CHAPTER XIV 

 OTHER FARM CROPS 



Tobacco. — This crop has been grown in America since the 

 days of Jamestown. Tobacco is an American plant. The 

 principal varieties have come from South America, but there 

 is a species which, is found wild in Connecticut, New York, 

 and a few other states. 



There are many varieties of tobacco, but all are not used 

 for the same purpose. Some varieties are used for cigar wrap- 

 pers and binders, others for the filling of cigars, others to 

 make chewing tobacco, still others to make smoking or pipe 

 tobacco, and finally some are raised mainly to export. 



Tobacco is very greatly influenced by the soil and climate 

 in which it grows. The odor and flavor of the tobacco, as 

 well as the quality of the leaves, are very sensitive to soil and 

 climatic changes. The soils adapted to tobacco growing 

 range from clay loams, loams, and sandy loams to light sandy 

 soils. One who is going to raise tobacco must make a careful 

 study of the subject before he can expect to succeed in any 

 large degree. 



The young tobacco plants are started in seed-beds, and after 

 they are of sufficient size they are set out in the fields. The 

 soil in the fields must be thoroughly prepared and well fer- 

 tilized. Both commercial fertilizers and stable manure are 



121 



