to make a
better class of strip tobacco and cut
ting leaf, and are not dependent on
the Reggie demand. Here specula-
tors are being shut out OF the market
for all grades except such as find a
German or Swiss demand, because
they can't buy in competition with
Reggie agents at any price, for no
other trade will take it off
of their hands. Even the for
eign markets are yielding to
the demand of consumers for light
tobacco, and if it keeps on so, in a
few years more, we will have no de-
mand anywhere except the Reggie
trade for our coarse, heavy, dark,
smoked tobacco.
But now the whole congregation
will rise up and say the LEAF
CHRONICLE don't know anything
about it and this county will not pro.
duce light grades. Very well, keep
on in.the way you are going and you
will soon find.out. We will admit
the light grades cau't be produced,
relS ing altogether ON commercial
fertilizer, big open barns and great
log fires, curing with smoke. Let
some enterprising farmer try the
change. Plant the Yellow Pryor
and try the Snow barn, or good tight
barns with fiues for curing, making a
bright silky tobacco free from the
smell of smoke, and see how the
manufacturers will run after you for
it. Our lands may not produce the
Burley so well, but every farmer
knows he can grow the Pryor to per-
lection and can cure it bright in
small, tight barns; especially if he
can apply the heat, without the
smoke, to "a temperature that will
cure quickly and sound, and not burn
it up. Flues can be made compare
lively cheap, and will supply more
hnnt wi n Lose FI,aI op1 Loco duncan =,
barn burning.
Talking with prominent dealers
on this subject, one observed that the
country around Trenton would rival
Virginia raising this kind of tobacco
If farmers would fix for it and man
age it right, Another remarked that
the south side would produce very
fine light tobacco under the proper
management.
Another point, commercial fertil-
izers are good to stimulate the land
and produce strong rapid growth,
but the best land in the world will
not survive the constant use of such
without something else to
give body and substance. With fine
tobacco-growiug must come clover
aud stock. Dairy farming is the
thing to go with tobacco raising.
Every well kept COW is worth so
year to the farm in the enhancement
of its fertility. Then every good
butter cow will produce $50 ayear
net cash over and above the cost of
keeping, Every tobacco farm of leo
to 200 acres should keep five to ten
good cows, and there is always a
good market and ready cash for good
butter. This part of the subject we
leave for further discussion.