The progressive farmer., 1902-04-15
TOBACCO UNDER CHxEsECrOrH.

Conclusion Of Interesting Report Of Dr.. E. H.
jenkins on RaiSjng sumatrs Leaf at POquO-
mock County, Last Year.
The cured leaf was taken down in
rather high case September go The
primed leaf weighed, in the bundle,
at the rate of 1858 pounds net per
acre, less by $50 pounds than the crop
of last year, when the plants stood 2
inches closer in the row, but which
was calculated from only one sixth
of an acre. The leaves we're taken
from the strings and sized without
other sorting than to throw out bad
ly torn or otherwise damaged leaves.
The hands were then tied with bast
fiber. The leaf could not be put into.
fermentation until December 4. Each
lot was then carefully weighed be
fore putting into the bulk. It has
dried out somewhat and net weights
we're as follows: primed shaded Su-
matra, 2O6% pounds from 1890 square
feet of land, which is at the rate of
115O pounds per acre. Shaded Su-
matra cured on the stalk, 883 pounds
from $4,000 square feet of land,
which is at the rate of 1870 pounds
per acre. Sumatra raised in the open
field, set at the same distance as that
under shade, cured on the stalk, 1874
pounds from 6552 square feet of land,
which is at the rate of 1923 pounds
per acre.
The crop was fermented in bulk,
the bulk being made December 4,
1901, s feet wide and 10 feet long.
Fermentation began promptly and
went on satisfactorily The bulk
was very small one and not changed
until December 10. On January Is,
1902, the bulk was taken down, and
the leaf, now we'll fermented, was
cased for shipment and sale The
leaf which was cured on the stalk
was, of course, marked in the bulk
and separated by strings from that
which had been "primed and cured
on strings. Some shipped for sale
was as follows: OF the stalk cured
leaf there were 1887 pounds of 90
inch leaf, 219 pounds of 18 inch, 59%
OF II, 5O% of 16, 116 of Is, 2O2% of
IA and AN of 12-inch, a total of
1851 pounds. Of the primed leaf
there we're 31H pounds of 1s-inch
leaf, A of II inch, so of 16, 90 of Is,
Is of IA and II of 12-inoh, total of
1917 pounds. This leaf was packed
in boxes, holding from 80 to 12O
pounds each and handled precisely
as the domestic leaf il. The prices
asked we're accepted by buyers with
out objection, and indicate that those
who bought portion of the crop
believed that it was worth at least
as much as they paid
As to the charges incident to put
ting up the shade and harvesting the
leaf by picking the actual initial cost
of the first year for these items was
$3.50. .63 in our experiment per acre.
Charging the firrt crop, however,
with only 2O% of the cost of frame
and 4O% of the cost of lath for hang
ing tobacco, the extra cost per acre,
per year, incident to raising shaded
Sumatra was 1926 68 It ie, however,
possible to reduce the initial cost in
the first year to about $3.50 per acre
and the average yearly expense to
about $500 per acre.
The weight of the whole crop as it
was taken down from the curing barn
was not aecertained. Nearly two
months later when the leaf was put
into the fermentation it weighed at
the rate of 1171 pounds net from an
acre most accurately measured. Last
year from a measured one sixth of
an acre there were raised at the rate
of about 1900 pounds per acre. Most
gro wers this year report crops of
from 1900 to nearly 100 pounds. No
doubt our own crop weighed some
what more at stripping time than it
did two months later when it was as
sorted
In the opinion of competent judges
of Sumatra tobacco, the leaf raised
by us under shade in 1901 is much
better than that raised on the same
land in 1900. The green oolors, so
prominent in 1900, are almost en-
tirely wanting in our crop of 1901.
The 1901 leaf has much more 'body,"
elasticity, or "life" than that of 1900
and will, therefore, be more acCepta-
BILE TO manufacturers. It is equally