The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-11-03
GROWING SUMATRA TOBACCO.
roNGER AN EXPERIMENT IN
eoUTHWEsT GEORGIA.

r.5.aen County, Fla, Adjoining.
Mr.. A. Einstein of A. cOhn & Co., of
- york, who Have the Largest
r,,t,tfon in Decatur County, De-
,,cs the Methods and Results.
oil, Good Hammock Land Suited
Tobacco OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
,.-s should Begin on n Small Scale
and Not Undertake Too Much at
First.
c,-,atra tobacco for cigar wrappers IS
-. betnr extensively produced in South
, Georgia. This will be information to
-,,5 many people, and yet the produc-
80 If this tobacco is not an experiment,
Nnr has been successfully conducted for
severa years.
NJ Einstein has recently return
"A m the city from Decatur county. where
~ has been engaged for the last several
,ears with A Cohn & Co. of New York
q, the production of fine wrapper tobacco
robn 4 co. have the largest tobacco plan
tsuon in Georgia or Florida, and to the
seorts Of the firm is largely due the sue
cess with which the growing of fine tobac-
o., has met in Decatur county, Georgia.
or1 Gadsden county, Florida. The firm
has 1400o acres of land in Decatur coun-
~. dawn near the Florida line, of which
S0 m 500 acres are in Sumatra leaf to-
bacc0
Mr. Finstein was seen yesterday and
asked to give some statement of the meth
ods by which he has attained success in
the growing of fine tobacco. Having en-
gaged extensively in the cultivation of the
fragrant weed his views as to the posi-
blities Of tobacco as a money crop for
South Georgia are of interest.
Fine tobacco said Mr.. Einstein, was
grown in Decatur county in the tfties and
sb,pped to Hamburg. AS the to-
bacca was grown near the Flor
nl line and chiefly marketed at GU ncey
Fla. the later state obtained the credit
which rightly belonged to Georgia. The
Industry was con linued after the war on a
small scale. Cohn & Co, who are large
importers of fine tobacCos, conceived the
dea that a coed wrapper tobacco could
be grown in this section and their atten-
ton was drawn to Decatur county where
considerable body of land was secured
for the purpose. Many experiments were
made without giving entirely satisfactory
results At one time as many as sixty va
teties were growing. Fairly good results
were Obtained from Havana seed, but the
Al last Mr.. Cohn sent his manager some
Sumalra tobacco seed. These We're planted
according TO instructions and when Mr..
Coin visited the plantation and saw the
plants in The field he informed his mana
ger that the problem had been solved at
last Next year about 800 acres were
planted and the acreage has been stead
ly increased since that time. Free seed
was furnished to the farmers in that sec
ton in order to encourage them to en-
gage in the industry. About one-third of
the tobacco crop of Decatur and Gadsden
counties row is Sumatra leaf. The pro-
duct of these two counties of both Cuban
\ and Sumaira tobacco last year was about
Il 50G0 pounds. The price varies greatly,
according to the grade of the article, rang
ing from 10 GEMS to 40 cents a pound. The
n crop Is fought in tie sheds by the buyers
4 who afterwards put it through the various
Il processes required to fit it for the mar
n ket"
As to tobacco becoming a general money
crop for South Georgia and Florida, Mr..
Einstein said candidly that ne did not
think it will. There are several differ
ent varieties of tobacco produced in this
country he said among them the cigar
wrapper, the filler, The ordinary smoking
and chewing tobaccos, and the hurley,
which is largely raised in Kentucky. Each
or these varieties requires a different kind
OF soil and climate, different methods OF
cultivation and different treatment in or.
Ger TO prepare It for market. For any one
10 think that tobacco culture can be en-
gagged is as he would the growing of col
Ton or corn is a serious error"
MT Elhstein referred to the efforts which
are being made by the Central of Geor-
ga Railway Company and the Florida
central and Peninsular Railroad to induce
o o"Iners aiong their lines to engage in the
culture Of tobacco and expressed his
uolbs as to whether these efforts are on
the right line
- there is comparatively little land along
'ile mes OF these two railroads which is
sGl'ea TO the growth of tobacco" he said.
!" 'ue urst place no one should undertake
20 grow tobacco until he has first made
we experiment on a small scale and as
Cer'alhed if his lands are suited to this
crop If the experiment be successful he
WI 20 wei TO gradually increase his
1eIease An experiment on large scale
~ NNey to prove disastrous. 1t costs a
great deal more to cultivate an acre of TO-
naVvV man almost any other crop grown
IN lAs section. New land Is best, but 1t
uluS' be heavily fortified with cotton Sc I'd
@uu even then it will become exhausted in
lour or five years. Constant care and a.
e"loh is required from the preparation
I'll me seed bed to the curing of the crop
tu me barn. The tobacco farmer has no
".e time until his crop is sold"
another error which people who are
aAhg tobacco culture are laboring I'M
g r, said Mr. Einstein, lis as 10 exper $.
IInese are scarce and difficult, to secure
YEARLY every cigar maker is ready to de-
o'Le himself an expert but rs mater
y. taet the average cigar maker knows
nto,Nns whatever about the cultivation of
,s cur Einstein said he did moi regard the
onO OF the Central Railroad to furnish
tn gApert 10 the farmers at any point on
.' ihe who would agree to plant alto
11J5u'er zJ0 acres of land as altogether feas-
a @ lie thought an experiment of 200
80 Tor beginners would be going it on
-ner too large a scale
-NAeI as 10 the methods pursued in
a'"lHs Sumatra tobacco in Decatur coun-
Mf. klnstein said: 1--WE find that
iGi'noeN land is the best The ordinary
t o,o Iahd is of little value for growing
wl co. These hammocks are covered
be,H 5IoWths Of hardwoods, such as oak,
SON. hickory and magnolia and il costs
4 b.a. .'I'uS 10 clear them. 1t is not rich
4 r9, SOL but a light sandy Joan, of
4 seoi color and free from pebble The