Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1914-04-17
An IMPORTANT CROP
American Tobacco Industry u
Highly Specialized.

American Tobacco Industry i
Highly Specialized.
Dspartmsnt Of Agriculture Recon-.
msnds Methods o. cuiturp for
Types Of Wssd suited Only.
to Well Defined Areas.
washington. Each important TO-
bacco district OF the United States
produces . type OF tobacco for special
purposes OF manufacture or export.
The methods OF growing and handling
q crop must vary according to type
OF Leaf desired, and therefore accord
ing to the particular districts where
It u grown. The United States de-
partment OF agriculture has just Is.
sued . bulletin ON Tobacco culture"
which recommends methods for the
production Of various American typesl
The bulletin emphasizes the fact
that overproduction Is a constant me-
mace In all the established centers OF
tobacco growing and that the develop
ment Of the industry in new sections
on Q large scale Is hardly advisable
ut present. Another reason why to-
bacco culture in untried sections may
result in failure Is that the leaf pro-
duced will not be quite right in type,
and therefore it will not find a sat.
isfactory market.
The commercial value Of tobacco is
Influenced to q greater degree by par
ticular soil and climatic conditions
than Il that Of almost any other i'm
portant crop. This has caused the
industry to become highly specialized
and the trade looks regularly to we'll
defined areas for the various types OF
leaf It requires.
Az tobacco grows readily over so
large an area it is not strange that
many farmers experiment with it and
often secure seeming success. That
q, the plants grow readily but when
It comes time to sell the crop the far
mer can find no market.
II have grown five acres Of tobacco"
Q farmer writes from district, where
tobacco IL not grown for the CONNER
cial trade. But there seems to be no
market. Can the department Of agri-
culture help me?'
The department can only advise this
farmer that conditions are such that
even though his product appears to be
OF good quality he will probably be un-
able to market 1t, as the trade does
not recognize his section as tobacco
producing area Here we have the diff
ference emphasized between tobacco
and crop like corn for which . mar
ket may readily be found, no matter
where It h grown II the quality u
good -..-
There are three general classes Of
toacco described in the new bulletin:
~ Cigar tobaccos. 4 !.
q Export tobaccos.
~ Manufacturing tobaccos.
BY manufacturing tobaccos are
meant N types used in manufacture
otbsr than cigars. Tho manufactur.
IN ana export glasses, however. have
much IN common e regards cultural
methods. ana some types are used for
manufacturing and for export; there
fore these two classes are considered
together % distinguished from the CT
gaT tobsccos. s.
zach Of these three classes Of TO-
baooo may be subdivided into types,
depending on their special uses. meth.
DDS Of growing and curing, or on the
variety Of seed used. In the case OF
cigar tobaccos there are three prin'
cipal types. corresponding to the three
parts of the cigar-wrapper Leaf. bind
or leaf, and filler leaf. In the manu-
featuring and export tobaccos are such
types az the hue-cured, Virginia sun
cured. White Burley, dark hre-cured,
etc. These various types are pro.
duced on certain special types of soil
and according to definite methods OF
growing, curing and handling the crop
In some cases the variety Of seed used
= also an important factor The spe
cial uses of the principal types EN-
braced In the three fundamental
classes of tobacco are brought out II
connection with the cultural directions
for the more important types.
A typical district for the culture o.
cigar togaccos Is the Connecticut val
ley. The new bulletin outlines brief
" the best cultural methods for THU
region. Detailed instructions are Civ
en- on care Of the seed bed, prepar
inx and fertilizing the land, transplant
Ing and cultiyating, and harvesting.
The export and manufacturing type
Of tobaccos are grown mainly in Ken
tucky. Maryland. North Carolina
South Carolina, Virginia. Tennessee
West Virginia, southern Ohio ant
southeastern Indiana Best method
for the culture Of the various types
are explained in the new bulletin.
" One OF the most troublesome an,
expensive features Of tobacco culture
particulariy in the southern districts
Il the control Of numerous insects
which II not combated would often
times completely destroy the CONNER
cial value OF the crop. Among tn
more important insects attacking tn
\ tobacco plant may be mentioned tn
tobacco nea-beetle, the tobacco wire
worm" cutworms, the hornworms, o
.0reenworms'' and the tobacco bud
Z worm. or these the hornworms, Q
..greenworms," are usually the mos
destructive.