SECRETARY'S REPORT. < 63 



in no season of late, raised less than two thousand pounds per 

 acre, and have sold all, both first and second quality, at my 

 door, for fourteen cents per pound, the last two years. As to 

 the cost of raising, I estimate one acre of tobacco to three of 

 corn, which would yield fifty bushels per acre." 



Another communication from Franklin County, v^lll throw 

 additional light upon this subject. The writer says : — 



" In the first place, great care should be taken in getting 

 plants large enough to set out as early as may be. K possi- 

 ble, I would commence setting as soon as the 8th of June, and 

 finish as soon as the 12th or 15th; and in order to get plants 

 large enough for setting, as early as that, a good warm spot of 

 ground should be selected, and the north and west sides should 

 be protected by a light fence or buildings. The manure applied 

 in the fall of the year, and ploughed five or six inches deep ; 

 sow the seed as early as the season will admit, say from the 

 1st to the 10th of April, and at the same time top-dress with 

 Super-phosphate of Lime, say four or five pounds to the rod ; 

 or I think that it would be advisable to apply the Super-phos- 

 phate of Lime previous to sowing the seed, and rake it in, as 

 it will not answer to rake the bed after sowing the seed. I 

 have known plants set as late as the 4th of July, and later, to 

 mature ; but my own experience and observation are decidedly 

 in favor of early setting, as it is necessary that the crop should 

 be all hung up as soon as the 10th of September, for fear of 

 frost ; and it needs the time then to cure before we have cold^ 

 freezing weather. It is necessary that every stem should be 

 cured before the leaves are stripped off from the stalk, as in 

 case of there being fat stems in the hands of tobacco, if 

 they do not rot, they are sure to discolor it, and produce heat 

 in the packs, before boxing. 



" Last year, a large quantity of tobacco, which was sold to 

 the speculators for large prices, ranging from twelve and a half 

 to seventeen cents per pound, was by them rejected, on the 

 ground that it was not properly cured before stripping." 



In the town from which this statement comes, the average 

 yield, per acre, is estimated at 1,550 pounds. 



All the information that can be gathered, leads to the belief 

 that the quantity annually raised in the State cannot be less 



