The White Pine news. [volume] (Treasure City, Nev.) 1868-1906, 1898-03-19
CONNECTICUT TOBACCO.
dow They Raise the Nicotian Weed IL
New England.

Along the Connecticut river, between
he city of Hartford, Conn.,. and Spring
field. Mass, distance of about twenty
five miles, there lies Il beautifully fer
tile valley, rich in picturesque scenery,
where in belt about twenty miles
wide Is grown about nine-tepths OF the
so-called Connecticut tobacco. From
the New York trains hurrying by one
can catch n glimpse of this beautiful
section of country, with Its long, vivid
slopes, its arched elms, its peculiarly
deep red SOIL and the luxurianee OF It's
heavy folaged trees. One sees no OAKS
no scrubby pines, no rocks and trees
such as are most commonly found In
harsher New England, but the coun
try everywhere Is more suggestive of
tropical climates; the green Is greener
the air Is languorous and soft, the
trees, most of splendid height, fling out
their trailing branches In superb curves
single trees here and there, stand
ing alone, in graceful bold relief. the
whole country round about is different
from the rest of New England seenical-
ly. This Is the home of the Connecu'
cut tobacco plant-a transplanted ex-
otto, which has Injured itself to North
ern climatic caprces, hourlshlng year
after year, and forming the CHER IN
dustry of the locality. Tobacco farms
of from one 10 twenty-five acres are
scattered all over this region, the farm
of average size containing about fve
acres. An acre of tobacco will yield
from 200 to 1000 pounds of this prod
uct, and the price averages from IL TO
% cents a pound, according to quality.
Tobacco is planted from seed In the
spring, aad after 1t reaches the height
of six inches 1t is transplanted In long
rows like corn. The leaves look like
those of the rubber plant broad, glossy,
and lanceolate in shape. When ma
tured the plant Is from four to five feet
in height, its full growth being reached
by September. Some popularity In the
dark red soil In this Connecticut river
valley is especially conducive to the
raising of this plant; but there Is also
n vast amount of care needed TO bring
il to its proper growth. An Immense
amount of fertllizing 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
lnsidlous enemies. One peculiar diff
Guilty that tobacco-growers In this VI
clnity have to contend with Is the fire.
quency II summer hallstorms, which
seens to select this particular region Tor
their depredations. The hailstones tear
and mutilate the leaves, doing them
great Injury, and reducing their value
as salable material. as the best leaves
of the tobacco are the large, even ones.
So serious has this difficulty become
In consequence OF these curious vista
lions. which sometimes affect one sec
ton of the region. and sometimes an
other, as the storms shift, that the
growers have formed an insurance
company among themselves TO protect
them from loss by hallstorms.
Imported tobacco which Is consider
ed the best by connOlsseurs, usually has
spotted appearance. These spots are
caused by peculiar kind of worm,
which, with intelligent discrimination,
selects the choicest leaves for his espe-
cial delectation. This effect Yankee
/ ingenuity has succeeded In accomplish
/ ing by spraying the plant with some
sort of chemicals, which eat into the
leaves. producing "A slightly spotted APP
pearance, intended to simulate the gen
ulne Havana, and TO deceive the un-
wary smoker. who later on buys n
chemically spotted "twofer," attracted,
perhaps, by its artfully doctored APP
pearance. From Sept. to the 10Th the
tobacco crop Is harvested. The plants
are cut off just at the roots, and hung
upside down on poles, about six feet
long, until each pole Is full. Skeleton
teams. which carry the filled poles laid
across their frames, cart the crops TO
the tobacco sheds, which are such n
common sight throughout this region.
These sheds, which are about thirty
feet high, and from twenty to seventy
FIVE feet long, contain skeleton frames
to hold the racks of tobacco, while 1t Is
being "cured" or dried. About three
feet apart and extending nearly to the
roof, on the ends and along the sides
of the building, narrow doors are cut,
swinging ON hinges, which are opened
outward on every pleasant day to ad-
NIT the air, being closed at night and
on rainy days. The drying or curing
process takes about two months then
the leaves are stripped from the stalks
and sorted according to grades. The
best grades are the large, unimpaired
leaves. those that are torn or under
sized being relegated to the cheaper
grades. The leaves are then packed In
bales, and the majority Of each years
crop is sent to the town of Windsor,
nine miles from the city OF Hartford.
Here are located most OF the buyers,
and men who represent New York
firms, where a large share of this to-
bacco Is used.
The best season for a good crop of to-
bacco is long, warm, dry one. The
past season has been a very poor one
for tobacco growers, most of them hay
ing succeeded in raising only half the
usual amount.-Boston Transcript.