The sun., 1896-01-11
FLORIDA'S TOBACCO BOOM.
SUCCESS APPARENTLY REACHED
AFTER YEARS OF EXPERIMENT..
Fine Wrappers fsr tiRnrs Now Produced
from sumntra Seed-Pinuters from Cuba
IN the FreId-An Important Advance.

from sumntrn seed-Pinutera from Cuba
In the FreId-An Important Advance.
There IL every evidence of a great boom In
growing high-grade cigar tobaccos in Florida.
Ono indication OF this ia the fact that there
are about 500 applications for tobacco seed on
file In the Florida State Department of Agri-
culture. and tobacco growers associations are
being formed In every part OF the state. Ex-
periments In tobacco growing have been car
riod on in Florida for n great number of years.
untfl quite recently with but little success.
The great trouble has been that the tobacco
when used for cigars did not keep; that Is TO
say. II grew Rrav and spoiled the appearance
Of the cigar. and II had also somewhat earthly
taste, like that of the beet. These faults have
TO n great degree disappeared. The boom is
Furthermore assisted NJ present by the troubles
in Cuba. There will be absolutely no crop of
Remedies tobacco. the kind used In seed and Ha-
yana cigars OF high quality; and oven the
world renowned district Of the Nuelta Abajo.
where is grown the finest tobacco in the world.
is likely to be also endangered 80 far as its crop
is concerned. Tobacco-growing people have
consequently turned their attention to Florida.
and the old plantations in American hands arc
now to have some very strong competition from
now tobacco associations. composed princi-
paiiy OF Cubans and Spaniards experienced In
Recent reports show that tho cultivation of
the best cigar tobacco in Florida has. after re-
peated trials In all parts of the State. practi-
caily centred in Ciadsdcn and Decatur coun-
ties, and that experiments in eastern and
nres. uGesn''n The crop FOR this year IN eatlsden
county is reported to be away above the aver
been very particular about getting only the
very finest Sumatra tobacco seed. that being
the variety which Florida up to date has done
hest with. The more aromatic Cuban tobac-
cos, while showing great improxemfSnt @ n,, zen . over
cuba chn produce. The ono great reason for
the peculiar fragrance or the tobacco grown IN
OF Cuba is the curious formation of tho soil.
In the old days every high tide washed over It;
time. as the waters receded. the earth was left
covered with fish. seaweed. broken vegetation
g 1e sna sp atb tb eart e Tnse be e
flow of the sea. Tho soil SO formed is to-day tho
finest tobaeG" region Of the
aromatic. which no country has hitherto dn, ~,
be lit. partially smoked. allowed 70 go out. md md
an hour or day later ret without h total oss
which at all approaches II is grown on the sl-
snds in the iodavery River, in British n, India. ii,
the Abaio but the tobacco is dark and strong
the tobacco world although 1t has great fra
GRANGE and aromatic qualities.
The Cubans and Spaniards now located and
have been reared on tobacco farms in Cuba.
try. look at the soil and the surroundings. ex-
anime and test the earth deposits. and deter
position to obtain the finest qualities of seed
and the most expert farm labor. and when the
Enowiedse % ' to tell them what can be done with
it..and how 1t is to he cured. Already the proc
been revoiutionized Experience has demon,
strated that a different routine must be fol.
are things Of the past on the me most up to date
plantations. The young plants are now set
har sfe1 Ia
as they ripen and are then strung on wire ropes
and hung m the curing barns. Experiments
with fine Sumatra tobacco this year produced
centare of wrappers Che leaf which covers the
most desirable from the standpoint Of profit
and utility. A. least one nlantation reached
This shows the thinness OF the leaf. a matter
Of very great Importance to the manufactures
he must buy to cover a thousand cigars, Wrap:
per-. OF imported Sumatra tobacco of the finest
IS a pound; S plenty Of tine-grade Florida grown
sumatra wrappers have been harvested for 40
Ia as have S brouxhs s9 pound When !t is
esunatcd that the United States import about
the Importance Of IS mastsr % i APPARENT. @ l''
the tobacco trade against using Florida. grown
sumatra tobacco, there is little among the manu-.
country are already using it. in some cases mix,
Ing it with percentages of the imported leaf.
Ihe h1Sh Quallty OF tne domestic prOuucL lS
shown by the fact that cigars wrapped with it
can be packed side by side with the cigars ccv-
cred with Sumatra-grown leaf and not be de-
tected by the average merchant. One large
firm making millions OF cigars year openly
avows it's large purchases and preference for
Florida-grown sumatrn tobacco. and It appears
only u matter OF time before others will follow.
AS regards the domestic-grown tobacco from
Vuelta Abajo seed. although IT has not yet met
with the general favor accorded to the sumatra,
several factories in the South are using it
more less in the lower priced goods.
There is really no reason why Florida should
not be recognized as the district for cigar tobac
cos. AS early as 1888 the spanish records show
that there were extensive tobacco field lin tho
country north of the lake or inland sea called
by the Indians Okeechobce. in that beautiful
and fertile section of The land known Ca
cema." When Moses Barber cmiGrated to the
South in the early part of this century he found
tobacco grow ing wild in that district. and Jacob
Suinmerln. In the early thirtics. said that
there could also be seen the relics OF the cid
clearngs. with toba go and indigo growing
wild. and that the old rows or hills D: the to-
bacco plants could be plainly distinguished. The
Seminocs in the Everglades have ALWAYS grown
tobacco, and even judged ny the standard OF to-
day are adopts at curing the leaf.