The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1897-12-16
CONNECTICUT TOBACCO,
How They Raise the NicOtian Weed
in New England.

thtle liSS bSdutll uliS lei liIlc \diIeS.
rich in picturesque scenery, where in
Il belt about 25 miles wide is grown
about nine-tenths of the so-called Con-
necticut tobacco. From the New York
trains hurrying by one can catch
glimpse of this beautiful section OF
country, with its long, vivid slopes,
its arched elms, its peculiarly deep red
soil, and the luNuriance of its heavy
fOliaged trees. One sees no oaks, no
scrubby pines, no rocks and trees, such
as are most commonly found in harshe1
New England, but the country every
where is more suggestive of tropical
climates; the green is greener, the air
s lanGuorous and soft, the trees, most
of splendid height, fling out their trail
ing branches in superb curves-singie
trees, here and there, standing alone,
in graceful bold relief. The whole
country round about is different from
the rest of New England scenicG lily.
This is the home of the Connecticut to-
bacco pIant--a transplanted exotic,
which has Injured itself to northern eli
matte caprices, tiourishing year after
year, and forming the chief industry
of the locality. Tobacco farms of from
one to twenty-five acres are scattered
all over this region, the farm of average
size containing about five acres. An acre
of tobacco will yield from 100 to 2.00O
pounds of this product. and the price
averages from 13 to 90 cents Il pound,
according to quality.
Tobacco is planted from seed in tbs
spring, and after it reaches the height
of six inches it is transplanted in long
rows like corn. The leaves look like
those OF the rubber plant, broad, glossy
and lanceolate in shape. When maturet
the plant is from four to five feet in
height, its full growth being reached by
September. Some peculiarity in the
dark red soil in this Connecticut river
valley is especially conducive to the
raising of this plant; but there is also
| a vast amount of care needed to bring i
to its proper growth. An immense
amount of fertlizing material is used
annually on the land, and much ex>
pense is involved in the industry, as
the plants require constant care and
watching to protect them from the in
roads Of various bugs, weeds and other
insidious enemies. One peculiar diff
Guilty that tobacco growers in this Vi
cinity have to contend with is the fre-
quency of summer hailstorms. which
seem to select this particular region for
| their depredations. The hailstones tear
and mutilate the leaves. doing them
great injury, and reducing their value
as stable material, us the best leaves
of the tobacco are the large. even ones
SO serious has this difficulty become in
consequence of these curious vista.
| tionS. which sometimes affect one sec
tiOn of the region and sometimes an.
ether. as the storms shift. that th@
growers have formed an insurance com.
pany among themselves to protect then,
from loss by hailstorms.
Imported tobacco, which is considered
| the best by connoisseurs, usually has Il
| spotted appearance. These spots are
caused by a peculiar kind of worm
which, with intelligent discrimina
tion, selects the choicest leaves for hi.
especial delectation. This effect Yam
kee ingenuity has succeeded in accom-
plishing by spraying the plant witt
some sort of chemicals, which eat into
the leaves, producing slightly spotted
appearance, intended to simulate the
genuine Havana, and to deceive the un
wary smoker, who later on buys chem
ically-spotted "twofer," attracted, per
haps, by its artfully-doctored appear
ance. From September 1 to the 15tl
the tobacco crop is harvested. Th,
plants are cut off just at the roots, an,
hung upside down on poles about 81,
feet long until each pole is full Skele
ton teams, which carry the filed pole
laid across their frames, cart the crop
to the tobacco sheds, which are sucl
a common sight throughout this re
gion. These sheds, which are abou
80 feet high, and from 20 to IS fee
long. contain skeleton frames to holt
the racks of tobacco, while it is bein.
''curcd' or dried. About three fee
apart and extending nearly to the root
on the ends and along the sides of tn
building, narrow doors are cut, swing
ing on hinges, which are opened out
ward on every pleasant day to admi
the air, being closed at night and OF
rainy days. The drying or curing proc
ess takes about two months; then tn
leaves are stripped from the stalks an
sorted according to grades The bes
grades are the large, unimpaired leave:
those that are torn or undersiZed bein
relegated to the cheaper grades. TIL
leaves are then packed in bales, an
the majority of each years crop is sen
to the town of Windsor, nine mile
from the city of Hartford. Here ar
located most of the buyers, and me
, who represent New York firms, wher
a large share of the tobacco is used.
The best season for a good crop of t.
bacco is long, warm, dry one. TIL
past season has been a very poor on
for tobacco growers. most of them ha'
ing succeeded in raising only half tn
usual amount.-Boston Transcript.
-Tashkend is being rayaged by M
Iaria, which is more deadly there tina