The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-02-26
BRIGHr roBAcco CULTURE.
Mr. Gregory, of King and Queen County,
Interesting the Farmers Oh the subject.

Some eight or ten days ago Mr.. J. W.
Fleet, Of King and queen county, attract
81 10y the agitation Of the subject Of bright
tobacco culture amongst tODaccon-sts
called a meeting of farmers TO be held
at st. stephens church Friday last. me
thermometer registered y degrees above
zero. but Notwithstanding Mr.. Gregory
the representative of the Tobacco culture
Committee, was there. and spoke 10
hacked house Of interested farmers lie
thanked them for their welcome.
lie told them he represented the loose
tobacco warehouse interest OF TINS el'y'
and after furnishing them with seed. ana
teaching them in every way possible, 10
make tobacco culture success, ne said
an he asked was that they should come
up with their bright leaf and sell ~ IN
the very best of markets-the city OF klch-
mond. He told then Of an effort on the
part of Richmond merchants now going
on to get up excursions ana cheaper
passenger rates. 10 win trade.
lie wished some OF these MERCHANTS
could be with him that day 10 49, TINS
field as he saw H. They would SCI IN thla
bright tobacco more an opport nity 10
win back this whole Eastern > ."fe LOT
Richmond Help your people interest
you i'm making a crop, that oul manu-,
facturers. our exporters, our oei ieIS, an
want and are prepared 10 lanile-that
money maHog, wonderful commonly
h,ioht tobac,.. '. ~scid aut this whole
neople i'm touch. so Il sympathy with our
city. Every Nirginian is proud OF ms
capital city. and would be delighted ms
trade relations Were here.
There Is some excuse Tor You people
down here. but nor can b. made for the
farmers on the lines Of roads running
from the South into Richmond. They
have sat there for the last fifteen or TWEEN
tv years. and seen daily trains loaded
will bright tobacco passing by them, Tor
which hundreds of thousands OF dollars
have been annually paid TO farmers. vino
have been raising this crop. And it is a
matter of equal astonishment, that the
tobacce trade OF Richmond have sat
dumb AMI inactiyc-taken no steps to have
these line lands cultivated and get their
sunplies fresh from our own farmers
fields"
Bv way ~ encouragement he said he
would tell tuem that seed had been sent,
and clubs 81 farmers would undertake
bright tobacco raising this season, IN ten
or twelve now counties running from
Nansemond up. Some of these clubs
would put in "a much as 100 acres ana
over. This work had all been done IN the
last few weeks.
South Carolina is rapidly becoming a
great tobacco State. but n the price Is
lowered they will go back into cotton, and
leave MS in possession Of the field for
Virginia j. especially adapted TO tobacco
of every kind. and she can certainly raise
IL i'm cOmpetitiO with any OF the East
ern States" lie said he was no chemist:
ne could not tell what was under the
ground. but every surface indication was
more 10 show that these were as fine
bright tobacco lands as tho most fastiui-
Gus of North or South Carolina farmers
would want f0 put their eyes upon.
Here the subject Of bright tobacco rails
ing was taken up and talked of in A
practical way. in IN its details. At the
conclusion about cnc-haif pound OF seed
were distributed.
Farmers are sim sending in for seed,
and clubs arc yet 10 be formed in two
or three other places.