Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-04-20
AMERICAN TOBACCO CULTURE
BY Frederick j. Haskin.

lieved the yield OF fire-cured Virginia to-
bacco can be doubled by intensive culti-
walton. In Ohio the agricultural depart
ment has been carrying on tobacco inves-
LEGATIONS for a number of years, and good
filters and wrappers from. Havana seed
are being grown. Recently the depart
ment has been testing a batch of l,O0
cigars made from it's Ohio-grown tobac-
CO. One cigar is made from each plant
and carefully marked. A corps of young
men, who are willing to take the risk.
like Dr. Wiley's celebrated poison
SQUAD" are given all the smokes" they
want, to pass judgment upon the fia-
vor and aroma. The burning qualities
are tested in a smoking machine Tns
cigars averaging the best are traced back
! to the plants that bore them. the SEED
of which are to be planted next year.
Thus the strain is improved.
Some of the worst enemies the tobacco
grower has to combat are destructive in
sects. These include the f1ea-beetle, which
attacks the lower leaves of the plant.
the horn worn or ''hornblower," with
which the farmers children become ia
miliar in the ''worming process: the
bud worm, the name of which describes
it; the suck fly, which draws the juice
from the leaves; the split worm, which
burrows inside the leaf; the cut worm,
which attacks the roots; tobacco thrips.
tree crickets. plant lice. slugs, and 9TH
ers. The weed is liable to insect attack
after being dried. Some persons prefer
cigarettes that are infested with the cigar
cite beetle, because that little beast i'm
parts a distinctive flavor to the cigarette.
This is admitted to be an acquired taste.
With the help Of the government experts
these insect pests are being overcome
wryffh NJ
The department has invented system
of regulating moisture in tobacco estat-
lishments. BY means of certain solutions
the atmospheric condition is controlled au-
tomatically.
, 1t is a far cry from the first cigars
peddled by Mrs. Prout, of Windsor. Conn.
more than a century ago, to the enorm-
Gus tobacco manufacturing industry Of
today, which embraces 5000 cigar fac
tories. Pennsylvania leads IN the pro-
duction of cigars. The United States corr
sumes almost half a billion pounds Of
! tobacco. in all forms annually. or more
than Germany, France. and Great Britain
combined. Tax is paid on seven billion
cigars here every year, compared to
which the 100000 cigars which it is
proposed to admit to the United States
/ from the Philippines without paying 4
duty, seems scarcely drop in the buck
ct. 1t is not known whether the pro-
posed importations will include some OF
the famous known as 'tabaco grande,"
three feet in length. which are the fs-
vorites of the dusxy Filipino maidens
Paper is being made OF tobacco stems.
The French government has succeeded in
producing a so-called nicotineless tobac-
co. The poisonous element of the weed
is partly washed out with water. TIE
ideal tobacco plant, It is said. would be
one that would combine the excellent
qualities OF Sumatra and Havana leaf.
Fashions in tobacco change and the grow
er and manufacturer must keep up with
the style.-(Copyright. 1909. by Frederic ].
Haskin)