TOBACCO 



129 



infected by such diseases as scab, it remains infected for 

 several years. 



Harvesting. Potatoes may be harvested any time after 

 the tubers have matured; but early crops are often harvested 

 before maturity in order to meet the summer market. 



Any method may be used which will get the tubers out 

 of the ground without injury. Methods vary, from the use 

 of a potato-fork or hook by hand on small areas, to the use of 

 special digging machines, such as potato elevators, on large 

 fields. 



TOBACCO 



Since pioneer times tobacco has been of an agricultural 

 importance. The success of tobacco growing depends more 

 upon the soil conditions and management of the crop than 

 upon climate. In a number of states natural soil conditions, 

 here and there, are favorable for the successful production 

 of this crop. The range of tobacco may be seen by noting 

 the position of the nine tobacco-growing states: Kentucky, 

 North Carolina, Virginia, Ohio, Connecticut, Tennessee, Penn-. 

 sylvania, South Carolina, and Wisconsin. Fourteen other 

 states produce it in considerable quantities. The total farm 

 value for the entire country, for 1915, was $96,041,000. 



The soil requirements vary with the kind of tobacco grown. 

 In general, the mild, light, thin-leaf types, such as cigar- 

 leaf tobacco, are produced on light sandy loams; while 

 strong, dark, heavy types are grown on sandy clay loam. 

 Tobacco is said to be " hard on land," which means that 

 the crops that follow do not yield well. This statement does 

 not apply to well-managed farms where the succeeding crop 

 is better than the average on the rest of the farm. But ro- 

 tation must be practiced, for continuous cropping of tobacco 



