The Colfax chronicle., 1903-05-30
FARMER AND PLANTER.
TOBACCO IN SOUTH CAROLINA.
The Wonderful DEVELOPMENT of To.
bacco Culture in south Caro-
lima In the Past Decade.

The remarkable increase in the
acreage, production and value of the
tobacco crop of South Carolina dur
ing the past ten years constitutes one
of the most important factors in the
development of this large and rapidly
growing industry. Ten years ago
South Carolina could hardly be con-
sidered tobacco-producing state. Ac-
cording to the reports of the eleventh
census there were in the whole state
of South Carolina, in the year 1889,
394 acres of tobacco. upon which was
produced crop of 222,s9s pounds,
valued at $33,9os. According to acre
age the state ranked twenty-first in
that year, and contributed less than
one-tenth of 1 per cent. of the total
acreage of the United States.
The wonderful development of the
industry in this state becomes ap-
parent when these figures are COM
pared with the recent report of the
statistician concerning the crop of
1902.
Last year South Carolina devoted
34,912 acres to the culture of tobacco,
producing crop of 25,625, ,40s pounds,
which Is valued at more than $3,0OO,-
600.
According to acreage the state now
ranks seventh; having more than 3.3
per cent. of the total tobacco acreage
of the United States.
The acreage for the past year rep
resents an increase of 2s per cent.
over that for 1901, while the average
number of pounds per acre has also
shown a marked increase.
The quality of the 1902 crop is re-
ported to be excellent, and the prices
received by the farmer have been
good. Under these conditions it
seems quite probable that the acre
age for the present year will be sub
stantially greater than that of 1902,
and that the tobacco crop of South
Carolina will continue to grow IN inn
portance.
While tobacco has been grown on
small scale in nearly every county
of the state for a great many years,
the marked increase in it's production
has been confined to limited area
in the northeastern portion of the
state, known as the Darlington dis
trict. The four counties, Marion,
Darlington, Florence and Horny, pro-
duce about so per cent. of the total
crop of the state. Here has been
found loose, sandy soil eight or ten
inches in depth, underlying which is
subsoil of clay, which seems particu-
larly well adapted to the production
of fine quality of that bright yellow
tobacco which has made eastern
North Carolina and portions of Vir-
ginia famous in the tobacco markets
of the world. The difficulties which
were encountered by those who first
undertook to produce this type of to-
bacco in South Carolina upon q large
scale resulted principally from lack
of knowledge as to the proper meth
DDS of culture and curing, together
with the impossibility of securing ex-
perienced labor. The first crops of
this tobacco produced in this section
were found to have a disagreeable
odor and taste, which injured its sale.
As these difficulties were overcome,
and better tobacco was produced, it
was found that the undesirable repu-
tation made by the earlier crops se-
riously handicapped the market for
South Carolina tobacco, and a great
deal of it was sent to the established
markets of North Carolina and Vir-
ginia and was sold as North Caro-
lima or Virginia tobacco. That these
difficulties have now been successfully
overcome by the planters of South
Carolina is best shown by the fact
that large and important markets
have sprung up at Darlington, Flor
ence, Mullins, Timmonsville and 9TH
er points in the district, where ware
houses and redrying establishments
have been. built, and where every IA
cility is afforded for the proper care
of the crop. Only very small por-
tion of the crop is now marketed out
side the state, South Carolina tobacco
enjoying a most enviable reputation
upon the domestic and foreign mar
kets.
The growth of the tobacco indus
try in South Carolina has been at
tended with great financial benefit to
the planters. In many sections where
cotton has heretofore been the only
source of revenue to the farmer, to-
bacco is now being grown to such an
extent that the money value of this
crop equals that of cotton. This re-
suit has been attained without ma
terially lessening the volume of the
cotton crop, hence the annual income
of the planters has been practically
doubled by the introduction of to-
bacco. The following statement made
by a planter in Darlington county
with reference to his own crop in 1902
we'll illustrates what some of the sue
cessful tobacco growers of South Car
olina are doing:
/. Value of land per acre, $25.
2. Cost of fertilizer per acre, $12.
3. Pounds of fertilizer used per
acre, 1,100.
4. Production of tobacco in pounds
per acre, 1,100.
S. Amount realized per acre from