The herald., 1898-01-31
Will Grow Almost Any
where On Earth
SOME OF IT is AWFULLY BAD
AND TOBACCO DEALERS WON'T
PURCHASE IT
A Lot of Valuable Information the
Agricultural Department Has
Not Yet Obtained
Associated Press Special Wire

Associated Press Special Wire
WASHINGTON, Jan. SO.-Secretary of
Agriculture Wilson has authorized the
issue in pamphlet form of preliminary
report upon the soils of the principal to-
bacco districts in the United States, pre-
pared by Milton Whitney. chief OF the
division of soils. A study Of these soils
was begun when the tobacco exhibit was
being prepared for the Columbian ex-
position at Chicago, and since that time
quite a number of typical tobacco soils
have been examined in the laboratory
connected with the agricultural depart
ment. The present publication. which
is copiously illustrated, is a preliminary
report of the work that has been gong
on. The main points Of inquiry which
now reach the department are in regard
to the kind of tobacco which should be
grown in certain localities and the meth
cd of curing the product. Replying to
these questions, the report says climate
and soil conditions should determine the
kind of tobacco raised.
THE tobacco plant readily adapts it.
self to a great range of climatic condi-
tions; will grow on nearly all kinds OF
soil and has comparatively short sea-
son of growth. 1t can, therefore, as a
matter of fact be grown in nearly all
parts of the country, even where wheat
and corn cannot be economically pro-
duced. But, while tobacco can be so
universally grown, the flavor and quail
ity are greatly influenced by climate and
SOIL A nondescript tobacco is not worth
growing and should not be grown, as
| it lowers the price of good types of to-
bacco, to the detriment alike of the
grower and the consumer. 1t is import
ant, therefore, to understand what kinds
of tobacco are in demand, and what the
climatic and soil conditions are which
will most easily produce the qualities
desired
A glance at a table giving the changes
| in the production of tobacco from 1879
to 1889 shows that in this period of ten
years the acreage and yield of the cigar
tobaccos have been very considerably
| increased. The manufacturing and eX-
port districts cannot be sharply separ-
ated, as both kinds of tobacco are fire.
quently grown in the same district and
the same kind is frequently used fol
both purposes. On the whole, there is
considerable decrease in the acreage
and yield. With the bright and yellow
and burly tobaccos there has been 6
| large increase in acreage and yield
Since 1889 there has been considerable
change in many of these districts, while
other new districts, notably Texas ano
California, are coming into considerable
prominence, both as to the area under
cultivation and the excellent quality OF
the product raised. The acreage II
Florida has also been very greatly in
creased since 1889, but there are no reli
able statistics to show the extent of the
changes in the counties making up thu
tobacco district.
Some attention is devoted to the ques
ton of meteorological conditions affect
ing the territory in the great tobacco re-
gions of this country, Cuba and Sumatra
"The plant" the report continues, ii!
far more sensitive to these meteorologi
cal condition than are our instruments
Even in such a famous tobacco region a!
Cuba, tobacco of good quality cannot b'
grown in the immediate vicinity of th
ocean or in certain parts of the island
even on what would otherwise be con
sidered good tobacco lands. This ha
been the experience also In Sumatra ant
in our own country, but the influences
are too subtle to be detected by ou
meteorological Instruments
The remainder of the report Is de
voted mainly to a discussion of the diff
ferent classes of tobacco lands fount
in the United States, together with dat;
as to the yield per acre, whether used a
wrapper or filler, the value of the tobac
co produced, and valuable suggestion
for obtaining the best results.