The weekly true Democrat. (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1905-1912, 1907-07-26
cULTTVATI0N OF
TOBACCoN FLORIDA
Lsen Fast Bscsmln6 a cOSd Seeoaa
% caasasn.

F7orida"-With maps showing the best
tobacco lands, along with soils for other
general crops. we quote the following
parapraph:
The growing of Sumatra wrapper
leaf tobacco under shade is q success IN
Leon county, and there Is enough land
suited to its Produ1etion to allow the IN
fugtry 20 be largely extended. For the
averge farmer, however, there are
several difficulties TO contend with in
growing this grade Of leaf. The cost
of erecting the shades and curing sheds
u heavy, great care must be exercised
n handling and curing the crop, small
individual lots can not be assorted into
the proper grades, and areas require
more capital than most FARMERS have.
These conditions are sufficient to deter
the average farmer from engaging in
the business, but for the small grower
the uncertainty of disposing Of his crop
for q satisfactory price, because he
must take whatever is offered to him by
controlling buyers, Is even more serious;
II the market were open to the small
growers. or il they would combine their
crops In asserting and in sale, they
might then, with large lots of a uniform
pr0duct, be able to dispose of their
cfop to better advantage. OF the sue
less Of the large growers who are sure
Of q satisfactory market, there can be
little question, and the industry offers
excellent opportunities for extension on
q large scale.
There Is a large acreage of the very
best Of these tobacco lands, as shown
by the survey and maps that can now
be bought at reasonable and fair prices
The following address before the
Bankers Association, at Atlantic
Beach, Fla, June 18th, by VIM. Cory,
Vice-president of the Quincy State Bank,
will be found interesting:
"TobaccO was an important crop In
Gadsden county, Florida, in the early
forties, and at that time the fine leaf
produced on the Virginia hammock
lands commanded higher figure in the
market Of the world than any other
tobacco tnen known.
These fine wrappers were eagerly
sought after by the trade, and until the
war interefered with the further guilt
walton and shipment of the leaf, to-
bacco growing was q well established
and profitable industry in this part of
the state. The European markets took
the major portion Of the crop, which
was shipped through the port of ST
Marks, and large measure Of the
prosperity of Gadsden county was due
to the tobacco industry When the war
closed, tobacco growing like many
other Industries in the South anguish
y ed, labor was scarce and unreliable, the
curing sheds had been destroyed, or
were in bad repair, and tobacco cultl-
walton was practically abandoned.
The fashion in tobacco had also
changed, instead Of large thin leaf Of
q light color, the manufacturers sought
o smaller leaf and darker shade. The
growers in Florida, not approaching
the importance of meeting the changed
conditions, simply concluded that there
was no market for their tobacco, and
what formerly had been a most
important business was almost forgot
ten except by q few veteran growers.
These condition existed until H. K.
Duval was appointed receiver Of the
Florida Railway and Navigation Com
pany, in 1886, when he commenced his
systematic work Of developing the re-
sources of Florida. As the head Of the
Erie freight system Mr.. Duval had en-
loved very friendly relations with the
frm Of Stratton & Storm, the well
known New York cigar manufacturers,
and he extended the courtesies Of the
railroad to this firm and their represen-
tativee, in order that they. might ex-
In an experimental way along the rail-
road line, from seed that Mr.. Duval
had distributed the proceeding year.
"a He wanted Messrs. Stratton 4 Storm "a
examine and work this tobacco, and "a
n investigate the possibilities of reviving
and developing the tobacco industry on
q large scale in Florida.
These parties visited Florida in June,
1887, and made q very thorough can
vass Of the state. They found 800 acres
had been grown in small plots, and the
fine Sumatra and Cuba seed which Mr,
Duval distributed had produced type
Of tobacco that was well adapted to
the requirements of the trade. They
also found that the tobacco grown In
Gadsden county was decidedly the best
IA quality and style, and while strong
inducements were held out In other
localities, the firm decided TO locate in
Quincy, and in September, 1887, about
1b,OO0 acres Of land was purchased In
Cadsden county, and the Florida To
bacco Producing and Trading Company
now known as the Owl Commercial
Company, was Incorporated with 500,
600 capital.
This was the beginning Of the pres
ent tobacco industry in cur state, Of
more properly, the revival Of an indus
Try on active lines, and desire to say
now that 10 Mr.. DuvAl, one Of Florida I