The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1909-04-27
AMERICAN TOBACCO CULTURE
~ByTEIfEDERICk j. HASKJN

The tobacco growers of the Tnita6
states are entering upon their error
season with every prospect thai the
production or the weed this year Will
be more profitable than ever hefore
among themselves. in the
llght OF the best scientific knoWledee
ana with Federal and State govern
ment ald, there is every reason why
the American tobacco producers
should feel satisfied with their LOT
even though the tariff bin NAV not al
together suit them.
AS is usually the case, the growers
OF cigar wrapper tobacco can look
or"ard to the largest returns from
the1f labor. albeit their initial invest
ment and subsequent expenses NAV be
greater. The production Of rape
tobacco has been most successful in
n CONNECTICUT river valley and in
FLORIDA. The product of those dis
trlctS q been pronounced equal to
the best Su1natra wrapper tobacco,
and that is the worlds q of
quality. 1t seems strange that two
so different as are those of
New England and The Land Of Flow
ers' should foster similar crops as We'll
as the tropical islands Of Cuba and
Sun1atra do. but such is the case.
To accomplish so much the Con-
necticut and Florida rover have had
to pass through a struggle that was
dlShearteninS at las Through
~Steadfast perseverance the Connecti-
cut growers nave almost reached the
point where Connecticut tobacco is
as Well known as her mythical wooden
~nutInegS. or her clocks, which tick
rOund the world. Twenty per cent of
Connecticut's population is Interested
financially in her tobacco crop. AL
though the acreage Of that crop is only
? per cent of the total acreage of the
American tobacco crop, the total to-
baccO production of the United States.
A few thousand acres in a little dis
trict IN Connecticut and Massachusetts
have been producing One of the most
valuable crops in the unit Last
wear the production was over 31, 000,-
900 pounds, valued at more than So
600, 900 on the farms, which value
was increased greatly through the Va
riOus processes of curing, marketing
and manufacturing. This value was
greater than that of the entire cotton
crop IN some Southern States.
To produce wrapper tobacco sue
CessfulIy. in the Connecticut valley re-
quires constant care from start to
finish. First seed beds are prepared
and sterilized with steam, or are
burned over, to kill fungi which attack
the roots Of the young plants. The
field is heavily fertilized, sometimes at
a cost OF $20o per acre. The seed
lings r ~transplanted and cultivated
with great care. Probably the best
results are obtained in producing wrap
per tobacco by the use Of Havana
seed which has been acclimated in
New England, and is grown under
This shade is usually a tent
nine feet nigh, covering an
tire field. IN Florida growing under
shade is also practiced, but Sunlatra
seed is said to do best. The shade III
Florida may be obtained from lattice
work quilt over fields. The latter
plan is not satisfactory in Connecti-
cut. because the structure IS broken
down by the winter snow. The DAM
to the crop from hail stones Is
sometimes great.
When ready for harvest Connecticut
wrappers leaves are stripped from the
strung on strings and hung up
in barns to dry. The drying and cur
ing processes are most delicate, ana
a2Une crop has been ruined De
cause climatic conditions have peeh
u~nfavorabfe, or the grower was mex
Derieaced. During those processes an
even temperature, good Nent1latloh'
and a. certain degree of moisture are
necessary. After the leaf is DRIED IL
be packed until damp weather
comes. SC. that it will not break Whel
Then the leaves are ueu
into hands and ready for curing.
This latter process Is sald 20 DC q
sort Of fermentation. Inc topdcco =
arranged in huge piles IN a WARM
humid atmosphere. 1t soon begins "
neat and at times reached a
t,ra of lao degrees. This is ascer-
tanned by a clever
whereby q thermometer is lowered
the center of the pile. when d
high temperature is reached the plle
is taken down and the tobacco 80
fully rearranged. with the odtn
80 .~A:lA-n the new Die