Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-04-19
TOBACCO GROWERS.
INTERESTING TALK WITH TaE
RaIsEIs OF THE WEED.
SOKE FACTS ARD FIGURES
Difficulties That tho Farmer Has 10
Contend With-Thc Worm and tho
Weed-Thc labor systeio and its
Present Disadvantages.

Mr y. y. Early and Or. i. cat,arton,
! two prominent citizens. ard tobacco.
growers of Greene county, were IN the
! city last week. The former is the father
| of Mr.. Early, who was one OF tbs
| pets" of the gentleman from Fauquiers
| Mr.. Pitcher. In the House last session.
These gentlemen followed their fine crop
/ OF dark tobacco to Richmond. and wsrs
seen by Dispatch reporter n the Office
OF Messrs. Frazer q Tomp1ns
when the scribe entered one gentleman
was exhibiting to the other a bunion in
the neghborhood OF the great toe of the
left pedal extremity. The other was ex-
tending his sympathy and citing facts
from experience and observation to show
that bunions are equal to 2-year-old
babies in keeping their possessors awah'
at night. From bunons the conversa-
ton drifted TO war and rumors OF war
Mr.. Early was asked II the folks II
his section were eager for the fray III
said he had had his share Of 1t last time
and was going TO leave 1t TO the youna
bloods on this occasion. lie venturea
the opinion. however. that the young
negro bucks" whom they had been edu-
eating should be sent TO tho front first
War was exhausted ana the talked
| turned to the raising ot the weed.
well. Mr. Early. does Greene county
| raise as much tobacco now as she use"
| TO do?" asked the scribe.
| ooh Ior' nor was the emphatic re-
ply. Then Mr.. Early told a great many
interesting things about tobacco-gro"lhs
as he had found II, appealing frequently
TO DR. Catterton, his old friend and couh-
tryman, for confirmation of what ne salu.
The Doctor readily agreed to everything
Mr.. Early said. astounding az were sono
of his statements.
SCARCITY OF GOOD NEGROES.
Mr.. Early declared that one Of the
princlpal reasons why less tobacco Is
raised in Greene now is the scarcity OK
GOOD labor Il tell you" he went on,
.the old negroes who used 10 work to-
bacco before the war have nearly an
died out The young ones are 100 smart
and fashionable and well educated 10 MI
up tobacco like their old, ignorant oeo-
dies We can't get good labor at any
price. The white men are above work
, | ing out and so are the young negro
bloods Now, down In the Valley every
body works. and the country Is prosper
Gus and the people are happy our LABOR
, system is just this among the larger
growers: We pay man $40 year. OF
something like that, and give him MS
rations and home 10 live in on the
, farm. We raise hog for him aud MS
- family and he IS allowed TO raise ono
: ! ON some OF the larger farms where
I half dozen men with families are en-
I ploved and furnished with houses, tho
aspect of mansion house and groups OK
/, -maller homes about on the place re-
e | minds one of the feudal estates OF old
a England.
THAT TOBACCO WORM.
! We begin to reset the tobacco plants
q from the plant bed just as soon as tho
!, snrine opens enough. The next thing
I after this is killing the worms. Tbs
a goes on until the plant is ready for cut
/ ting.
The tobacco worm has a very Interests
: ing history. though among successful to-
o bacco growers Il very short one. I'll tel
you about II. One morning you'll viHle
o your crop and Will see small fly SKIM
u ming from plant TO plant This Is tho
/. tobacco ny She lays small egg whlch
|, matches almost in a twinkling. Ths next
s morning early you will find a good-s!zed
q worm in the place yesterday occupied
r by the egg BY noon the small worm
will be a great big one If he hash
q passed between thumb and tOrennser be-
q fore that time. | tell you they 90 grow
n fast and have seen them so large thao
n you could hear them swapping and grit
? ting their teeth. Amt that 30. Doctor'
o That certainly is" answered the gem
n tleman appealed to. as serious as d
d Judge is reputed 10 be. And ] nave
!. seen Shem spit tobacco juice; haven
n, you, Doctor" Again the Doctor said
is that 1t was certainly so. All expressions
81 Of incredulity on the party OF their au-
l. dience as TO these statements were
u waved Off by these gentlemen as not ~
10 all being suited 10 time and place.
\ well, il the fly produces the worm,
" how does the fy come into existence
=. and the scribe tried 10 assume puzzled
n contortion OF the visagc.
e. why. you see" said Mr.. Early, as 4
AZ man who sees no difficulty in the way,
"a III the worm lives 10 reach a ripe old
r age, he goes of like a peacable fellow.
Or digs Z. hole in the ground. and burles
Dl himself alive. lie remains under ground
u until he thinks the farmers have about
~ gotten their tobacco plants In the ground.
I'll Then he rises. phoenix-ike. from his
Is remains and appears before mankind a
" the tobacco fly"
80 WEDDING THE WEED
n, Besides "worming the plant, ihci a
or is a great deal Sf work 70 bc done be-
n have to be weeued and E.i!ed, arI works
A. cd and worked until oysrs leaf IS housed.
H. Toll IS not even done then. The buncho4
OF are strung up In rows about zen %
OF fifteen feet about the dist door 10 tho
q. tobacco houses Trenches are aug II
N the noor and fires kinJisa ~ them and
Re rekindled from TINS 10 tme I'll the to>
n bacco is cured At joast ihat was thu
ld way NE Early described the names
in whicn he and Dr. CattertOn raised and
~ got dark tobacco ready for the Rlch@
is mond market.
in SOME FACTS AND FIGURES.
q, Mr.. Early then branched on from ths
- working side ~ the question 10 "a calcu-
~ lation Of what the tobacco former wai
. likely 20 get. Now" began ne IN the
~ tone OF man who Is about 10 br.cge d
80 river Of which he doesn't hnOw the
u width, "occgsionally you viii ngd one
- plant which wiz yield @ pound, hut It 1:
- extremely rare. You must generally
:" count OF getting q pound oGt o. TIRE,
n hills. A. We plant Il, there are about
~, 1000 hills 10 the acre. There are, then
- l.3S9 pounds. For Us to make any monsl
- we have 20 get az least s. per hundreS
-, ! pounds. The gentlemen might have mac,
w. this last statement for the gentlemen
"a present who were going 10 sell thei
croJs for them
nm Not the same One.
he Chicago Trltune)