The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-01-15
WILL ENCOURAGE
 TOBACCO GROWING Agricultural Department is Watching Texas and Alabama PRODUCT SAID TO BE GOOD Further Experiments Will Be Made in
 Both States Looking Toward
 the Improvement of r. ii the Flavor. filS
PRODUCT SAID TO BE GOOD

Montgomery, January 14-(Special)- The United States Department of Agricul- ture has begun, or rather renewed, it's efforts to encourage the growth of cigar leaf tobacco in Alabama and Texas, and Is sending out literature containing val uable information on the culture and curing of the plant, as we'll as advice on marketing the commercial product. This matter was first called to the attention Of the bureau of soils of the department some years ago by the success attained In Texas, where experiments had been made with filler leaf from seed se- cured from Cuba. Some of this leaf ap- peared to be of fine quality and close Inspection showed it to surpas5 any do- nestle leaf examined up to that time. Much of the Texas leaf was sent to the Paris exposistion and made a part of the government exhibit there. Subsequent investigations strengthened the belief in the prospect of the Texas crop, though pcor facilities for marketing had reduced the crop to less than one hundred acres in 19O1 It was also discovered that what is known as the OrangeburE sandy loam was the best soil for the tobacco, and
  mented with. This soil, a reddish or grey ish sandy loam, with a red clay sub-soil, is found not only in Texas, but many of the gulf and south Atlantic states and ia peculiarly essential quantity in Perry county, Alabama, where there are S2,000 acres of it.
 The Alabama Product.
 The Alabama product, grown entirely in Perry county, Is pronounced good and meets with much approval from the trade, though 1t has not yet shown as favorable properties as the Texas out mt due no doubt. to the fact, that the Alabama cultivation has not been so well developed as the other. The de- partment of agriculture will, as conse- ouence. encourage the farmers of Perry county. and others which show favorable conditions, to plant limited amounts of this crop. As preliminary movement far rers will be urged to put in a restricted acreage under the advice and supervis- for of the experts of the bureau of soils. r. is thought that to begin with fifty acres will be enough in Alabama, with much more another year, if things work ont well and there can be found a good market The area planted by one person should not fall below two acres nor go above ten. Those who undertake to go f., with the department in this must be men of means adequate enough to take care of a crop of filler tobacco. the Du- reau assuming no financial responsibility nor rendering financial aid
 Must Get Ready For It.
 Tn addition to having just the kind of soil needed each farmer who goes into the experiment will be expected to build suitable barns for curing the weed. For A fve-acre field it will require a barn 30 bv 60 feet, which ought to cost about s400. For a crop of ten acres the building should be 100 by 20 feet, with a distance of twenty feet between sill and plate, which ought to cost about sGO0 Copies of the soil survey showing location of this Orangeburg sandy loam and clay will be supplied by the bureau of soils of the United States Department of Ag~ riculture on request, and negotiations for the advice of the bureau experts may be opened with Milton Whitney, chief of the bureau of soils, who will be glad to take ,ip the matter at any time. Inquiries may also be sent to MT. c. T. McNess. tobacco expert of the department at washington. or Mir w. M. Hinson. ex- pert in charge of the Texas work at Nacogdoches, Tex.
 Cane Growers Session.
 The farmers and business men of Mont gomery county are making extensive preparations for the meeting of the In- terstate Cane Growers convention in this citv January 25. 26 and 27, Wednesday. Thursday and Friday, when 1t is expected that many of the leading agricultural men of the nation will be present. The nreliminaries of the meeting are in the hands of Capt. D. G. Purse of Savannah, the president, who will come to Mont romery in a few days and see what is