The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1899-05-25
THE CULTURE OF TOBACCO.

Some ten years ago, says the Raleigh
Post, if our memory as to time serves
us well, after very careful investi-
CATION by Col. John d. Cameron at the
instance Of the State agricultural de-
partment, the total production of to-
bacco in North Carolina was placed at
about 40 600, 900 pounds.
Then its culture had scarcely eX-
tended east Of Warren, Nash and
Wake counties. 1t had extended west
to the French Broad Valley, even
goodly amounts being produced in
Haywood and Swain counties.
Now it IL produced, in rapidly in
creasing quantities throughout almost
the entire eastern section, Craven,
Jones, Lenoir, Duplin, Onslow, Pitt,
Greene, Edgecombe, Wilson, Wayne,
Johnston, Sampson, specially devoting
large areas thereto.
Twenty-Five or thirty years ago tho
finest tobacco, that which commanded
the fancy prices, was produced in
Granville, Person, Orange, Caswell,
Rockingham counties. Ten or fifteen
years later this quality was produced,
comparatively almost exclusively be-
yond the Blue Ridge. Moderate but
very comfortable fortunes were made
by planters in both sections during the
period when their particular section
furnished the better quality. And
what is strange about this is the finest
quality as to quantity seems to run in
sections and for limite'l periods of
time. Now the finest tobacco, Judging
| hU thn prinnu on1 nf thio 10
the determining feature--is produced in
the eastern counties, counties east of
Wake, Warren and those nearby. As
much tobacco, we learn, is raised in
the other sections as formerly, but our
eastern friends certainly seem to be
enjoying the benefits as to prices for
the Ground crop" that blessed our CEN
tral friends first and the western peo-
pie later. The yield IN pounds in the
State must be very largely increased, :,
and If 40 millions of pounds was the
product at the time Col. Cameron pre-
pared his statement, certainly the
amount now must be millions more, if
not fully double. But we would really
like to have an explanation Of the
change Of base Of the high priced to-
bacco, first from the central to the
western part of The State and now to
the eastern section. Cf course we do
not mean that good crops Of tobacco
that still fetch high prices are not pro-
duccd in all sections but speaking OF
the crop as a whole, by sections, the
facts are certainly as we have stated.
But not only has the production very
largely increased ia this State, branch
ing out into new territory, but our
neighbor, South Carolina, has caught
on, and is going into the cultivation Of
the weed heavily. So far the success
Of those people has corresponded with
that Of our people, and big profits seem
TO have prevailed, so much so that the
tendency to increase the acreage
amounts to fever. The Columbia
State gives US the following:
"South Carolina, it is estimated, pro-
duced IS 900 900 pounds of tobacco
last year. The Darlington NeWs, with
other newspapers in the tobacco region,
holds that the area this year is twice
as great as last. This is hardly posi-
bic, but if the increase in yield should
be even SO per cent. the crop of 1899
would be 27 900 900 pounds, quantity
better under stood if reduced 10 l3 500
tons, or to 2,7O0 carloads Of 10000
pounds each. When it is considered
that this crop is only in its beginning
in South Carolina and is generally
grown only in one forth or onc-fifth of
the belt adapted to it's production, its
possibilities for the future arc seen to
be very great. 1t will not take South
Carolina many years to rank both
North Carolina and Virginia as to-
bacco producing State"
Unless the elements prove unpropi.
tious, the prospects are for an enor-
mously increased crop, to be increased
year by year possibly, just as cotton la
increased. Necessarily this must have
some effect upon prices in general ;
but, OF one thing our farmer friends
may be assured, that the greater the
crop in general, the more important it
become, 80 far as profit is concerned
for the production Of the best quality.
Tobacco may be tobacco, but still
when we come to sell, or even 10 use
it, we discover that there is q vast diff
ference in the quality, and it is this
difference that fixes the prices. There
is some difference in the value Of Gov
ton, according to the grades but far
greater difference in the value OF to-
: baccO, based on the same inequality.
A crop OF tobacco that will average 10
ccnts per pound or over, Ground"
pays better than cotton at 6 or 8 cents
per pound. But it is the good tobacco
good IN texture, color and quality
that is profitable, after all. This par
ticuar feature ahould receive the most
earnest care of the tobacco planter.