The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-02-07
obacco Raising.

Tobacco Raising.
Dallas county farmers are to be aroused
to the advantage of tobacco culture il
the efforts of Congressman Bowie and the
| government experts be of avail Congress-
| man Bowie has written to Selma a letter
enclosing the epistle below from Gov
eminent Expert McNess, who saws he
will be in Selma February 49, the date
of the Fourth District Farmers insti-
tute Mr. Bowie writes that he himself
Will be in Selma on the date of the in
stitute and there Is a movement on foot
to have him address the people on the
issues of the day at some hour during the
meeting. Mr. Bowie is a member of the
House committee on agriculture and has
| considerable information that cannot fail
to be of interest to the farmers of this
section. The letter to Mr.. Bowie from the
government expert was as foncus:
United States Department OF Agriculture,
Bureau of Soils,
Washington D. c., Jan. 81. 1906.
Hon. Sydney J. Bowie Stonelelgh Court.
| Washington, D. c.
Sir-l expect to be in Selma, Ala, on
February % and hope you will find it
convenient to meet me at the Hotel AL
bert on that date for the purpose of con-
fering with a few farmers of Dallas
county In regard to the culture of tobac-
co. AS you are aware this industry has
been taken up to a limited extent during
the past year in the neighboring coun-
ty of Perry. Around the town of Ma
ron fifteen acres were planted by eleven
| farmers, as @ continuation of the expert
ment which has been conducted by the
bureau of soils during the last few years.
From all reports received the venture has
been profitable one and a considerable
increase IN acreage is promised, In spite
OF the high price of cotton The aver
age cost of production in Perry county
last year was cents per pound and the
average yield to the acre was COO pounds,
although the highest yield obtained was
800 pounds to the acre at a cost of cents
per pound. Taking the average cost and
YIELD cents and 600 pounds respectively.
we have cost of production of s54 per
acre. This tobacco was sold for is cents
per pound in the bundle which amounts
to $50, leaving net profit of S36 per
acre. These figures show a much larger
return from an acre of land planted in
tobacco than they would IL the same land
were planted In cotton, especially when
we take into consideration that the to-
bacco crop only occupies the land for six
months and can easily be followed by a
crop of cowpeas which will both afford a
good crop of pea-vine hay and also en-
rich the soil at the same time; while an
acre of cotton will occupy the land for
the entire year, or as some people claim,
for fourteen months As far as I can
gather, the average yield of your cotton
land is from one-third to a half bale to
the acre, costing about cents per pound
to raise and at the present time selling
for 10 cents per pound. Taking IL for
granted that you can produce half a bale.
or 300 pounds, of lint cotton to the acre
shows a net profit of SIS per acre against
$36 for tobacco, or an extra profit in
favor of tobacco OF s21 per acre. Even
II you raised one bale of lint cotton to
the acre, you will still have an extra
profit in favor of tobacco of Sc per acre,
as well as a crop OF pea-vine hay.
You have in Dallas county 1892 acres
Of Orangeburg fine sand, $1,000 acres Of
the Orangeburg sandy loan, and 1924
acres of the Orangeburg clay, the two
latter soils being the best adapted to
tobacco culture. Enclosed you will find
a detailed estimate for the production of
ten acers of Cuban seed tobacco based
on a yield of GOO pounds to the acre;
also the lowest and highest cost and
yield Of two crops of tobacco grown in
Perry count last year on the OrangeburS
sandy loan and sold for 10 cents per
pound in their air-cured condition; also
a copy of letter received from a man
ufacturing firm in Binghamton, N Y, re-
garding Texas tobacco which equally ap-
plies to Alabama tobacco.
l shall be pleased to hear from you
whether 1t will be convenient for you to
be at Selma, and previous to my meet
ing you there on February % my address
will be, care of Mr.. L. w. Aver, Marion,
Perry county, Alabama.
I have the honor to remain respect
fully, GEORGE r. McNESS,
Tobacco Evnert