The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1917-03-09

Contrary to the popular belief that
special soil and climatic requirements
| are necessary, the tobacco plant will
grow in practically any fairly fertile
soil in any part of the world. The area
of commercial tobacco growing is, how
ever, more limited than that Of any
other of our ordinary farm crops. This
concentration of the crop into certain
comparatively small sections is due, to
climatic and soil adaptation as inf1uenc-
| ing quality and to market conditions,
either singly or collectively.
| The relation of climate to the tobac-
co has not been satisfactorily explained.
| Climate. however, seems to affect quail
| itv ia particular. Different climates
produce tobacco of different qualities.
| The effect Of climate is of no particu-
lar local Importance, but plays an i'm
portalt role in comparing the tobaccOS
from such widely separated regions as
| the East Indies, Cuba and Canada, or
that from the northern and southern
sections of the United States.
The spread of tobacco growing into
| new sections of the states where it has
| not been previously grown would be
much more rapid il markets for the
crop were present. Being special
crop it ordinarily requires a special
| market and buyers are rarely found
outside of the known tobacco districts.
The type OF soil upon which tobacco
is grown exercises relatively marked
influence upon the development OF to-
bacco sections. Tobacco is grown on a
commercial scale upon great variety
OF soils But as in the case Of climate,
different soils produce different quail
ties of leaf, and are adapted for differ
ent varieties of tobacco which are used
for different purposes. Some OF the
tobacco soils of Kentucky, Virginia, or
those of Connecticut and Wisconsin,
differ more markedly than their eli
mate, and determine to large extent
the adaptability of these states for the
production of certain types of tobacco.
The problem of selecting the best
soil is, however, OF great local impor-
tance. In fact it is subject which
must be carefully considered on each
farm since frequently only a small part
of the farm is suitable for tobacco Gull
ture. In Wisconsin the soils used for
tobacco growing range from light sandy
loans to fairly heavy silt loans and
black prairie soils, resulting IN cor
responding difference in yield and quail
B ity of the crop. The tobacco sections
/ in Wisconsin are principally in the
southern and western portions, partlc-
ularly in Dane, Rock, Columbia, Yer
non and Crawford counties, extending
commercially as far north as Chippewa
and Barron counties. But for the re-
strictions of the market, the industry
would probably be taken up CONNER
- 0f fhn cfufn
KIND OF SOIL AFFECTS QUALITY OF TO-
BACCO.
By the physical condition of the soil
is meant the relative percentages OF
sand, silt, clay and other organic mat
ter or humus present in the soil. 1t
has been shown that a fairly definite
relation exists between the physical
character of the soil and the character
of tobacco produced. Soils containing
large proportion of clay tend to pro-
duce a thick and heavy type of tobac-
co. which usually cures out dark in
color. On the other hand light sandy
soils tend to produce thin leaf, curing
out with light color with less ''gum"
and more elasticity. The water-holding
capacity of the soil is markedly inau-
enced by the size of the soil particles
and the content of vegetable matter
and humus, and this in turn influences
| the character of tobacco produced.
Manures, fertilizers and cultivation
may also change the physical character
of the soil in such way as to influence
quality in addition to their direct action
as plant food.
Another important phase of the phys
| ical character of the soil is the mechan-
ical condition or tilth. The tilth of the
soil has marked influence on the yield
| and quality, and it is good plan for a
grower to select a soil of a good phys
ical character, not only for its direct
| influence on the tobacco, but from the
standpoint of the ease with which it is
| brought into and kept in good tilth. The
| maintenance of high content of veg
etable matter in soil is an important
| consideration in most soils.
The chemical condition of the soil, or
| the amount of available plant food it
contains. is influenced by it's natural
productiveness, the amount of fertilizer
applied, and the amount of plant food
which has been removed. In WiscOn-
sin it has been the practice to select
for tobacco culture only soils which are
naturally the most fertile. Oak open
ings and deep black prairie loans have
been the tobacco soils of the past. The
''new breakings," especially, have been
| noted for the high quality tobacco pro-
duced. The decreased yield may cor
rectly be attributed in part to loss of
fertility by constant removal OF ele-
ments through cropping. Tobacco does
| not, however, as is popularity believed,
| remove directly on the average a much
greater value of fertility than the av-
erage farm crop. Tobacco requires,
however, larger amount of fertility
in the soil to produce good leaf on ac-
| count of its short period of growth, and
more of this fertility is wasted through
washing, teaching and weatherlng than
in the case of the ordinary agricultural
crops requiring longer periods OF
| growth. From the fertility standpoint
the. grower should select soil natur-
| ally productive, and maintain its pro-
| ductiveness by proper and economical
fertilization, at the same time using all
possible means to check the natural