The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1901-09-13

The following hints regarding shed
curing are timely:
The thorough ventilation of the sheds
is an important factor and requires a
great deal of watchful care. AS rule
the doors should be opened in the morn
ing and closed at night, except where
theseis is a liability of dry cure, when the
process should be reversed. Too much
light is thought to be conducive to the
development of white veins, but this
can not be we'll avoided. They are not
liable ito occur in moist cure, or at q
time when pole sweat develops. The
length of time necessary for a crop to
hang for perfect cure varies in different
seasons and individual crops. Very ripe
tobacco cures quickest. If we'll cured,
there is very little danger of heating in
the bale in early stripped tobacco if the
bales are packed right and laid on dry
floor only one deep. There is more dan
ger after the stocks have frozen.
What is probably the largest tobacco
field i'm New England, if not the country,
this year, is that of Mr.. Edmund Smith
of Hamden county, Mass. The farm, the
old Hinsdale Smith estate, is one of the
richest dairy and tobacco farms in the
Connecticut valley. Last year Mr.. Smith
raised about 80 acres of tobacco, which
averaged ton to the acre; this year 81
acres are growing. From the magnii-
cent crop growing this year and the re-
suit of last years crop, Mr.. Smith is
already planning to plant considerably
over LOO acres in 1902 The plants are
nearly all Havana seed. The barns are
constructed quite different from the u.s.
ual run of tobacco sheds in the valley
the newer ones having for foundation
a tightly hooped half barrel, which is
filled with stones and mortar. This
makes a most substantial foundation,
and even after the barrel has rotted
away, the stone and cement is firmly i'm
bedded and of course durable. The soil
of this farm is perfectly adapted to to-
bacco growing, having fair amount of
body, yet being a typical sandy loan, so
we'll known in the tobacco section of
New England. Large quantities of ma
nure and fertilizers are used. The newly
built Connecticut Western railroad
passes through the center of this farm
and siding will be built so that 100 or
more carloads of Boston stable manure
will be used each year. Two expert
ments of much local interest are being
conducted by Mr. Smith this year. From
his wide connection in the tobacco trade
as packer, Mr.. Smith is thoroughly fa-
mihar with the demands of manufactur
ers. He has noticed that the short,
round Havan leaf is much in demand.
Two years ago he brought from his plan
tation in Cuba, seed and sowed it on the
farm. Those plants having a short,
round leaf were allowed to produce seed.
This year seed from these plants was
sown and there is quite patch of this
tobacco. A quantity of the seed will be
harvested this year. Mr.. Smith hopes
ia time to develop strain of short
leaved Havana tobacco, just such as
manufacturers are looking for. Another
experiment consists in the sowing of
bacteria on small plot. There was sent
to Mr.. Smith early in the spring box
of germ inoculated soil. The soil con-
tains very little in the way of fertilizing
value from a chemical standpoint. It is,
however, thoroughly inoculated with
germs, which are expected to elaborate
nitrogen from the air, just as nitrogen is
elaborated on luguminous plants. These
experiments will be watched with great
interest. The plants this year show no
difference in growth from others nearby,
but it will require several seasons to get
the soil thoroughly inoculated with the
bacteria.-N. e. Homestead.