Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1906-03-27
TO INTRODUCE TOBACCO.

| A meeting was held Saturday after
noon in the court house for the purpose
of interesting farmers of this county in
tobacco culture, and resulted in fair
attendance. The speaker was Sanford
Soverhill, of Janesville, and with him
was his business partner, +. NJ. Calkins,
also of Janesville, and II. O. Hadley,
who is conducting the operations of
the firm, The Peoples Coal Co, near
Hatley. The latter two gave assistance
in explaining the methods of tobacco
raising. The latter has raised as high
as seventeen acres of the weed yearly
near GAINESVILLE, and last year raised
some on the lands of his company near
Hatley. This year he intends planting
four or five acres to the same crop on
those lands.
The raising of tobacco, as explained
by Mr. Soverhill, is about as follows:
The seed is sown in the spring in small
beds at about the time grain crops are
sown and is then covered with canvas
to prevent the frost destroying the
plants. After the plants have reached
certain heighth they are transplanted,
similar to the methods employed in
transplanting cabbage plants. This is
done about July 4th While the plants
are maturing they are cultivated to
keep down the weeds, and at a certain
age the tops are clipped off to insure
better growth of the leaves A man
who understands the work can trans
plant an acre in a day by hand, though
in the GAINESVILLE district a machine
made for the purpose, and two boys,
Will transplant many times that amount
OF acreage. The crop is ready for har-
vesting in from so to 20 days. A light
frost will not hurt it, but if there is
danger of killing frost the crop can
be cut in short time and stacked be-
fore night, which will save it, An acre
will produce from 1 200 to 1,500 pounds
OF tobacco, which will bring an average
price of &c per pound, and is therefore
a profitable crop Most of the tobacco
raised in Wisconsin is used for cigar
wrappers, though grade is also raised
for cigar filters.
At the meeting held Saturday the
gentlemen succeeded in getting ten or
more farmers to pledge one or two
acres each to tobacco culture the COM
ing season. A meeting was held Satur-
day evening at Naugart, which resulted
in interesting some more farmers and
another meeting will be held at Norrie
The Peoples Coal Co. will furnish seed
to these farmers and will send an eX-
perienced man here, who will visit each
farmer and give instructions in the
culture of the weed, from the planting
of the seed to the harvesting of the crop,
This expert can take care of 200 acres,
though it is hardly likely that that
amount of land can be secured this
year
The Peoples Coal Co. owns a con-
siderable amount of lands In this Sec
ton and desire to introduce tobacco
culture into the county to enhance the
value of those lands
1t has been proved that tobacco can
be successfully grown in this county,
for the Fenwood Lumber Co. raised a
considerable amount near Fenwood
one year and the crop raised near
Hatley last year, though put in late,
turned out well. The Milwaukee Even
ing Wisconsin, in a recent issue says:
From Oconto comes the information
that crop of tobacco grown last sea-
son on eight acres of land near that
city, has been sold for S878 838.
Here is another indication of what
can be done in Northern Wisconsin.
'The cost of raising the crop was
1924 80, so that the profit amounted to |
S54S. So, or S68S1 per acre. The land |
which was used is light sandy soil, |
not by any means the best in the
county, and the season was unfavor-
able. On better soil, and in more
favorable seasons, agriculturists who
put thought into their work, may OBJ
tain even more profitable returns.
There is great future for Northern
Wisconsin"