Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-02-19
TOBACCO IN FLORIDA.
Result of observations Made by
Secretary Wilson.

| WASHINGTON February 16-Secretar>
! Wilson, OF the Agricultural Department
| has returned TO the city from a week.
visit to Florida, where he went at the
suggestion of the President TO study the
productions OF that country. The Secre-
tary said:
1.-THE most striking development found
in Florida was the growth Of the tobacco
interest. Within the last few years 4O,Ot
Cubans have come over from their native
country. many of whom had been life
long tobacco-growers, curers and cigar
makers, who understand the art from the
planting of the seed TO the marketing OF
the cigar. The Cubans recognize the hum
mock lands of Florida as being very SINH
lar to that oil the best tobacco land in
Cuba. The Americans caught on to the
business very rapidly The state Stats
tics show that the Cubans sold last year
100000 cigars, and that the sales of
tobacco in all its forms brought the Gu
bans S13.0O0.O0O The United States still
pays to Cuba, Sumatra, Mexico. and other
countries sl7.0O00Oo for tobacco. This, the
Floridian is reaching out for. Notwth-
standing the people get l60.OOO,0OO cigars
annually from Florida, scarcely such a
thing is to be found on the market as a
Florida cigar. They all come North under
the Habana name. / found very much the
same condition of affairs in the North re-
garding Florida as I found in London re-
garding American butter
THE consumer In London is well salts
fled that the American butter is the best
that ever went on his table made eff
forts to buy box of Cuban cigars grown,
cured, and manufactured in Florida. but
only in one instance was able to do So
Much work has been done during the
last few years by the agriculture expert
ment stations In mastering the principles
that underlie the ripening of cheese. After
the tobacco has been grown il Is fairly
we'll understood that fermentation along
several lines produces the characteristic
favor of the product The Secretary said
that neither the Cuban nor the american
In Florida knew anything about the prin-
ciples that underlie the curing of the seve-
raj tobaccos. but said that DR.. Stock
bridge, in charge of the experimental sta
tions at Lake City fully realizes the re-
qurements of the situation. He has inau-
gurated a series OF research regarding
fertilizing, and what goes on during the
process of fermentation. Nitrogen, potash,
and phosphoric acid are. the Secretary
said, required i'm the production Of to-
bacco. The acid exists in Florida in abun-
dance. Nitrogen can be had through
growing leguminous crops, and as the
potash is found below the salt deposits of
the German mines, the Secretary asked
whether II might not also be found In this
country below the salt deposits. The to-
baccO-raiser must have II.
The Secretary expresses the belief that
there is no tropical belt In Florida. Frost
will come occasionally, and injure the
orange-trees, but he believes that Irotec-
ton might be had for the Florida orange.
as il sold very high, compared with fruit
from any other country. The pineapple
was prospering, and was very
and the small fruit Industry
was quite important. The ribbon sugar
cane. he thought, would also succeed in
Florida, whenever the culture of 1t was
Systematically. Mr.. WILSON
believed there were certainly, openings Tor
people i'm Florida Jackson
willie people had to pay 10 cents a quart
for their milk. and it would be 10 very fair
he said. for northern peoIle
to take the COWS there to fu .nIsh the milk
at that price.
Secretary Wilson expresses tie Oripion
that straight farming will De more valu-
able to the people Than the raising OF to-
bacco, sugar cane, vegetables, ETC., ara
that the staple industries OF the state
would be 1airying. cattle raising, sheep |
raising. bacon. hog-raisinS, ETC.