The evening times., 1900-01-05
MORE AMERICAN TOBACCO
An Impetus Given TO the Industry
by Weyler's Embargo.
Great Crops of Good Quality Now
Being Raised i'm Wisconsin and
Product of Cuha-Raising the Leaf
Much More Profitable Than Grain.

MOUNT STERLING, Wis. Jan 5.-The
embargo placed by General Weyler upon
the expectation of tobacco from the Island
OF Cuba stimulated tobacco planting in
many of the United States. and its effect
was felt strongly in Wisconsin. The people
in this part of the world had hazy idea,
! previous TO the Weyler decree that they
were able TO produce certain kind Of to-
| bacco, dark and strong enough to lift the
| roof off house.
1t was good for home consumption. but
| they did NOT see any commercial possibtll-
ties in it, The farmer OF the older p0r-
tions of the West has been generally quick
to take advantage of opportunities, how
ever. and since corn was down to almost
nothing and pork was not much better he
turned to tobacco in an experimental way
when a shortage of the Cuban product be-
came a certainty.
The result has been surprising. The crop
of this State last year was 120.OVV cases oil
125 pounds each, a total OF l2.oZ5 OVo
pounds Formerly a tobacco field was COM
pa1atively a rare thing. Now the farm
without on, is the exception. As The crop
ed quality as better seedlings became Oh
tainahle. The tobacco produced in Wis
consin now ranks fayOrably with ether
American-grown tobacco, though it is OF an
entirely different quality from that pro-
duced in Virginia and North Carolina
Extent OF the Industry.
The extept of the, industry in this State
can be best understood by comparison with
-f..r,F for "A n
hmprican-made cigar has been known for
a long time and has afforded considerable
fun for the joke maker. The fact Is that a
very good quality Of tobacco Is grown IN
Connecticut from Havana seedlings, and
hero is a great deal of it, The Connect
cut crop last year. however. reached only
- coo cases little mere than nne-third OF
thc total Wisconsin crop. The plant is cul-
tivated i'm Wisconsin i'm all Of its farming
neighborhoods except in The far northern
,ier of counties. where the climate viii not
permit il.
In Crawford and Vernon counties. which
are ia the southwestern part OF he state,
near to the Mississippi River. the area so
employed is proportionately much larger
than elsewhere The tobacco itself has
lightened in color and decreased in rank
ness in the last three years. Ii now cures
10 a light brown approaching golden and
has a delicious fragrance II is the con-
tentiOn of the farmers that the ground has
got used to il and is therefore able TO pro-
/ luce better plant, Just as man Will
Ike a better Wagon wheel after a years
=. tctice than he viii when he begins. There
is probably nothing in this. The quality
Of the leaf has improved because the meth
od OF lis cultivation is better understood
and more care is taken in curing IL.
The crop pays we'll. since il is wor b
when in good condition from TO cents a
pound and good many pounds can be
/ taken from an acre. The farmer is not put
to any especial trouble and makes no effort
! 20 round out his product into manufac-
/ ured shape. He plants the seedlings, sees
that they are kept free from worms which
are rot especially troublesome so far
north. Cuitiyates occasionally. waits until
the proper stage of maturity has been
I reached. and cuts IL.
He ties il into Sheaves and hangs il up In
his barn, or tobacco shed. and lets it alone
This Is generally in August. Along in Oc-
tOhpr he waits the coming OF a spell OF
weather that he knows as tobacco storm.
This is FIVE or six days of rain or mist.
The moist atmosphere dampens the hang
ing sheayes and makes them sufficiently
nliable to obyiate the danger OF breaking
in handling II they were taken down
mostly. Being devoid Of brittleness. he
takes the tobacco down and strips it from
the central stem. and reties it into bun
dies.
The buyer comes along, looks at it. esti-
mates its quality. and offers a price. which
is almost always accepted. The tobacco is
then shipped TO the factory, where il is
sorted into hands. Hands are sorted ac-
cording to the length OF the leaves. Il
takes sixteen leaves to make hand. The
hands are then packed down hard in boxes.
brought mp from the factory basement and
stored in upper rooms. where the plant
undergoes the process of sweating. or par
tial fermentation. Tobacco Is a product
that will generate a great deal of heat
when closely packed. A box of hands If
opened three months after packing throws
OF quite a wave of caloric, and finger in
serted in its middle will be uncomfortably
warm. This sweating mellows the tobacco
and improves its smoking quality and S
fragrance.
The Sweating Process.
The length OF time TO be devoted to the
sweating process depends entirely upon the
tobacco itself. It varies greatly from year
TO year. There is as much difference in
the inner quality of tobacco crops as there
is in the qualities Of grape crops. Plants
from the same farm will sometimes sweat
sufficiently I'm year and sometimes in
two years. General speaking. year is al
ways required for fermentation, and dur
ing this time the capital of the purchaser is
locked ND in the boxes of hands, taking up
storage room and drawing no interest.
There is always q risk, too, of Overfer-
mentation and consequent spelling. The |
business is not a safe one and demands the |
highest class of eXpertness in the sampler, |
or the man who goes about from farm to |
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