132 



THE TOBACCO-CROP. 



Tobacco is a special crop, very irregular iu its distribution aud fluc- 

 tuating in extent of local breadth, aud hence specific investigation is 

 necessary eveu to obtain comparative estimates of quantity. Though 

 it is produced in all the States, there were only fourteen States in 1870 

 (on census authority) that produced (each) as much as 1,000,000 pounds, 

 while several counties in tobacco States yield each tAvo, three, to five mil- 

 lions of pounds. Kentucky and Virginia are credited with more than 

 half of the crop, the former State alone 40 per cent, of it. Only seven 

 States separately exceeded 10,000,000 pounds, Kentucky Virginia, Ten- 

 nessee, Ohio, Maryland, Missouri, ^N^orth Carolina, in order of precedence. 

 Yet iu point of fact the i^roduct was much greater than indicated by the 

 census, the fear of taxation doubtless preventing a full return. As an 

 instance of deficiency, the national census of Ohio makes a total of 

 18,741,923 pounds. In 1869 the State assessors returned for the same 

 year 38,953,206 pounds ; and undoubtedly neither census obtained a 

 return of the entire production. These seven States produced about 

 85 per cent, of the tobacco grown. 



Eew people apparently realize the small area actually occupied by the 

 crop. Allowing 100,000,000 pounds increase over the 262,735,341 

 pounds reported by the census, twenty townships of land yielding 800 

 Ijounds per acre will suffice. This is the size of a medium county. This 

 fact affords au explanation of the necessity of care in preventing great 

 fluctuations in the breadth of production, and shows how easy it would 

 be to glut the market and ruin prices. 



A recent inquiry was directed to our correspondents in counties 

 producing not less than 100,000 pounds, for an actual census or careful 

 estimate of the quantity harvested in 1873, the average price, the 

 number of acres cultivated, and the quality of the crop. Eeturns 

 have been received from a large proportion of them ; and as tobacco is 

 a crop so restricted iu its breadth, and so peculiar and variable in its 

 qualities aud yields, it is deemed best to give the details from each 

 county instead of our usual condensed statements by States. It will 

 also illustrate the immense labor, of which the put)iic generally have no 

 idea, of tabulating, averaging, and analyzing returns of the more ex- 

 tended and general crops. If any of these county returns are inaccu- 

 rate, an opi)ortnnity is thus aftbrded for correction. 



One county in New Hampshire, Cheshire, iu 1870 returned 97 per 

 cent, of all the tobacco reported for the State. Its estimate is now 200,000 

 pounds, instead of 151,189 pounds iu 1870, and the quality is good. It is 

 on the Connecticut liiver, adjoining Franklin County, in Massachusetts. 



Three counties in Massachusetts, on the Connecticut, returned in 1870 

 all but 23,010 pounds of the 7,812,885 pounds made iu the State. Frank- 

 lin estimates 25 per cent, increase on 1870, 40 per cent, better than the 

 crop ot 1872. A reduction is indicated in Hampshire, but the quality 

 is good. A small increase in Hampden, "some very good, but much the 

 larger portion low grade; color very uneven, caused in part by drought 

 checking the growth, in jiart by a too large proportion of special ferti- 

 lizers and too little barn-manure, but principally from too late setting." 

 The price is low, averaging 10 cents per pound. 



Connecticut grows some tobacco in every county, though Hartford is 

 credited in 1870 with 5,830,209 pounds of the 8,328,798 pounds reported. 

 Hartford this year reports 6,000,000 pounds, grown on 3,239 acres, worth 

 24 cents per pound, of a "fair quality, but not equal to the best on account 



