Year: 1876

| ~-' ~''"'N'


DEAR SIR: You request me to give
you some information in regard, to the
culture Of tobacco in East Tennessee,
also the character of the soil mostly adap,
ted to its growth, etc. | fnd in my
travels over Tennessee, especially in East
Tennessee, that We have the finest lands
in the world for the culture of tobacco.
lhe climate Is far superior to any other
State in the Union and | see no satisfac>
tory reason why this portion of the State
should not raise as iue tobacco as Vircinia
or North Carolina, and the conclusion
must be, that her people are satisfied to
drag along in the old way, making scarce ,
Iy anything for market, whea they have
all the natural facilities that kind Provi-
dence can give them, here at their doors.


The cultivation of tobacco does not
conflict with any other crop, but on the
contrary, it will wait for you. In select
ing spot for raising plants, it should be
| in some low place where the soil is very
rich and free from sand (l dark loan soil
is preferred), New land is best. Scrape
all the leaves and trash off, and then have
your wood ready, and some clear dry day,
between the first of January aud the first
of March you can burn it. In all cases
the land must be dry, otherwise the fire
vii, bake it, and make it hard and cloddy.
After burning it should be dug up, roots
all cut out, aRd the land raked until
thoroughly pulverized. To every one
numbered square yards, SOW with the
hand, mixed with ashes, two tablesponfuls
of seed, treading them in with the feet.
After this is done procure good straight
brush, and cover the entire bed. As soon
as the frost is out of the ground in the
spring, remove the brush, and SOW over
the bed dressing of hephouse manure or
guano. Should the spring be dry one,
the young plants should be watered and
if the fly is troublesome apply little coal
oil and water by means Of wateriug-pot
every morning until they disappear, The
planter then should lork about him for a
piece of lana; if for prime tobacco, select
a new piece of land, where the sun can
shine on it all day. If for heavy. coarse
tobacco, 90 to river and creek bottoms.
Where the soil is rich and light, the land
shDuld be prepared in the winter or early
in the spring by plowing deep, and so
thoroughly cultivated that when the plants
are nearly ready to reset you can then,
with light pillow, lay off about 81 feet.
If you can spare the time, it would be
best to cross it, and make a small hill on
the cross, leaving the hill peaked and
sharp. When your plants are large
enough and you have a season, cut this
hill half off ana with small stick to
make ii hole, insert the plant, pressing
the DIRT to the root with the finger and
thumb. But before going any futber,
would suggest that during the wlater
when the land is not in condition to
work, the planter should collect together
logs su flicient to build him house OF
houses for curing his tobacco. The
cheapest house is ono built of logs about
% feet long, which will give five facing
tier, aud will hold more tobacco than those
sheds spoken of by some planters. These
houses must be chinked and daubed with
aud. The mode of cultivating and cur,
iIg will give you in another letter.
am, very truly.


W. W. LEFTwITCH.


Colonel Leftwich, the writer of the
above letter, was engaged great many
years, in Virginia, in the culture anC
manufacture of tobacco, and, we have ne



doubt, he thoroughly understands what h,
writes about. Tie came to East Teunes
see several years ago so that he has be
come acquaint ed with our soil and climate
During all the time he has been here h
has been engaged in the manufacture aut
: sale of tobacco.


J. H. C.