CIGAR LEAF AT THE WEST AND SOUTH. 445 



northern, central and western Florida, where fossilized 

 organic remains and phosphates are found. The tobacco 

 field should be near a body or stream of fresh water, to 

 insure humidity from the constant evaporation. In 

 Gadsden county, where tobacco is extensively grown, 

 the soils used are fine, light and sandy on the surface, 

 but resting on a clayey sand at a depth of ten inches to 

 two feet, which is quite moist, and at the same time 

 readily permeable by water. In heavy rains, the water 

 is quickly taken up from the surface, yet in very dry 

 weather, the soil is damp at a depth of a few inches. 



Opinions differ as to the proper manuring of soils 

 of this character for tobacco. Moodie's advice is to 

 make no application of stable or barnyard manures, ex- 

 cept a light dressing of well-rotted manure on sterile 

 soils, to impregnate them with the bacteria of nitrifica- 

 tion. On the Gadsden extensive plantations, cottonseed 

 meal is the only fertilizer used. The cautions in the 

 use of manures and fertilizers that are stated in Chapter 

 VI must all be observed, but much has yet to be learned 

 about their application in the semi-tropics. Moodie 

 maintains that the double manure salt (sulphate of pot- 

 ash and magnesia) is even preferable to the high grade 

 sulphate of potash under Florida conditions. 



Southern Florida, much nearer the tropics than the 

 northern part of the State, is also coming to the front in 

 tobacco culture. It has much the same climate and 

 soil as Cuba, and has naturally attracted the attention 

 of those driven out of Cuba by the war. The first plan- 

 tation to be established was that at Fort Meade, Polk 

 county, by the Cuban Tobacco Growers' Co., limited, 

 incorporated in January, 1896, with a capital of $150,- 

 000. Its officers, with one exception, are Cubans, and 

 the president and general manager have had long experi- 

 ence in growing and handling tobacco in that island. 

 Dr. E, H. Jenkins contributes to this work the follow- 



