108 TOBACCO LEAF. 



surprisingly small. The first outfit of this character, 

 we believe, was set up in Polk county, southern Florida, 

 in 1896, and has produced remarkable results. See 

 illustration of it in the description of the Florida tobacco 

 industry. 



In irrigating tobacco, great care must be taken not 

 to supply too much water at a time. The overplus is 

 certain to have a deleterious effect, making the leaf 

 darker and heavier, and injuring its burning qualities as 

 well as its flavor and aroma. A small stream run be- 

 tween every second row will be better than to run it 

 through every row. The more sandy the soil, the 

 greater the amount needed, and the more often can 

 water be applied, with less injury to the crop. Irri- 

 gation has been so little practiced in this country that 

 no special directions can be laid down, but each planter 

 must experiment for himself, keeping in mind the pe- 

 culiarities of his soil and of the leaf which he is pro- 

 ducing. Irrigation is a great aid in getting a good 

 "stand "of plants when the ground is dry at trans- 

 planting. 



PRINCIPLES OF TOBACCO FEEDING. 



Tobacco has been grown for a great many years ; it 

 was grown, and successfully, too, for the market of 

 early times, long before the advent of artificial fer- 

 tilizers, and when the whole science of modern ferti- 

 lizing was unknown. In those days, of course, the only 

 dependence was upon virgin soils, or barn manure, per- 

 haps assisted by occasional dressings of wood ashes. 

 The quality of the tobacco was then much more gov- 

 erned by the natural peculiarities of the soil than is now 

 the case, for the native food supply of the soil was 

 drawn upon to supply the elements in which the manure 

 was lacking, or which the manure could not supply with 

 sufficient rapidity to meet the requirements of the 



