The record-union., 1898-01-31
AN INTERESTING REPORT
ON THE SOILS OF THE PRINCI-
PAL TOBACCO DISTRICTS.
The Acreage and Yield of Cigar
Tobacco Considerably Increased,
Other Districts Coming In,

O1N, JAN oO.-SecrStafy
of Agriculture Wilson has authorized
the issue in pamphlet form of pre-
hminary report upon the soils of the
principal tobacco districts in the United
States, prepared by Milton Whitney,
Chief of the Division of Soils. A study
of these soils was begun when the to-
bacco exhibit was being prepared for
the Columbian Exposition at Chicago
and since that time quite a number
of typical tobacco soils have been ex-
amined in the laboratory connected
with the Agricultural Department. The
present publication, which is copiously
Illustrated, is a preliminary report of
the work that has been going 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 method
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 adapt.
itself to a great range of climatic con-
ditions. will grow on nearly all kinds
of soil and has a comparatively short
as a matter of fact. be grown in nearly
all parts of the country, even where
wheat and corn cannot be economically
produced. But while tobacco can be
universally grown, the flavor and quail
ity are greatly influenced by the influ-
ence of climate and soil. A nondescript
tobacco is not worth growing and
should not be grown, as it lowers the
price Of good types of tobacco. to the
detriment alike of the grower and the
consumer. 1t is important, therefore
to understand what kinds of tobacco
are in demand, and what the climatic
and soil conditions are which will most
easily produce the quality 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
tobaccCs has been very considerably
increased The manufacturing and ex-
port districts cannot be sharply sep
arated, as both kinds of tobacco are
frequently grown in the same districts
and the same kind is frequently used
for both purposes. On the whole.
there is a considerable decrease in the
acreage and yield. With the bright
and yellow and burly tobaccos there
has been a large increase in both acre
age and yield Since 1889 there has
been considerable change in many of
these districts. while other new dis
tricts, notably Texas and California.
are coming into considerable promi-
nence both as regards the area and
cultivation and the excellent quality of
the product raised. The acreage in
Florida has also been very greatly in
creased since 1889, but there are no
reliable statistics to show the extent
of the changes in the counties making
up the tobacco district.
Some attention is devoted TO the
question of meteorological conditions as
affecting the industry in the great to-
bacco regions of this country, Cuba and
Sumatra.
The plant" the report continues.
SIS far more sensitive to those metero-
logical conditions than are our instru
ments. Even in such famous tobacco
region as Cuba, tobacco of good quality
cannot be grown in the immediate vi
cinity of the ocean or in certain parts
of the island. even on what would 9TH
erwisa be considered good tobacco lands
This has been the experience also in
Sumatra and in our own country, but
the influences are too subtle to be de-
termined by our meteorological instru-
ments."
The remainder of the report is de-
voted mainly to description of the
different classes of tobacco lands found
In the United States together with data
ty,A x,ioJd nov AGRA uybafboy~ ,,~pd
as a wrapper or filler; the value of the
tobacco produced. and valuable sug-
gestions for obtaining the best results.