The San Francisco call., 1896-03-03
Final Success Of an Enterprising
Californian's Expert.
ment.
J. D. CULPs PERSEVERANCE.
Expectations That Immense Profits
Will Be Realized From the
New Industry.

Eight hundred dollars net an acre is
what ]. d. Culp of San Felipe will make
out of his tobacco for the next five years,
under a contract recently entered into
with one of the leading cigar manufac-
turers of this City. Mr.. Culp has de-
voted thirty-fve years to the culture of
Havana tobacco in California. and through
out all of his experiments, failures and
partial triumphs he has been satisfied,
notwithstanding the prejudice of smokers
against domestic cigars, that California
could grow tobacco equal to the Ha-
vana product. That he has been able to
CO ntract his crop for the next five years at
such favorable prices would seem to bear
out his judgment.
In an interview Mr.. Culp impaired a
deal of information, both practical and
technical, upon the subject to which he
mas devoted the greater part of his life
time. He said:
"If the people could realize the immense
profits to be derived from growing tobacco
IN California and the many advantages
this State has over any other in the Union
In this regard, the subject would COM
mand more attention. Hailstorms which
are so destructive to tobacco crops in
Eastern States, are almost unknown here.
OF california, and during my Ihrtv-tive
years experience, In which time l have
cultivated as much as 900 acres in one
season, have not expended $35 in ridding
the plants of worms, which are a bother
some and expensive pest in the East.
During period of four years hardly saw
worm in my tobacco fields. When they
did make their appearance the yellow
jackets and a fly kept them pretty well
thinned out. The Eastern tobacco-grower
is compelled to expend 500 an acre an
nually for fertilizers, and even then the
tobacco fields of Pennsylvania and Con-
necticut are playing out These fields used
to produce first-class cigar wrappers, but
the product is now used for binders
Instead OF needing fertilizers out here we
have to tone down the soil. Irrigation is
unnecessary on my land, but where the
soil is light it might be necessary to give
the plants start when they are set out.
"My fields are laid out in two-acre
tracts, and provided with wind breaks. No
dust accumulates on the plants. l get two
crops in a year. The first crop will average
1000 pounds to the acre, one-half of which
can be utilized for cigar wrappers. The per-
centage Of wrappers OF tobacco grown in
Havana is about one-Quarter of the crop.
My second crop is from suckers, and will
yield 500 pounds, but with.a much smaller
percentage of leaf fit for wrappers"
"Do you import YOUR seed every year
from Havana?" Mr.. Culp was asked
Il believe this is the only part of the
United States where Havana tobacco re-
mains true to its species; where the seed
year after year reproduces the same kind
and quality of tobacco. The cigar you are
smoking is from seed brought out from
Cuba and first planted here fifteen years
ago.,
iylO Ig ~
large as one produced with plenty of
moisture, but the quality is better, and
will tell you why: A tobacco leaf consists
of two skins, between which is cellular
formation. Upon the upper skin or epi-
dermis are numerous hairy protuberances,
which under microscopic examination are
found to be the lungs of the plant. AT the
apex of these hairs is small poisonous
deposit or tobacco gum, composed largely
of paraffne, bitter extract and an es-
sential oil which impartS the aroma to a
cigar. Much rain washes this resinous
substance off and thereby impairs the to-
bacco. Chemists have claimed that the
flavor of Havana obacco is due to low
percentage OF nicotine; but | have salts
fed myself that it is in this deposit of
gum. have large ball of it which l have
collected. 1t is very susceptible to varying
temperature. becoming soft ana plastic in
heat equal to that of the midday sun
of a summer day, and perfectly hard in
the temperature that would prevail after
nightfall.
dDid you ever notice the wilted appear
ance of tobacco plant during hot day,
and how vigorous and strong it appears in
early morning? When the weather is very
warm the escape of the gases essential to
vegetable life, owing to the softened con-
dition of this gum is detrimental to the
health of the plant.
sin this connection l have made an.
other discovery. Spots on tobacco leaves
have been attributed to various causes,
and the average smoker hunts for cigar
with that sort Of wrapper on it under the
misapprehension that he is getting some
thing superior. When there is break in
one of these hairs the substance which is
deposited in these cells, and makes the
essential part OF tobacco, exudes, that part
Of the leaf dies, and the spot is the result"
"What of the old Consolidated Tobacco
Company and It's failure?'
THAT was due to causes outside of the
merits or quality of the tobacco. Of course
the tobacco was inferior to what it now is
We did not pretend to grow wrappers at
that time. And to show the prejudice
that existed against home product, and
exists in lesser degree to-day, we used
great deal of Pennsylvania tobacco for
wrappers, and cigars made wholly out of
the Pennsylvania crop were, in the opinion
of many local smokers, rank with the
taste of Gilroy soil. The company was or
ganized in 1872, and it must be apparent
that twenty three years of experience since
then has made valuable addition to our
stock of information on the subject of
growing Havana tobacco in California"
do you know how much tobacco is an
nually imported by the United States?"
"About $50, 1000 900 worth, principally
from Cuba and Sumatra. The area on
which tobacco is grown in Cuba is q by II
miles and contains 5000 plantations. The
approximate value of the annual product
is $23.OO0,000. In California we have ten
times that area where tobacco can be sue
cessfully grown, and there are sections of
Utah, Arizona, New Mexico and Southern
Texas adapted to its growth. These facts
will convey an idea of the vast possibilities
of the Industries if we can produce a to-
bacco that will compare with the Cuban
article"
F. w. Briggs, the manufacturing tobac-
conist, was also interviewed and expressed
the opinion that the prejudice of the
smoker was the only thing that prevented
the complete success of the domestic ar
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