The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1897-07-23
FLORIDA TOBACCO.

We have received from Maj. Andrew
Lewis, of De Funiak Springs, Florida, a
pamphlet on Successful Tobacco Cul ture
in Florida,n from which much valuable
and interesting information may be de.
rived by those who. contemplate going to
'The Land of Flowers" to better their
condition. The pamphlet gives general
description of Florida farming lands, in
which it is shown that for fruit raising
and agricultural purposes generally pecu-
liar advantages in soil and climate are
offered by that State.
The raising Of tobacco is an aute-bellum
industry in Florida which has grown in
Importance every year urtil the inception
of the Cuban rebellion, when a greatly
increased activity was shown.in this par
ticular industry. The development OF to-
bacco culture has been largely due to the
efforts of R. Fl. Duval, president of the
Florida Central and Pennsylvania Rail
road, who as early as 1893 distributed
Cuban tobacco seed free to those who
would plant. The outcome has been that
even as early as that year the outcome of
the crop grown in Middle Florida alone
was estimated mt 900, 900 pounds. THIS
tobacco is of the finest leaf quality and is
pronounced by those qualified to judge as
second only to the Cuban product.
The crop grown in 1896 was principally
from the finest Sumatra, as we'll as from
The best Cuban seed, and buyers who
visited Quincy in September of that year
commenced to purchased the best crops,
paying rs high as 40 cents per pound for
tobacco in the curing sheds, the contracts
being made before the crops were mar
vested These prices were paid on the
basis of green weight, and the tobacco
crops grown in 1856, after being selected
and packed in bales, averaged at least rs
cents per pound on board the cars at
quincy. The average yield of the finer
types of tobacco was from 800 to coo
pounds to the acre, while that grown
largely for ''fllers" averaged from 700 to
500 pounds to the acre.
The Owl Cigar Company as well MS
other large growers continue to increase
the average of tobacco each year, the only
limit placed upon this work being the
ability to handle properly the growing
and curing OF the crop. Major Andrew
Lewis, who has smoked every brand of
cigars manufactured, pronounces those
made by the Owl Cigar Company from
Florida tobacco equal to the beat, and is
enthusiastic over the prospects for grow
ing tobacco in Florida. Being Virginien
and WE'LL acQ TAINTED with all the details
Of growing and curing tobacco, he does
not hesitate to say that as good samples
of the weed" can he grown in his adopted
State as in any country.
The wonderful increase of this industry
is shown, he says, in the rapid growth of
quincy, which four or five years ago was
Il quiet Southern town; but which, under
the.impetus of the tobacco industry, has
become a live and bustling city. The Owl
Cigar Company, which is the successor Of
the FloriGa Producing and Trading Com.
pany, organized in 1887, has enlarged it's
operations every year until to-day it holds
17,0O0 acres of the best tobacco land in
Gadsden county, Florida, divided into
nine plantations and scattered through
ont the county, with the town of Quincy
as the central point, and in which it has
established four large warehouses to ham
die its tobacco crop.
Other warehouses are also established
at Quincy, where buyers from other States
handle and select crops raised by individ-
ual farmers, while the investments of the |
OWL Cigar Company represent in wages
and salaries about.$l5O,00 600 annually, all
OF which is disbursed to that city.
The pamphlet gives full suggestions for |
cnltivating and curing the tobacco crop in |
Florida, and shows conclusi vely that the |
most satisfactory results have been expe-
rienced from the planting OF Sumatra and
Caban seed
breakfast, 20 cents; dinner, % cents:
supper ~ cents Meal tickcfel, a