Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1903-02-28
TOBACCO IN WISCONSIN.

United States showing that in 1902,
gagged by the amount and value of it's
crop, Wisconsin ranked fourth among
the tobacco-growing states of the I'm
ion, while gagged by the number of
acres under cultivation to tobacco it
ranked sixth. To many people who
are usually we'll informed, these statis-
tics were revelation. To those ell
gagged In the production and manufac-
ture of tobacco they are a stimulus.
In the present condition of Wiscon-
sin soil, tobacco gives large yield per
acre, and the statement is apparently
justified that, considering the acreage,
it is the most profitable crop raised in
the state. Of course, there is to a
certain extent an Offset to this in the
fact that experience elsewhere has
shown that tobacco exhausts the soil
in which it is grown. This was we'll
known to George Washington. who,
enthusiastically nethodical and thrift
ty, instructed his overseer to plant less
tobacco and more of other crops, with
view to resting and restoring the
soil on his estates which had been
sown to tobacco for many years. The
prudent farmer can we'll afford to run
little risk with tobacco however, as
is indicated by the fact that the $4,000
acres sown to tobacco in Wisconsin
last year produced a crop which was
worth in the market about as much as
the potato crop grown on 258, 900 acres
the wheat crop grown on $50, 600 acres.
the barley crop grown on $50, 900 acres.
There is one other offset to tobacco
profits. and that is the outlay for labor
that must be put upon a tobacco crop
to bring it to matu rity in good condi-
ton.
1t takes skilled labor to raise tobacco,
and a very large proportion of the
farmers of Wisconsin are unacquainted
with the habits and needs of the plant.
The enormous difference in the mer-
camille value of the leaf which may
depend trifing points in the selection
Of the seed or in the processes of Guilt
walton or curing, makes the dissemina-
ton of precise information on the sub.
ject an object of utility obvious to all
who are ambitious for the Industrial
progress of the state.
Much has been done for the develop
ment of improved farming methods in
Wisconsin by the agricultural expert
ment stations of the state university
A bill is now before the Legislature
proposing the appropriation of money
for experiments in tobacco culture. 1t
is proposed to procure seed from the
| Vuelta Abajos district in Cuba, which
produces the finest tobacco in the
with it in Wisconsin. Probably half
of the small amount of $4,000 propos-
ed to be appropriated would be ex-
pended in this way, the remainder be-
ing laid out in testing other varieties
of tobacco to determine which is the
| best adapted to Wisconsin soil and eli
mate, and in general experimental
work. Experiments with fertilizers
will also be made. Experiments in
growing tobacco under cover for the
purpose of producing a thinner, finer
leaf, will also be Continued. These
have been attempted by private ente. :
prise and have yielded good results,
but have not been carried so far as
they would be carried If the risk in
case of loss were not to fall upon indi-
viduals.
In dairying Wisconsin has rapidly
risen to high place, because of the
intelligent. scientific methods which
have been adopted by the farmers of
the state. IN the propaganda which
has broug bit these methods into vogue
large figure has been cut by the uni
versity experiment station.
The appropriation of $40, 900 for the
proposed tobacco experiments would
be wisely bestowed. Evening Wis
consin.