Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1903-06-25

to try the experiment, saying that he
would give them 40 cents a pound
(the market price was 25 centsl for
all the leaf they would raise for him
in this way.
But, though Mr. Mitchelson's offer
insured them against any shadow of
loss, none of the farmers would ac-
cept it. He was obliged, therefore,
to make his experiments himself.
He began upon a pretty big scale,
and Mr.. Floyd, the expert, was good
him.
First posts, nine feet in height,
We're put up, one rod apart, on spaces
OF tobacco land that aggregated eigh-
teen acres. Over and between the
posts stringers and lines of galvanized
wire were run, and then cheese cloth
was spread and drawn taut over all.
The result was a number of tents of
and unexampled hugeness. These tents
were very strong, for they were
fortified with 1876 posts to the acre,
and with an abundance of SNAP hooks.
rings and cloth also.
In the tents Sumatra leaf tobacco
was planted. the rows being set out in
the different tents at different times.
in order that the several crops would
ripen one after another. And as soon
as the plants began to grow the ad-
vantages of the cheesecloth covering
| Logan TO manifest themselves glorious
! ".
First there was freedom from in
sects. Insects are the great lane of
tobacco. Against them the leaves
must be sprayed, and in Cuba, indeed
the growers watch their plants
eternally, night and day, and pick off
the insects by hand, for they hold
there that spraying Injuries the flavor
Of the leaf. But the closed tents
Kept all insects away from the
Nicholson tobacco.
Then there was the protection from
, the winds. AS tobacco plants grow
tall, the winds, in the open, lash and
tear their leaves, spelling millions of
them; but the Nicholson tobacco
leaves-every single one of them re-
manned whole and perfect, being
shielded completely from all the
winds that blow.
Again there was the proper. humid
temperature that the tents maintained
of themselves. The cold of the early
spring nights. which so much retards
open-grown tobaccos growth, was not
felt under the cheesecloth. There il
was always from to 5 degrees
warmer than out of doors-a con-
tinuous tropic climate, with the
moisture due to the shade maintained
always for the soil.
There was also the modified effect
of the rain. In the open the rain
beats down on tobacco plants, damag-
ing them, tearing them, rotting them.
But in the tents the rain sifted
through the cheesecloth in a fine,
warm mist. All the good of it was
enhanced a hundredfold; all the
evil of it was quite destroyed.
These tents, in word, united all
the advantages of the open air and of
the dollhouse. The plants had the
hardy vigor of their outdoor brothers,
and at the same time they had the
fineness that hothouse's protection
gives. By the time early summer had
arrived they had reached so great
height that their leaves touched the
nine-foot roof.
Men came from all sides to admire
them. Never had such Sumatra
leaves been seen. They were from 20
to "a inches long, thin, and of the
best imaginable shape and size for
wrappers, since each promised 10
yield two full cuts without waste.
The secretary of agriculture appeared.
and could not praise enough the enter
prise of Mr.. Nicholson. Companies
for the growing of tobacco in tents
began to form and land began to be
bought, and land values began to go
up amazingly.
Meanwhile the tobacco was harvest
ed The first trial field of thir' ot
an acre yielded 700 pounds and sold
for $473.70, an average Of 6S cents
pound That price compared well
with the % cents a pound that was
being paid at the time for leaf grown
in the old way.
And the tobacco itself compared
we'll with the tobacco grown in the
old way. 1t yielded 1000 pounds to
the acre-an unprecedented yield
and the leaves were of an I'M
precedented size, an unprecedented
shape and an unprecedented quality.
Universally they were admitted TO eX-
eel the leaves that are grown in
Sumatra itself.
Sumatra does with America a basi-
ness in cigar wrappers that amounts
annually to $6.000,000. In Con-
necticut and in Mas sachusetts, since
a way has been found to excel the i'm
ported crop they expect now to take
from Sumatra all that business. That
is why tents are going up all over the
Connecticut and Massachusetts TO-
bacco country-why the quiet green
fields are coming to resemble great
aggregations of colossal circuses.