LXXIV REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE. 



by our people, and for which about $6,000,000 have annually been 

 expended in foreign countries. The demand for this product has 

 always been greater than the supply, and prices have been maintained 

 in a remarkable manner. It may seem strange to some that manu- 

 facturers can afford to pay such prices for wrapper leaf, but even at 

 $3 a pound for leaf that will wrap at the rate of 2 pounds to 1,000 

 cigars, the cost of the wrapper is about six-tenths of a cent. Even 

 at such prices the leaf can profita))ly be used on a 5-cent cigar. 

 There is so little waste to the leaf, it yields so well in the manufacture 

 of cigars, the color is so uniform, and the grading is so perfect that 

 manufacturers find it actually cheaper to pa}^ $3 a pound for such 

 leaf than to buy domestic wrappers at an average of 20 cents a pound 

 or selected domestic wrappers at from 50 to 60 cents. 



SUMATRA TOBACCO IN LOCALITIES OTHER THAN CONNECTICUT. 



Considerable interest has been shown, of course, in the possibility 

 of extending the Sumatra tobacco industry to other localities and to 

 other States. It was predicted, as a result of the soil survey of the 

 Lancaster area, Pennsylvania, that the Sumatra tobacco could be suc- 

 cessfully grown under shade on the narrow strip of Donegal gravelly 

 loam bordering the Susquehanna River. Experiments carried on this 

 year by the Pennsjdvania experiment station, in cooperation with this 

 Department, in growing Sumatra tobacco under shade on a small tract 

 of about 1 acre appear to have demonstrated the correctness of this 

 prediction. The crop has been harvested and, judging from the product 

 in the curing shed, it is of good quality. It is not believed by the 

 Department experts that equall}^ successful results will be attained on 

 other soils in this area. 



In response to demands from one of the principal New York tobacco 

 districts, a soil survey was made this season of the Big Flats area in 

 the Chemung Valley, New York. As a result of this surve}^, it is pot 

 believed by the Department experts that any considerable success 

 will attend the growing of Sumatra tobacco on the soils of that local- 

 it}^, with the exception of a very small area of not exceeding 10 acres, 

 where an experiment has been actuall}^ carried on bj^ a gentleman 

 familiar with the soils of the Connecticut Valle}", who selected this tract 

 because it represents the type of land that is found in Connecticut. 



A soil survey has also been made of a considerable area in the 

 Janesville area, Wisconsin. Two experiments of growing Sumatra 

 tobacco under shade have been tried there, and the results at the 

 time of harvesting indicate a fair degree of success. The Department 

 does not believe, however, that the product of the soils of the Janes- 

 ville area will approach in quality or in value the product raised in 

 the Connecticut Valley. It is not intended by this to imply that the 

 leaf can not be successfully grown in the Wisconsin area, but from 



