The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1897-04-29

| ''other cigar and smoking tobacco"
Type U.-Chewing Tobacco. OF
this type, 9 varieties are classed as
"fine cut and plug filters" and 9 as
"pmg wrappers.
Type III.-Export Tobacco. OF
this type, II varieties are classed as
"English shippers" II as "Continen-
tai shippers" 3 as "African shippers"
and 2 as "Mexico, South American,
and West Indies shippers"
As to soils, it is stated tina, while TO-
bacco will grow in almost any soil that
will produce other crops, no other crop
is so radically affected by different
conditions of soils and fertilizers. Sue
cess in'producing certain type Of to-
baeco depends almost entirely on the
soil and fertilizer. A soil may be ideal
for one type and totally unfit for an
other. Soils of light color produce to-
baccos of light color, and dark soils
produce dark tobacco. The color OF
tobacco is also much affected by the
texture and condition of the soil and
the composition of the fertilizer. The
seed leaf varieties produce finer leaf
on light sandy lands, but the demand
in recent years has been for darker
colors in cigar wrappers, and these are
now grown upon heavier loans, highly
fertlized. The fine yellow tobaccos
of North Carolina and Virginia are
grown upon light gray sandy soils.
In producing the fine aromatic flaw
ors upon which the price of tobacco SO
largely depends, climate is probably
the most important factor, but proper
curing has an important influence also.
Further than that high temperature
and a moist atmosphere evidenced by
heavy dews are favorable, the qualities
of tobacco climate are not so we'll
understood as are those of a tobacco
soil. Perfect drainage, either natural
or artificial, and fine filth are essential
to the best results. The more sand in
the soil the finer and silkier the leaf,
but the more clay the heavier the
yield.
OF the IS varieties analysed at the
Station, the highest priced cigar wrap
per was grown in Florida on a light
sandy loan without any fertilizer, the
yield being only $50 pounds per acre.
The next best seed leaf specimen was
grown in Connecticut on light sandy
loan very heavily MANFRED, the yield
being 1900 pounds per acre. The
Massachusetts, and Connecticut grow
ers apply both stable manure and com
mercial fertilizers very heavily and say
their lands are improving.
Tobacco lands in Florida range in
price from 50 to $50 per acre; in North
Carolina from $40 to $50, and in New
York, Massachusetts,, and Connecticut,
from $50 10 S25o per acre.
| As to fertilizers, it i: true that to-
bacco requires for the best results large
applications of highly soluble and
quickly available manures than most
other crops, because its growth is made
in two or three months in the hottest
season of the year, the growth is heavy
and while drawing heavily on the soils
supply of nitrogen, lime, and potash,
it returns nothing to the soil. The
best form of lime for tobacco is gyp
sum, and the best form of potash i:
the sulphate The muriate and kaini'
injure the burning quality of cigar and
smoking tobacco. Nitrate of soda Is
one of the best forms of nitrogen, be-
cause most quickly available, but cot
ton seed meal, castor pomace, dried
blood, ETC., may be used if applied
early SO that it may rot down and be
come soluble. A good mixture i
made Of 100 pounds acid phosphate
200 pounds sulphate of potash, Goo
pounds cotton seed meal, and 100
pounds nitrate of soda. In this mix
ture the nitrate of soda will supply thu
crop with soluble nitrate during it,
earlier growth, while the cotton seee
meal rots down and becomes available
for the later period of growth. Tit
acid phosphate is rich in lime.
Since nicotine is the active, stlmu
lating property of tobacco, one woule
naturally suppose that the larger pc
centage of nicotine in the weed, tn
greater its value, but the reverse l.
true; nicotine being such a violen
poison that the smalles, possible guam
tity of i, is quite sufficient. An ex
cessive quantity OF nitrogen in the sol
produces a rank, coarse, heavy weet
containing large per centage of mic
otine. Such tobaccos have not tn
most delicate havors nor do they burr
we'll. Limestone and heavy clay land
produce strong, coarse tobacco with
large per cent. Of nicotine. The pc
cent. of nicotine in the leaf is creates
) Just as it attains maturity, and muc
of it can be driven off by the variou
process of fermentation incident t
curing and manufacture.
The marketable part of the plant
the leaf stripped of its mld-rlb, or cen
> trail stem, and varieties differ widel
, as TO the size Of this central systel
and consequen, waste. In some va
rieties it is less than II pounds in eac
100 pounds, while in other it is NOR
than 81 pounds in each 100.
Smoking tobaccos bring the hlg he:
, prices, and bright chewing tobacco
. rank next.
To brace up the system after Il
. Grippe" pneumonia, feyers, and othe
Frustrating acute diseases; to build u
( needed flesh and strength and to restor
| hoo Ifh and viuor when Won feel "ruy