The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1902-09-10
TRY
TOBACCO

The cultivation of Smyrna tobacco
will next be attempted by Special
Agent Jared Smith of the United States
Agricultural Experiment Station. Mr..
Smith believes that this grade of to-
baeco can not only be successfully
grown in Hawaii, but also ar a con-
siderable profit to the planter. Acting
on his belief he has already sent to
Smyrna for tobacco seed in large guam
titles, and The experiment will be made
here on an extensive scale as soon as
the expected consignment arrives.
Tobacco is at present grown in the
islands, but only on a very small scale,
and the varieties now under. cultivation
are of the poorer grades. On Hawaii
tobacco is grown for private consump-
ton and but very little is sold any
where. The internal revenue laws pro-
vide for a tax upon all grades of to-
bacco, but the grower is not included
in this tax. He is allowed to sell his
product to anyone he wishes without
stamping it, but as soon as his pur-
chaser attempts to dispose of the leaf
either in cigars or in bulk Uncle Sam
steps in with a demand that it be
stamped.
Mr.. Smith believes that the soil on
this island is we'll adapted to the Gull
tivation Of tobacco, and he has picked
out the Smyrna leaf as being most
available for the purpose, and also as
being the most likely to bring a hand
some profit to the proven.
A recent bulletin on the subject issued
from the Department Of Agriculture
says that tobacco can be grown in
nearly all parts of the country, even
where wheat and corn can not be
economically produced. The plant read
lily adapts itself to a great range of
| climatic conditions, will grown on near
ly all kinds of soil, and has a COM
paratiyely short season of growth. But
while it can be so universally grown,
the flavor and quality of the leaf are
greatly influenced by the conditions of
climate and soil. The industry has
been very highly specialized, and there
is only demand now for tobacco pos
sessing certain qualities adapted to GER
tain specific purposes. A nondescript
tobacco is not worth growing and
should not be groWn~as it lowers the
price of really good types of tobacco,
to the detriment alike of the grower
and the AS climate and soil
conditions determine the character of
the tobacco, it is important to under
stand what kinds of tobacco are in
demand and what the climatic and soil
| conditions are which will most easily
produce the qualities desired.
The principal kinds of tobacco
grown in this country are the cigar
types, for our domestic supply of
cigars; the manufacturing types, for
smoking and chewing. for our domestic
use: the bright yellow tobacco. for
cigarettes, smoking, and plug wrappers;
White Bur1ey, for smoking and chew
ing, both for domestic and export trade;
and the export types proper, which are
not I1suited to our domestic use, but
which are mainly exported to foreign
countries to be used both for cigar and
manufacturing purposes"
Smyrna tobacco is grown also in Cuba
and Florida and tobacco is raised in
many of the states, including Massa-
chusetts, Connecticut, Pennsylvania,
Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Wisconsin,
and in many of the southern states.
The Sunatra leaf has been lately in
reduced in Florida, and it's cultivation
has been very successful. In Florida
the topdcco grown IfoH CniS S@su loseS
much of the bitter taste, which is char
acteristic of the imported article. Wa
ter in the soil plays an important part
in the cultivation of tobacco, and as
Hawaii is specially favored in this way,
it is another reason why tobacco grow
ing here should be a success. In Flori-
da two and three crops are raised in
one year, and in Hawaii wen better re-
suits are obtainable, in the opinion of
Jared Smith.