The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1892-06-25
TN GADSDEN COUNTY.
Around and With the Growers OF
Tobacco.
FACTS FROM THE FARMERS ACTUAL.
OBSERVATION.

We have often printed in these col
umns: Grow tobacco as they do IN Gads-
den county. And we still firmly believe
in the statement.
Again we have printed "Gadsden county
growers of Middle and West Flor ida are
her pupils without paying any tuition).
As one of the pupils we crossed the
Ocklockonee river the other day and in
vaded her tobacco growing domain.
After summing UP the figures given us
by the various tobacco growing farmers.
some of whom were experts while others
were novices in the business, we find that
during 1891 they grew about ., 700 acres
in from one to thirty acre fields. The
average was nearly 420 pounds to the
acre and they received about % cents per
pound all around, meaning a crop of
wrappers, filters, binders and some trash.
Even this price was better than the money
they got for their 1890 crop, simply be-
cause they had learned more about the
business. They claimed, in many in
stances, that they could, with their home
force of boys and children, produce an
acre, hung in the barn, for less than
twenty dollar bill.
Most of the seed they have used came
direct from Cuba. They SOW it in beds.
set out several rows among their main
crop, then allow it TO go 10 seed, then
gather the same. lay it away until The fol-
lowing year, then go through the same
process again. then it is ready the third
season to grow a crop. Many have at
tempted to make crop with the original
seed The first year. but they found that it
was unacclima5e and did not produce
the desired quality Of Leaf. The leaves
were small and the yield PEI acre would
show no profit, besides they were small
and the cigar maker kicked because he
could not cut wrappers flom them to an
advantage.
Much has been said about seed running
out, but we found farmers who had used
fve-year old seed on poor ground and
made a good merchantable crop.
Tight grained is what we are aiming
to raise said an old farmer, and he
dampened leaf and stretched it across
his thumb nail and it showed smooth
and glossy look This is the kind of
goods said lie. that the wrapper men
ale hunting: coarse grained Is 10 good
to them That leaf VIII ash close and it
will be firm and white. Some l have
made up have smoked over half way up
and the ashes held on
A; very many firms we fluid that the
drought had really been a blessing I" the
tobacco growers thereon latter searching
but not finding but meagre amount Of
house room 1t reduced the quantity of
plauts in their beds, hereby improving
the quality of the growing plants, because
they have no. an overstock Of them and
are giving them more work and attention
In some instances we saw more land laid
OF for tobacco thsn the owner could nos
sibly attend to unless he neglected other
growing crops IL sight. The recent
copious showers have made the last set
ting and replants pick up their ears .
Here We found more practical expert
ence and less tobacco growing from
pamphlet than in Leon county, and it is
easily explained: They have been at the
business SO much longer. At first many
of them .old US that they made dismal
failures by sowing improper seed in a
very poor and uncouth manner ON beds
hastily and poorly made up. Old grow
ers told Us that they expec'ed to have
some portions of Their crop reject d be-
cause it had neen tended by green hands,
while other portions Of their crop they
expect will command fancy prices.
On the subject of the tariff on tobacco
it seemed TO be the prevailing opinion
sshaG where the - per pound tariff benefits
them is wholly an the quality Of their
crop. Where q crop has been badly
handled in the past or is below the aver
age quality for wrappers low prices in
vasiab'y follow, hence they are doing
their level best to raise only first-clas'
goods, and they are setting decidedly
good pattern for all Florida growers e
follow.
Tobacco figures, or most any othel
figures for that mater, are stale reading
They h.ve been shown to me in rount
nnmbsrs as TO whit Gad.den county ha:
done and intends TO do with tobacco aEt
other things, but as this is strictly 20
hAcco letter we will have to omit all othe
figures aud give few tobacco ones oc
casionally without trimmings.
Dir. Harris. near Midway, showed us !