The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-01-09
Tobaeco CIimate ana Soil.

1t is a curious and interesting fact that
tobacco suitable for domestic cigars is
raised in Sumatra, Cuba and Florida, and
then, passing over the middle tobacco
states, the cigar type is found again in
Massachusetts,, Connecticut, PENNSYLVANIA
Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Wisconsin. saws
the Fruit Journal. The tobacco which is
used only for chewing and smoking. and
which is sent abroad, is raised in the in
terveninS states, the very best locality ly-
ing just below the latitude of Southern
Ohio. 1t is surprising to find so little diff
ference in the meteorological records for
these several places during the crop sea-
son. There does not seem to be sufficient
difference TO explain the distribution of the
different classes of tobacco, and yet this
distribution is probably due mainly to
climatic conditions.
One must stin judge, therefore. so far
as the climate is concerned, mainly from
the experience of others. as to The class
of tobacco TO be raised, as The ordinary
meteorological record will be of very little
value i'm determining this point. The plant
is far more sensitive to these meteoroloei-
cal conditions than are The Instruments
Even in such famous tobacco region as
Cuba, tobacco of good quality cannot be
grown in the immediate vicinity of the
ocean or in certain parts of the island.
even on what would otherwise be consid-
cred good tobacco lands. This has been
the experience also in Sumatra, and in our
own country, but the influences. are too
subtle to be detected by meteorological
Instruments. Little, therefore can be said
at the present time in regard to the suit
able climate conditions for tobacco of
any particular type or quality.
Under given Climatic conditions the
class and type of tobacco depend upon the
character of the soil upon which it is
grown, while the grade is dependent large
ly upon the cultivation aud curing of the
crop. Different types of tobacco are
grown on widely different soils, all the
way from the coarse, sandy lands of the
pine barrens TO the heavy clay limestone.
grass and wheat lands The best soil for
some kind of tobacco, therefore, may be
almost worthless for the staple agricul-
tural crops, while The best for another
type of tobacco may be the richest and
most productive soil of any that we have.
It is particularly true of tobacco TO a
greater extent perhaps than of any other
crop, that the texture and physical prom
critics of the soil influence the physiology
of the plant to such an extent as to de-
termine and control the distribution of the
widely differing distinct types of tobacco.
Soils producing a heavy shipping tobacco
will not produce fine tobacco of any va
riety.
Soils containing a large proportion Of
clay, or which for other reasons are re-
tentive of moisture, tend to produce large.
heavy plants, which cure to a dark brown
or red. A light, sandy soil produces a deli
cate leaf, which by proper treatment can
be cured to a bright red mahogany. or
fine yellow color. So marked is this influ-
ence of soil upon the quality of tobacco
that a fine bright tobacco land may be
separated by only few feet from heav-
Ter clay soil, which will produce only a
heavy manufacturing or export leaf.
Manures and fertilizers tend aiways to
increase the yield per acre, but where
large quantities of nitrogen are added To
the soil there is a tendency for the leaf
20 become thicker, heavier and more gum
my. In the case of the fine bright to-
baccos, or naturally thin textured leaves.
this is apt to cause marked deterioration
in the character of the leaf, but with the
heavier varieties this result is far from
undesirable, because it merely increases
the normal influence of the soil in making
the leaf heavier richer and more of hodv
Considerable control can therefore be exer-
cised upon the quality, or grade of the
leaf not only by judicious cultivation. but
by proper fertilization,