The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-09-18
A COMING FLORIDA CROP.
EXPERIMENTS WITH TOBACCO ARE
GRATIFYING.

The East Coast Planters VIII Make "a
Showing For Themselves at the
Lake City Fair-Experienced Gu
ban Growers Say That Florida
Tobacco VIII Fill All Require
ments of Cuban and SuInatra
Weed-Orange Groves Planted In
Tobacco.
St. Augustine Fla, Sept. 17.-For the
Florida tobacco exhibit at Lake City on
the 9th and 18th of this month, extensive
preparations are being made by the to-
bacco growers of ST. Johns county, and
while they realize that the west coast
counties, with Marion county, might have
a larger exhibit of tobaccos, they feel con-
hdent that the Cuban and Sumatra to-
bacco grown near ST. Augustine will
place their product along side that of
Cuba. AS st. Johns county is the begin
ming of the east coast of Florida the to-
bacco growers feel that their co-laborers
along the east coast to Miami will join
in an exhibit that will make this coast
a friendly competitor of the west coast
and of Cuba and Sumatra in tobacco rails
ing.
Land Commissioner J. E. Ingraham for
the Florida East Coast railway has for
several years worked hard and furnished
seeds of high grade tobaccos to encourage
growers of the luxurious orange to diver
sify their crops and to add especially what
gave promise of being a sure paying crop,
particularly that of tobacco.
In these two important undertakings
as an aid to his argument, Mr.. Ingra-
ham has made rapid strides, especially
as he had the unfortunate orange freeze
out, which, probably a blessing in dis
guise, caused growers to turn their at
tention to vegetables and tobacco. His
practical work has also been greatly pro-
NOTED by the unfortunate war in Cuba,
for in St Johns county are many infiu-
entail Cubans who are now among its
citizens, and who are tobacco-growers,
famous the world over.
These Cuban gentlemen, owing to Sen
ator f. 3. Genovar. were induced to set
tie on the extensive lands they are now
testing as to it's tobacco qualities. Senior
Roca, on his acquired plantation north
VI 81 aug uStlAes early III Iue spring pre-
pared some seven acres in highest grades
of Cuban tobacco. He has cleaned about
1900 pounds, which he expects to equal
when thoroughly cured the finest Cuban
grown tobacco. Senior Roca is exceed
ingly cautious in expressing himself on
the surety of his tobacco coming up to
that grown by him near Havana, but the
Morning News correspondents personal
Investigations and interviews, which re-
veal the fact that these gentlemen are
preparing to greatly increase their tobacco
acreage next spring, should be a guaran-
tee that tobacco is a plant suitable to
the soils of Florida's east coast
Senior Castillo, whose tobacco plantation
is near Moultrie, has a fine crop of Cuban
tobacco as the result of his first expert
ments with Florida's soils and climate,
and, like Senior Roca, this gentleman has
worldwide reputation, and is cautious
in expressing himself, preferring that
such cigar manufacturers as the GenoVarS
and Senior Carcaba, be the judges. How
ever, they will have exhibits at Lake City.
Mr.. W. S. Rowley, to whom, with his
brother, most of San Mateo's prosperity
is greatly due, owing to their influencing
Mr.. Henry NJ. Flagler to extend his Flor
| ida East Coast railway to that pretty burg
nesting on the east bank of the st. Johns
| river, has produced a fine crop of Suma-
| ira tobacco from the soil between the
| orange trees IN MT. FIdSIer S orange grove
from seeds furnished by Mr. Ingraham.
This tobacco is of richness and fineness
| equaling that of Sumatra and numbers in
| leaves about two hundred to the pound
! the duty on a pound of such tobacco i'm
! ported is $3.50 Mr., Rowley's expert
ments will yield a snug balance over cost
| of labor, for that is all to charge against
| his over 1000 pounds, as the tobacco grew
while the Grange trees have thrived, and
| San Mateo will have fully LOCO boxes of
marketable oranges this fall. Thus it is
| seen that should another freeze-out come,
| tobacco will be just springing up from the
seeds in hot-beds to replace the oranges.
This condition is seen all down the east
answers when asked What are you rails
ing And the frugal negro farmer, in his
| out-of-the-way farm, has his tobacco patch
and by close attention, and an eye on the
! Cubans, several have snug crops of Gu
! ban and Sumatra tobaccos ready for mar
! ket
No one doubts that Florida soils will
! produce good tobaccos, yet it remains for
! the results in the curing of Cuban and
! Sumatra tobaccos grown here to secure
! the positive Endorsement of such experts
! as Seniors Roca, Castillo Genovar and F.
/ p. Carcaba. This secured at Lake City
! and, ere another year. 1t will be nip and
| tuck between oranges, pineapples and veg
etables to compete with a tobacco crop
| equaling that of either Cuba or Sumatra.
| SYNCHRONOMAGRAPEI MARVEL.