Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-04-20

duction of the weed TINS year WIN 70
more profitable than ever before. COM
pteing among themselves, in the hght Oh
the best scientific knowledge, and with
federal and state government aid, there
Is every reason why the American To-
bacco producers should feel satisfied with
their lot, even though the tariff bill may
not altogether suit them.
AS is usually the case, the growers OF
cigar wrapper tobacco can look forward
TO the largest returns from thelr. LABOR
albeit their initial investment and subse-
auent expenses may be greater. The pro-
duction of wrapper tobacco has been
most successful in the Connecticut river
valley and In Florida. The product OF
those districts has been pronounced
equal to the best Sumatra wrapper to-
bacco, and that is the worlds standard
of quality. 1t seems strange that two
climates so different as are those of New
England and the Land of Flowers
should foster similar crops as well as the
tropical islands of Cuba and Sumatra do
but such is the case.
To accomplish so much the Connecticut
and Florida growers have had TO pass
through a struggle that was dishearten-
ing at least. Through steadfast perse-
verance the Connecticut growers have al
most reached the point where Conntcti-
cuts tobacco is as we'll known as her
mythical wooden nutmegs, or her clocks,
which tick around the world. twenty
per cent of Connecticut's population Is
interested financially in her tobacco crop.
Although the acreage of that crop Is only
10 per cent of the total acreage OF the
American tobacco crop, it yields one-f1fth
fro, fnt1l n
bacco production of the United States. A
few thousand acres in little district in
Connecticut and Massachusetts, have
been producing one of the most valuable
crops in the country. Last year the pro-
duction was over 81 100000 pounds, valued
at more than 100000 on the farms,
which value was Increased greatly
through the various processes, of curing,
marketing and manufacturing. This val
ue was greater than that of the entire
cotton crop in some southern states.
To produce wrapper tobacco success
fully in the Connecticut valley requires
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 fertil-
q
The seedlings are transplanted and cult-
waited with great care. Probably the
best results are obtained in producing
wrapper tobacco by the use of Havana
seed which has been acclimated in New
England, and is grown under shade. This
shade is usually a tent about nine feet
high covering an entire field. In Florida
growing under shade is also practiced.
but Sumatra seed is said to do best. The
shade in Florida may be obtained from
lattice work built over fields The latter
plan is not satisfactory in Connecticut
because the structure is broken down by
the winter snow. The damage to the
crop from hail stones is sometimes great.
When ready for harvest Connecticut
wrappers leaves are stripped from the
stalks, strung on strings and hung up in
bars to dry. The drying and curing pro-
cesses are most delicate, and many
fine crop has been ruined because cll-
matte conditions have been unfavorable,
or the grower was inexperienced. Dur
ing those processes an even temperature.
good ventilation, and a certain degree
of moisture are necessary. After the
leaf is dried 1t cannot be packed until
damp weather comes, so that IL will not
break when handled. Then the leaves
are tied into hands" and ready for cur
ing.
This latter process is said to be a sort
of fermentation. The tobacco is arrang-
ed in huge piles in a warm. humid atmos-
phere. 1t soon begins to heat and at
times reached a temperature of 40 de-
grees. This is acertained by clever ar
rangement whereby a thermometer is
lowered into the center of the pile. When
a high temperature is reached the pile
is taken down and the tobacco carefully
reRrranged, with the outside hands"
on the inside of the new pile, and vice
versa. This process may be repeated
several times. before the tobacco is ready
for the market.
Good wrapper tobacco is being grown
In Hawaii without shade, the heavy fog
blanket hanging over certain portions of
those islands serving as a substitute for
tents. Tobacco is grown under shade in
Porto Rico and Cuba. Of course, the
cost of this system of cultivation is very
heavy, but the financial returns are COM
pensatory. Some of the first shade-grown
tobacco in Connecticut was sold for 81. IS
a pound, being a net profit of $1,000 an
acre.
The benefits conferred upon the tobac-
co industry by the department of agri-
culture are almost incalculable. The de-
partment carries on cooperative work
with the state agricultural colleges and
experiment stations in Connecticut, New
York, Ohio, Florida, Alabama, Texas,
Maryland, Virginia, Kentucky, North
Carolina and South Carolina.
This work is most varied In character.
Government experts have made soil sur
veys of the several tobacco districts and
determined what kinds OF soil will pro-
duce certain varieties OF tobacco. Good
tobacco land must be rich In lime and
potash. Cigar wrapper tobacco requires
a light alluvial soil, such as is found
along the banks of the Connecticut and
the Susquehanna rivers, in Pennsylva-
mia, and in the Florida peninsula. Cigar
bind and filled tobacco grows best in silly
and loamy soils in the Miami Valley,
Ohio, and in certain parts of Wisconsin
and western Florida. Sandy soil is ideal
for the famous bright leaf, such as
thrives in Virginia and the Carolinas
and which is used in cigarettes and to
wrap plug tobacco.
The limestone soil of the Blue Grass
region is best for Kentucky white bur-
ley used in the manufacture of smok-
ing and chewing mixtures, while the
heavy, dark varieties of tobacco, for ex-