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tug ^nopiCAt Aauicistfumst. 



[Oct. h iSSi 



TOBACCO CULTUKE IN ENGLAND. 



The August uuraber of the Nidhiiml Bevifir cou- 

 tahis an article by Mr. A. 6. F. Eliot-.James on 

 thf culture of tobacco in E'jgland. He says that 

 since the cultivation of tobacco in this country was 

 stopped the difficulties besetting the renewal of the 

 industry have materially increased. The Euglish 

 climate^ always to a certain extent unfavourable to 

 tobacco growth, has altt-.red for the worse, its vari- 

 ability is more pronounced, the rapid changes of 

 temperature, especially of late years, being against 

 not only vegetable but animal life. The soil, though 

 still very fertile, has less of virgin freshness, and 

 would require, for such an exhaustive crop as 

 tobacco is proved to be, high manuring, which means 

 money an article which our farmers, more particularly 

 our small farmers, are found at present sadly 

 wanting. Manuring is, however, by no means the 

 only expensive outlay needed for a profitable growth 

 of the plant. And, besides the disadvantages of 

 bad climate, unsuitable soil, and want of capital, 

 there are other conditions now attached to the open- 

 ing up of a home trade which formerly did not 

 exist. Foreign competition is incomparably more 

 severe, the tobacco-grown area of the world has been 

 enormously extended, and the freight charges on 

 the foreign supply so greatly reduced j^iuce the 

 time the plant was raised iu the United Kingdom, 

 and the cost of transmission consequently so trifling, 

 that it would give our cultivators little or no 

 advantage, certainly no really appreciable advantage, 

 over the numerous foreign growers who would contest 

 them the sale of inferior tobaccos. 



Mr. Eliot-James goes a little into detail as regards 

 the disadvantages. First of all, unfavourable climatic 

 conditions. In a warm climate possessing a certain 

 amount of humidity, a tobacco, by ordinary means, 

 can be raised that yields a profit ; a warm and 

 moist climate allowing the selection of these fine 

 sorts of leaf which command a high price. Can 

 this be described as a warm climate? The tobacco 

 plant is not hardy ; on the contrary, delicate. 

 Frost is most injurious to it in the early stages of 

 growth, and the seedlings cannot be transplanted 

 into the plantations from the beds iu which they 

 must be carefully protected until all danger of frost 

 is over. Sown in Marcli and planted out in May, 

 the plant should arrive at perfection in September, 

 and the leaves be gathered before there is any dan- 

 ger of frost, as a single white frost would spoil the 

 whole crop and cause it to rot. Hail-showers at 

 certain periods of early growth are absolutely 

 fatal and high winds very detrimental, as they tear 

 the leaf. Heat, sun-heat, is an essential to the 

 well-being and proper development of the tobacco 

 plant both to ripen it for harvest and to dry the 

 leaf. 



Taking soil, the difficulties, though great, are far 

 more easily met than are those of climate. Tobacco 

 requires a friable aud sandy soil, rich in those in- 

 gredients on which the plants thrive. It draws from 

 the soil, for the proper formation of its substance, 

 carbonic acid, ammonia, lime, potash, magnesia, oxide 

 of iron, chlorine, silica, sulphuric acid, and phosphoric 

 acid. In most Poils these essential ingredients are 

 present; not only must they be present, howerer, 

 but in proper proportions to the wants of the plant, 

 as regards quautity and quality, or else it will not 

 thrive. Tobacco needs a soil rich in humus from 

 the fact that its development nmst be both rapid 

 and complete. If the soU is not, therefore, naturally 

 rich it must be made so artificially, by high ami 

 constant manuring with well-matured manure, 

 carefully prepared for the purpose, and not of too 

 heating a nature, or else blighting of the roof, dust, 

 and consequent failure will be the result. Nitre is 

 one of the principal ingredients tobacco extracts from 

 the soil ; and some tobacco-growers, particularly when 

 they crop the same land successively with tobacco, 

 counteract this drain by sovv^ing rye on tli^ land 

 directly the tobacco is cut, aud ploughing it under the 

 uest May, scattering the tobacco-stalks, cut into two 



or three iuch lengths, over the land the sowing of 

 the rye takes place, and ploughing them in also ; 

 both rye and tobacco containing nitre it is thus, 

 as it were, returned to the .soil. High manuring, 

 without which even in suitable soil, no good results 

 can be looked for, must be set against probable profits, 

 as also the rent of the land, and the price of labour — 

 no small consideration at the present time. Tobacco 

 is a crop requiring incessant looking after, and a 

 very large amount of hand labour from the time of 

 seed-sowing to the outturn and dt livery of the 

 cured leaf into the manufacturer's hands. The number 

 of persons employed would naturally depend on the 

 amount of land under tobacco. The amount of seed 

 required to raise plants for an acre of ground depends 

 very greatly on the vitality of the seed. There are 

 about 100,000 grains of tobacco-seed in an ounce; 

 but the percentage of vitality is low, so from three- 

 quarters of an ounce is usually sown in India to rai.se 

 enough jilauts for an acre. Allowing the plants to 

 be two feet apart in each direction, some 10,890 would 

 be required and 4,840 if set 3 ft. apart. The medium 

 distance is often observed of .3 ft. apart in one and 

 2 ft. in the other direction, and then 7,260 jilants 

 are needed. Anyhow, a reserve stock must be kept, 

 as many plants die in the seed-beds or after they 

 are transplanted into the plantations and such gaps 

 must be kept filled up. In America less plants arc 

 set to the acre — 1,613, if broad vigorous leaves arc 

 wanted. Such plants will each yield half a pound 

 of prepared tobacco, or about 800 lb. to the ^cre ; 

 this average of produce to the acre being what the 

 Indian Government farms are estimated to yield ; tho 

 natives put the production considerably lower. In 

 England the probable outturn may be roughly 

 estimated at 600 lb. the acre. 



In cultivation, the following numerous operations 

 are followed : — The land is prepared by manuring, 

 ploughing, harrowing, rolling, the ploughing and 

 harrowing being repeated at certain intervals. The 

 seed-beds are most carefully prepared, sown, ' and 

 protected ; the seedlings thinned out aud transplanted 

 in favourable calm weather into the plantations ; 

 weedings and light hoeings are given as needed, and 

 followed by heaping, nipping, aud topping (some few 

 plants being saved for seed,) and when the crop is 

 ripe, leaf-gathering ; all this being hand-labour, the 

 operations having to bo conducted with care and 

 delicacy of touch to avoid injury the plants or 

 leayes. "WHh. the gathering of the leaf, the in- 

 cessaut labour is not over — indeed, the processes to 

 follow are of a much more delicate and critical 

 nature. Drying-houses will have to be provided, 

 not of a very expensive character, perhaps, but still 

 fulfilling the requirements of shelter and ventilation ; 

 wiltiug-sheds, too, must be built, .unless there are 

 unused barns or out-houses handy. If the plantatious 

 are far removed from the farm-house it is more 

 convenient to have the buildings close to the stand- 

 ing crop, as the wilting, or withering, aud sweating 

 processes are carried on with less risk, as also the 

 stringing of the leaves on a cord, or rather thread- 

 ing, for a needle is used for this purpose. "When 

 strung, follows the close suspension in the dryiug- 

 houses, the outside drying in the sun, or by flue-heat 

 if sun-power is not .sufiicient ; the return to the 

 houses and second suspension, farther apart this time; 

 then what is called the final suspension ; and lastly, 

 the sorting, making into hands and packing for 

 the market. It will be seen from the mere mention 

 of these various operations, without dwelling on their 

 intricacies, that tobacco is not simple but an extremely 

 troublesome crop to grow ; not an enterprise to 

 be rashly and unadvisedly luidertaken by anj' farmer, 

 e\en supposing the experiments about to be made 

 point to a favourable decision. — St. James'^ Budget. 



TuE TliANsiT OF Te.\. — A tea train is now running 

 from San Francisco to New York, the object of it 

 being to demonstrate that the railway transit can 

 be accomplished more quickly than the sea journey 

 by the Suez Canal.— Ho;k« and Colonial Mail, 



