The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1915-07-09
NOTE BOOK SKETCHES


station of the university informs US
that he has discovered few cases of
root rot in the tobacco fields covered by
his inspection, but with dry weather
the plants are likely to recover from
the disease. Cut worms this season
have done less damage to the newly
planted fields than usual, while more
injury is being done by wire worms
than the former. Altogether the fields
have escaped these pests to an excep-
tional degree and much better stand
of plants has been secured than the
average season. Where the tobacco
fields were plowed just previous to the
transplanting, dry weather very quick
ly absorbs the moisture and the effect
is quickly noticeable in the growth of
the plants. This condition might easily
be avoided by early blowing Of the to-
bacco fields, which most growers have
found by experience is the proper
method in cultivation. The first plant
ed tobacco is beginning to show some
spread of leaves and is developing very
rapidly under the influence of fine
growing weather. Frequent stirring
of the soil is now necessary to bring
along the desired growth, which is
something the growers need to keep
constantly in mind the coming month.
It is not generally known, perhaps,
that Connecticut leads all the tobacco
growing states in the average value OF
tobacco raised per acre. The last gov
ernment computed average was S277 an
acre. The territory for growing to-
bacco in the Nutmeg state, however,
is limited to the Connecticut valley,
lying about five miles on both sides of
the Connecticut river, just south OF
Hartford to the Massachusetts line. In
1908 this territory had tobacco yield
of %, 10, 400 pounds, and the crop was
valued at S4,416, 600. Last year the
yield was 35, 754, 900 pounds, valued at
S6, GA, 400. In six years the crop has
increased by about 66 per cent and the
value by about "A per cent. The shade
grown tobacco represents only one
tenth of the entire acreage. In the
.neighborhood of Hartford there will
shortly he erected, according to the
New Havens bulletin, the biggest
tent in the world" It will be nine feet
high and will cover 120 acres. The top
will be made of cheesecloth which costs
$3.50 for each acre covered. The initial
cost of one of these tents, including the
cost of wire and poles, is about $3.50 an
acre. 1t is estimated by the New
Haven's experts that this year about
10000, 600 yards of cheesecloth will be
used to cover tobacco in the Connecti-
cut valley. Growing tobacco under
shade is not entirely new. 1t was IN
troduced in Connecticut in 1901. The
size of the 120-acre tent, however, en-.
phasizes the scale on which the latest
scientific methods are being attempted.
The results present an object lesson OF
the value of scientific agricultural
methods when applied to New England
soil. From the plantations of one COM
pany in Hartford county there was pro-
duced last year 100000 pounds of to-
bacco, some of which brought as high
as $3.50 pound All of this tobacco
was grown in the shade. That is, this
company's fields, comprising 800 acres,
were wholly covered by coarse cheese
cloth. In recent year, on one of the
plantations, it got an average yield OF
1900 pounds to the acre, which at the
high price it brought, netted $500 an
acre.