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to the cultivation of this crop, on a small scale, by two 

 individual farmers. The cujed crop of the present year 

 amounts to about 7,500 pounds. One company, which is 

 growing Cuban tobacco, intends to plant 60 acres during 

 the coming season. Another company will have forty 

 or fifty acres of Sumatra tobacco. The yield of all varie- 

 ties of tobacco, thus far grown in the Territory is high, 

 ranging from 900 to 1,500 pounds per acre. The burn- 

 ing quality is all that could be desired. In reports re- 

 ceived from large tobacco dealers, in New York City and 

 elsewhere, it appears that our tobacco is considered satis- 

 factory in burn, texture and flavor when properly cured. 

 The best results have not always been obtained in curing 

 tobacco, but this fact appears to be due to a lack of ex- 

 perience with tobacco in this climate. The company, 

 which is to grow Sumatra tobacco here, has had twelve 

 years' experience with this tobacco in Sumatra, and will 

 employ an expert in tobacco curing and fermentation. 

 Some of the New York dealers, who have examined our 

 tobacco, have stated that the Havana wrapper grown 

 here would be worth from 75c. to $1.00 a pound 

 if properly cured; and that the Sumatra, in the 

 condition in which it was submitted to them was worth 

 from 50c. to 70c. per pound. A tobacco dealer, who re- 

 cently visited the Islands, stated that Cuban filler pro- 

 duced here would readily bring a price of 35c. per pound. 

 The duty already imposed upon tobacco is sufficient to 

 give all the encouragement, which can be secured from 

 that source, to the tobacco grower. The soils, as already 

 stated, produce a tobacco of excellent burning quality 

 and of a mild, agreeable aroma. The most essential fac- 

 tor, therefore, in the success of our tobacco industry is 

 experience in curing under our conditions; and to this 

 end it would seem wise for each company to obtain an 

 expert in the process of curing. It has been estimated 

 that there are least 30,000 acres of land suitable for 

 tobacco culture, on which tobacco has never been grown. 

 Such virgin soils give promise of excellent returns under 

 proper management. This is a crop which can be grown 

 on a large scale, by the organization of companies, or in 

 small areas, by individual farmers. In the latter case, 

 the larger companies will buy the tobacco and ferment it. 

 This arrangement will enable the small farmer to engage 

 in tobacco growing with a very small outlay of money 

 and with quick returns, since it is a rapidly maturing 

 crop. 



