The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1895-08-23
TO TOBACCO
GROWERS.
A Hint to the Farmers of Upper South
Carolina.

c., writes a very interesting letter to
the Charleston News and Courier ON
this subject. He says:
The tobacco crop in this State shows
In one or two connties large, but ap-
parently safe increase. The cultiva-
ton SO far is confined to the produc-
tion of the bright or yellow varieties.
The other tobaccos of commerce, with
out reference to leaf for cigars, are the
heavy dark grades of Virginia, Ken
tucky and Tennessee, mostly for for
eign export, and the hurley of Ken.
lucky for home consumption. 1t is
to these / would direct the attention
of our farmers whose lapds ara M.
suited to the yellow sorts.
The rich bottom and bench lands
along orr creeks and rivers, above
tide water, shculd produce fine manu-
featuring stock and leaf for export to
the Continent OF Europe, while the
uplands similar to those of this county
would bring suitable dark "stem-
ming" leaf for the English market In
one year previous to 1916 the port of
Charleston exported to Bristol, Eng
land, $4,000 hogsheads of tobacco.
favorably with similar tobacco from
Virginia, and in n market where that
colony held the trade. For years after
the cultivation of tobacco was aban-
doned for that of cotton the "Old To
bacco Inspection remained land
mark in Charleston, and just after the
colonial period a similar "Inspection"
was established ut Hamburg, on the
Savannah River, doubtless to avail of
water carriage to the coast. In 1889
the Legislature passed laws regulating
the inspection and expectation of to-
bacco-all of which WAS probably of
the dark variety grown from seed sim
liar to that of Virginia. The object of
the inspection was to keep up the
quality of the tobacco as represented
by the samples, to prevent the eXporta-
tion of unsound and unmerchantable
leaf, and to protect seller and shipper
alike from unjust reclamations, and
the buyer from careless or fraudulent
packing by holding the Inspector re-
sponsible for the integrity Of the sam
pies. A somewhat similar inspection
is maintained in Richmond, Va. at
the present day.
In growing dark tobacco it must, of
course, be from seed that produces
that variety and which has been found
most suitable to similar soils in Vir-
glnia, for the type Of tobacco depends
upon the soil producing it and differs
with the soil under precisely similar
climatic Influences. The richer the
soil the richer will be the tobacco 10
lu
richer in color. The smooth black
leaf grown on the bottom lands of the
Roanoke, in Virginia, i believe, usu-
ally brings the highest price for dark
varieties in the Richmond market, and
next in value is the tobacco of the
Farmville district. The dark leaf is
cured over open fires to drive out
quickly the water and sap. When this
is accomplished air completes the dry
ing. Sometimes flucs are used in place
OF open fires, as safer and leaving the
tobacco with more natural and
smokeless favor. The drying is done
by either system at comparatively
low, but uniform temperature from
start to finish, the fires being chiefly
attended to in the morning and at
nightfall. This method of fue curing
is being substituted in portions of Vir-
glnia for sun curing, which latter is
done by hanging the tobacco in the
sun on scnffClds at the barns until it
yellows, when i is housed and hung
until it cures ont n rich, reddish color,
with fine flavor and bouquet and elas-
ticity Of leaf The finest sun cured
in Virginia is produced in the coun-
ties OF Caroline and Louisa. while
Henry county ranks next with it's sun
and tue.cured manufacturing stock.
Green co.nty in East Tennessee, where
the cultivation of tobacco is of com
paratively recent date, is producing
equally as good, Of brighter and
richer dappled variety.
In this portion of this State tobacco
will ripen from IA month to six weeks
earlier than in Virginia, and would
probably IN average years be cut and
housed in August, and if not crowded
in hanging should cure ont to ''safe
shipping order without the risk and
expense of fires or hues. If this should
be the case there will be correspond
ing reduction in the expense of curing.
The making of plant beds, setting
out and subsequent cultivation is the
same In all varities of tobacco In the