The Democrat-sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1906-1935, 1908-05-14
Who Are the might
Riders"

ny the governments oI Ohio anu
Kentucky, to protect the independ-
ent white hurley tobacco growers
against the right riders, who
threaten to destroy all the tobacco
beds to prevent the growing of u
new crop, attention generally is
turned to that section of the c0un-
try, and interest is centered in the
character of it's soil, and Its people
and their occupations.
The white or light hurley tobac-
co district Of Ohio consists of three
counties along the Ohio river,
Clermont, Brown an d Adams. They
are in the old Virginia military
district, one of the oldest settled
sections of the country.
In soil, climate and population,
the district really is a part Of the
Blue Grass region of Kentucky,
extending across the Ohio river,
and having the same limestone
formation and characteristics.
The section was settled largely
by Kentuckians and Virginians,
and the old towns and houses have
a Southern aspect and character.
The best parts of these counties
lie along the Ohio river and here
most of the tobacco is raised. The
country near the river is hilly or
rolling, and these hillside farms
produce the best tobacco-the on
ly crops that can be raised with
profit.
The white hurley tobacco, now
a standard all over the world in
the tobacco trade, originated in
Brown county since the war on a
farm near Ripley. 1t was freak
or variation of the red or dark
hurley, which had been raised for
years, and first appeared in the
tobacco bed of farmer who had
wit enough to keep and test these
white plants. 1t has a cream or
light yellow green color, while
growing and cures up from bright
yellow to dark red according to
quality.
Tobacco raising is the hardest
kind of farming, and requires
much work and money. About
five or six acres is the limit of one
mans work and the average crop
is about 1000 pounds an acre. He
can do little other farming at the
same time. For larger crops one
must have family to help him or
hire laborers. The work lasts the
whole year and one crop often
overlaps anOthe., 1t begins in
very early spring when tobacco
beds, 6 to 10 feet wide and as long
as one desires are laid out, dug up
and burned over. Then the seed
is sown and the beds are covered
with canvas to protect them from
frost. The beds must be kept
clean by wedding and must often
be watered.
The land must be of the best
quality, as tobacco requires rich
soil. The fields must be we'll pre-
pared and finely pulverized, Then
in May or June, when the season
is right and the plants are ready,
the tobacco is set out in wet
weather. This is hard work and
"setters" are paid good wages.
Most of the tobacco from south :
ern Ohio is classed with Kentucky
tobacco and has been shipped to
the warehouses and markets in
Cincinnati and Louisville. The
crops were generally bought by
local buyers, who packed it in
large hogsheads in their home
warehouses and shipped it to the
market or factories. The average
price has run from cents to ~
cents per pound to the farmer, bnt
sometimes the price was higher.
The manufacturers bought their
stock in the public sales at the
city warehouses, ar bought lots
from dealers by sample. Some
factories had dealers buying for
them also.
Some years ago the present
American Tobacco company en-.
tered the field by establishing
warehouses at many points and
having it's own agents to buy crops
direct from the farmers. This
tobacco was shipped direct to the