The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-04-03
TOBACCO IN WASHINGTON.

Monday Of September, 1893, this act shall take
effect and b In force from and after it, approval
By the governor.
TOBACCO IN WASHINGTON.
A Lewis County Grower Relates His Ex-
periencs for the Benefit Of Others.
TOLEDO. March 29.-(Special.]- -Four
years experimenting taught me that even
a. well the climatic conditions as some of
the peculiar soils of the western part of
our state are admirably fitted to raise the
most celebrated kinds of tobacco. And
do not doubt that certain parts Of Eastern
Washington may answer tho same pur.
pose even a. well.
Speaking about tobacco culture, do not
mean to say that l will recommend the
cultivation of those well-known, ordinary
varieties Of this remarkable and valuable
plant which may be raised almost every
where. Such it is the case with the Vir-
GINA, the Connections seedleaf and the
plant called Havana. Their leaves lack
the flavor and quality, and therefore they
have a. . speciality only a very limited
value in the commerce. They form the
great bulk of the merchantable tobacco.
That those aforementioned kinda of to-
bacco grow abundantly in this part of our
country is . fact established many years
ago, and if our farmers and fruit growers
will be found inclined to spend their work
and time for their cultivation, this might
turn out as . source of very considerable
income, even of wealth.
nary and inferior kinds Of tobacco and the
good quality of leaves they furnish
sometimes. if correctly prepared, induced
me to try to cultivate other and superior
species, such as the Latakiah, or Turkish
tobacco, from Syria, in Asia Minor; and
the Brazil, known a. the La Plata tobacco,
from South America just now l am out
world in order to find out. by experiment.
ing, which will do best in this country.
The Latakiah is plant of medium size:
it grows fast. has long, narrow, somewhat
curled leaves, which ripen early in the
season, and if correctly prepared and
cured. they furnish . smoking tobacco
which is of the highest value. In Europe
they sell this tobacco from So to 81 a
pound and it is brought into the commerce
from Salonichi, Turkey.
fully succeeded in raising this tobacco
here in my garden at Toledo, Lewis
county. and there is no difference in flavor
and taste between the imported and the
leaves grown here.
The La Plata is high, slender plant
with smooth, oval leaves of the size of q
hand and larger, which ripen later in the
season than the former. The whole plant
does not grow very fast, 1t develops its
characteristic propensities during fall
time, after the first rain in September.
Both these two valuable varieties of
tobacco. after drying and curing, furnish
smoking tobacco. They possess from
nature that remarkable flavor which can
not be replaced by any known artificial
means, and which causes the extreme
high mercantile value of all kinds of
tobacco possessing it. There are only q
few spots in the whole known world
where these tobacco: may be raised at
their iull quality and, of course. they are
then . source of great wealth. You may
raise some kind OF the plant tobacco
almost everywhere. even in the Lake
Superior country, but flavor, good slowly
burning to white ashes without coaling,
mildness in taste, and most of all the
other valuable propensities of it depend,
second. the favorable climate, and third,
the work of cultivation in propagating
that kind of plant which owns already
by hereditary the outspoken propensities
of their predecessors. =
Raising tobacco on bottom land, as
they do here in Western Washington, or
on newly broken wild or fresh MANFRED
abundance of gigantic, fat, coarse leaves.
which turn dark brown or even black
after drying and have then only a very
limited, sometimes no value at all in COM
merce. They are too rich in nicotine and
therefore too strong. The smokers of such
tobacco are terror to mankind.
Dried tobacco leaves have to look from
golden yellow brown to dark brown. They
have to be smooth. without holes and
quite flexible when moist. It is impos-
sible to raise tobacco of this kind on un.
cultivated or superfertile soil.
The best tobacco is grown on fertile.
more light than heavy soil, on elevated
surface where air and sun have free access.
The land should be thoroughly and deeply
cultivated, few years ago MANFRED and
pulverized by the frequent use of pillow,
harrow or cultivator before planting. tits
of no use at all to try to raise tobacco on
poorly prepared, shallow land, bet een
Jumps of hard baked soil and lots of weeds.
This never will do.
The dryness and heat of our summers
do not hurt the tobacco at all; even the
hotter the sun is burning the more seems
1t to enjoy its life. And a second crop of
very valuable leaves may be harvested
after the first rain in fall at the time when
the tobacco planters in the Eastern states
see their plants perish by the frosts in Oc-
tober.
lie Secu cuOu'u ne sOWu as early In
spring as possible. Take box, fill it with
the best loose fertile soil, such as the
gardeners use in their flower pots. Strew
the seeds over the surface. cover it lightly
by strewing light soil over it and put the
box in a sunny. warm, sheltered place.
The young plants will appear after two or
three weeks. As they are very sensitive
10 cold, wet weather, you ought to be
very careful to protect them during the
cold nights and transforms. A much bet
ter way is to propagate the young plants
in hotbeds Or cold frames
From middle Of April to the end of June
you plant them In distances of 3Isx3Is. or
better AKA feet. This is best done on A
rainy day or in the evening. The plants
should get protected during the first two
or three days against the hot RAYS of the
sun. Later they cannot get heat enough.
The young plants are very much mo-
tested py the cutworm, the well-known
gray-brownish, ravaging caterpillar of q
medium-sized gray night-moth. This
worm is hidden during the DAYTIME near
the plants an inch or so under the sur.
face, coming out evenings to DESTROY eyerv
plant it may reacn. They seem to be ex.
tremely fond of tobacco leaves. It is a
very difficult task TO tight against the
iegions of this monster. Rings of strong
paper about eight inches in diameter. four
inches high and pressed in the ground
about one inch deep. around every plant
one, 10 the most effective safeguard vet
known. Ifyou do not wish to make use
OF this cheap remedy you will probably
have the trouble to replant until about the
-r Ill hAVn l..