TOBACCO. 185 



packed and matted together by the rains and by the surface wa- 

 ter of the winter, so that the roots of the plants could not 

 permeate the soil in every direction. He tried the experi- 

 ment several times, to be sure, and the same result followed. 

 I have always followed that plan. I never plow in the fall 

 unless I have very clayey ground, that I want to disintegrate 

 somewhat, and plow it several times. This is digressing a 

 little, however. 



Mr. Gould. From the time you turn the sod over in the 

 spring to the time you take the tobacco from the poles, will it 

 cost you to exceed a hundred dollars an acre for the labor and 

 manure which you apply to it ? 



Dr. Riggs. I should think it would cost more than that. 

 I should not like to say positively how much it costs, but fully 

 $200 an acre. 



Mr. Gould. Would that surely cover it ? 



Dr. Riggs. It would approximate to it. 



Mr. Gould. Would $250 he sure to cover it ? 



Da. Riggs. That would be sure to cover it, unless your 

 land is very poor, and you have to put on an immense quan- 

 tity of manure. 



Mr. Gould. In your own practice, will $250 be sure to 

 cover it ? 



Dr. Riggs. Yes, sir, it will. On my land, I suppose I 

 could raise a reasonably good crop next season without any 

 manure. I could not get as much after this year. 



Mr. Gould. Will the crop sell for 1800, sure ? 



Dr. Riggs. I raised last year, on an acre and a half, from 

 1^ to 1| tons of tobacco. 



Mr. Gould. What is it worth a pound ? 



Dr. Riggs. I intend to get from 45 to 50 cents a pound for 

 my tobacco. 



Mr. Gould. All round or simply for the wrappers ? 



Dr. Riggs. My fillers will not amount to much. I will 

 give you the figures of some that we had cultivated on shares 

 last season, which was sold low, because the man was a weak 

 holder and was anxious to get his money. The land was not 

 so good as mine, and the crop not as large. There were 



