The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1907-04-19
UNITED STATES
LARGEST GROWER.
Leads The World in PrOduc-
ti0n of Tobacco.
Improved Methods Result in In
crease of ValueS--Area
Almost Unlimited.

Inc growing Importance Oh CHe w.
bacco industry may be realized from
a brief summary of the estimates of
the value of the crop in the United
States in the season of 1906. About
1869 acres of tobacco were grown,
producing an average yield of S57.2
pounds to the acre, or a total of &c.,
428,530 pounds. The average of the
crop was ten cents per pound, or a
total of about $6S,232,647. While it is
almost impossible to comprehend the
magnitude of the value of the manu-
featured products of tobacco, a glance
at the total figures may convey some
idea of the development of this great
and distinctive American industry. In
1900 the total value of the manufac-
tured products of tobacco was $685.
0F6,546. In the manufacture 142,177
people were employed, who earned a
total wage of s49,S52,4S4.
The United States now grows by
far the largest quantity of tobacco
produced by our country in the world.
While tobacco was grown by the first
settlers in the colonies, and was one
of their principal cash crops, the ex-
tensive development of the industry
has been a matter of comparatively
recent years. The introduction of the
weed into the different sections of the
United States, with their widely vary
ing conditions of soil and climate, has
resulted in the production of types
adapted to the soils and conditions of
these sections, as well as supplying
product for the variuos manufactures
now demanded by the consumers of
tobacco.
Improvements in methods of culture,
curing and fermentation have resulted
in tobacco having an increased value,
but the most important factor in the
development has been the production
of improved varieties by seed selec-
ton and breeding. The production of
these improved varieties adapted to
local soil and climatic conditions has
made possible the rapid development
of the industry and enable the United
States within comparatively short
time to rank as the foremost tobacco
producing country in the world.
The extent of the areas in the Unit
ed States in which the conditions of
soil and climate are suitable to tobac-
co culture is almost unlimited,so that
it seems possible that by giving atten-
ton to the production of varieties
adapted to those conditions this coun-
try can continue to produce an in
creasing large yield of valuable to-
baccos.
The production of new varieties of
tobacco by naturalization and selection
is most important phase of breeding.
The new hybrids of New England
varieties with standard foreign grown
varieties, combining certain valuable
characters of both parents, are good
illustrations of the use of breeding in
the improvement of the crop.
Tobacco growers in the sections
where these experiments have been
carried on have generally adopted the
improved methods of bagging carefully
selected seed plants, and separating
the seed, and they are using the inn
proved varieties of tobacco produced
in the course of these Investigations.
During the coming year the Depart
ment of Agriculture viii still further
continue the experiments that it has
been making in Kentucky. Virginia
North Carolina and other tobacco
growing States, not only to increase
the acreage in those places, but, to
raise the standard of quality also.