The Anaconda standard., 1898-01-31
TOBACCO CULTURE.
Secretary Wilson Says the Plant Can BE
Grown Almost Anywhere.

| UToWu <Aimost anywhere.
Washington, Jan. 30.-Secretary OF
| Agriculture Wilson has authorized the
issue in pamphlet form of preliminary
| report on the soils of the principal to-
| bacco districts in the United States,
| prepared 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 CO.
| lumbian exposition at Chicago, and
| since that time quite number of typi-
| cal tobacco soils have been examined in
| the laboratory of the agricultural
department. The present publication,
which is copiously illustrated, is a pre-
liminary report of the work that has
been going on. The main points in in
quiry which now reach the department
are in regard to the kind of tobacco
which should be grown in certain To-
calities. and the method of curing the
product. Replying to these questions
the report says claimate and soil condi-
tionS should determine the kind of to-
bacco raised.
THE tobbaco plant readily adapts it,
self to "a great range of climatic condi-
tions, will grow on nearly all kinds of
soil and has a 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 economical
ly produced. But while tobacco can be
so universally grown the flavor and
quality are greatly Influenced by the
influence of the climate and soil. A
nondeScript tobacco is not worth grow
ing. and should not be grown as it
lowers the price of really good types
of tobacco to the detriment alike of
the grower and consumer. 1t is impor-
tant, therefore. to understand what
kinds of tobacco are in demand and
what the climatic as1d soil conditions
which will uSil tI..
qualities desired
A glance at table giving the
changes in the production of tobacco
from 1879 to 1889 shows that in this
period of 10 years the acreage and yield
of the cigar tobaccos have been very
considerably increased. The manufac-
turing and export districts cannot be
sharply separated. as both kinds of to-
bacco are frequently grown in the
same district and the same kind is fire.
quently used for both purposes. on
the whole there is a considerable de-
crease in the acreage and yield.
With the bright and yellow and burly
tobaccoS there has been a large in
crease i'm both acreage and yield. Since
1889 there has been considerable change
in many of these districts, while other
new districts. notably Texas and Cali
fornia. are coming into considerable
prominence both as to the area under
cultivation and excellent quality of the
product raised.
The acreage in Florida has also been
greatly increa Sed since 1889, but there
are no reliable statistics to show the
extent of the changes in the counties
making up the tobacco districts. Some
attention is devoted tn the question of
meteorological conditions as affecting
the industry in the great tobacco re-
gions of this country. Cuba and Suma-
ira. The plant" the report continues.
lis far more sensitive to those meteor
illogical conditions than are our instru-
ments. Even in such a famous tobac-
co region as Cuba. tobacco of good
quality cannot he grown in the imme-
diate vicinity of the ocean or in GER
tain parts of the island. even on what
would otherwise he considered good to-
bacco lands. This has been the eXper-
fence also in Sumatra. and in our own
country. but the influences are too sub
tie TO be detected by our meteorological
Instruments
The remainder Of the report is de-
voted mainly to a description of the
different classes of tobacco lands
found in the United States, together
with data as to the yield per acre,
whether used as wrapper or filler, the
value of the tobacco produced and val
liable suggestions for obtaining the best
results.