The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1914-09-01
GROWING TOBACCO
Of H|GHET TYPE
Fine Results of the Careful
Work Done by PerviS Tilley
in Durham County

- X NI>Tf.R>e
Aux - -lt has been con-
clusively demonstrated on tobacco
Farms - Durham county that tobacco
seeds selected from S~eed-plantS free
from the stimulating effects ~ com
merclai fertilizers are nf;N per cent
more productive than seeds gathered
from plants tnat have ievn subjected
% the faint of fertilizers rersaS TIL
ley. who directs EXTENSIVE. armanE in
tereStS III the county has e~tablt he'd
Inc merits Of his unusual .Xrerir ent
after nine years Of ce.4s-l-Ss venture.
The story of his experiment fortt-
hes beyond a pcraiNenture thr claim
that the selection Of seed and tie
Application Of IN" proper analysts II
commercial fertilizers 10 field crops
are two all-ImportaHt f1ctu in the
cultivation of tol,acco.
Previous to the beginning Of has
experiments nine years aco. I. Til
ley selected his seed as did many Of
his neiehborS-in a hapha ri.
happy-so-lu@ky fashion. content with
the neiGhborhood's standard of pro
ducing tobacco at the ratio of one
pound to every pound al fertilizer
used.
The repeated story Of hov tobacco
farmers back in the seventies cot
produce efficient crops with the use
OF forty or fifty pounds of fertilizers
~ ~ WV IAlllS gave G*I4-G Tor re
lection The answer - the quan larry
was that The farn4e.s of those BY
gone days eould produce GOOD tobacco
with lttl" fertilizer because tn 81 u
latine effects OF the fertilizers bad
not caught a firm grasp. Ii ~ offer
ent today-the stlmulant has been
applied in su~periundance and with
such a regularity that il Graves a e. Il
u%nuance of increased applic--i ns
Ihen 1t was that Mr.. Tilley res we'd
TO beSln his experiment with the view
OF improving his seed by the nan-uS.
Of commercial fertilizers. He selected
i plot Of ground easily productive IF
; corn at the rate Of 80 bushels - he
acrn. The seed-plants grew To the
l height OF five feet the FIRST year and
+ have increased in height each yea
| thereafter. The field Of 1000 hills.
planted exclusively Tor seed produc-
uon, this year contains on an average
OF u leaves to the stalk. and the
height of the stalk will average : feet
n \ number Of plants measured were 10
feein height Another observation
worthy of mention is that thest rl .nts
produce the largest and most likely
leaves near the top Of the stalk-cou-
+ trary to tobacco land saturated with
Fertilizers. \ Sprinklius of stable
g manure and ashes are the on stImu.
e lanlS applied To this seed-crop.
The tobacco crop Of Mr.. Tilley's oi
# last season compared with the CT
0 grown the first year of his experiment
e showed an increase of nifty pr cent II
weight. He produced in the 1913 sea
a son l,740 pounds to the acre. n
$ single acre Melted him on the Dur
! ham market $a45.9l. and the tip-toJ
Il grade for 90 cents u pound. Thi
g years crop promises a like increaS.
d over the preceding year in number o
pounds to the acre. \ fertilizer on
IT pany has already sent a photo .raphe
l. TO his farm to secure pictures Of hi
field for purposes Of advertising thel
l. fertilizers.
p The yielding capacity of Mr.. Til
ley's land is not confined to produc1n
tobacco. He produces two othe
crops yearly-wheat and rye-an,
r the fourth crop Is to be attem pte,
le within a -ew years. He does no. adj
Vocate the non-use Of commercial fe-
or ~tlliZers on field tobacco crops-he use
De 1913 LIS at the ratio of lb6 pound
to the 1000 hills.
The chief recommendations Of thi
+ obServant farmer, who has ur.aues
&c t~lOnabiy given the tobacco grower
4 test OF intrinsic worth. are to selec
r seed from tobacco untainted with fer
ut ulizers and send them to North car
a Ina Department of Agriculture
have them cleaned. The obsarva1c
Of these recommendations sill con
re tribute nightly toward the produc
rs ton OF a uniformity proportioned GRO
~ or tobacco-free from faulty plan,
of dwarfish size. Then. TOO. the sele.
ne llon OF a correct analysis Of fertilizer
for the various types Of soils i a fac
r tor that should be safesuarded.