﻿Tobacco 
  Interests 
  of 
  North 
  Carolina. 
  169 
  

  

  TOBACCO 
  soils. 
  

  

  In 
  determining 
  the 
  question 
  as 
  to 
  what 
  constitutes 
  fine 
  

   tobacco 
  lands, 
  or 
  what 
  element 
  is 
  fatal 
  to 
  the 
  growth 
  of 
  

   yellow 
  leaf, 
  the 
  inquiry 
  must 
  embrace 
  the 
  important 
  matter 
  

   of 
  drainage. 
  Tobacco 
  is 
  a 
  plant 
  which 
  delights 
  in 
  a 
  dry, 
  

   warm 
  soil, 
  requiring 
  comparatively 
  little 
  moisture, 
  and 
  in 
  

   no 
  respect 
  do 
  these 
  lands 
  differ 
  more 
  widely 
  from 
  others 
  

   than 
  in 
  thorough 
  drainage. 
  While 
  such 
  lands 
  are 
  very 
  

   miry 
  in 
  wet 
  weather, 
  so 
  that 
  it 
  is 
  difHcult 
  to 
  drive 
  a 
  wagon 
  

   or 
  even 
  to 
  ride 
  over 
  them, 
  the 
  top 
  soil 
  is 
  always 
  dry 
  and 
  

   warm. 
  

  

  There 
  is 
  a 
  difference 
  of 
  opinion 
  as 
  to 
  new 
  lands. 
  In 
  the 
  

   western 
  counties, 
  v/here 
  the 
  growth 
  of 
  tobacco 
  is 
  quite 
  re- 
  

   cent, 
  new 
  land 
  is 
  almost 
  altogether 
  planted, 
  but 
  in 
  the 
  older 
  

   tobacco 
  counties 
  planters 
  have 
  learned 
  to 
  conserve 
  their 
  old 
  

   lands 
  and 
  to 
  raise 
  upon 
  them 
  tobacco 
  of 
  the 
  best 
  quality 
  

   by 
  the 
  judicious 
  use 
  of 
  fertilizers, 
  and 
  no 
  longer 
  depend 
  

   upon 
  clearing. 
  All 
  agree, 
  however, 
  that 
  a 
  very 
  fine 
  quality 
  

   of 
  leaf 
  is 
  grown 
  on 
  new 
  lands. 
  Some 
  lands 
  will 
  produce 
  a 
  

   fair 
  fancy 
  wrapper 
  one 
  or 
  two 
  seasons, 
  and 
  never 
  after. 
  It 
  

   is 
  also 
  generally 
  agreed 
  that 
  the 
  first 
  crop 
  is 
  very 
  fine 
  and 
  

   most 
  easily 
  cured, 
  hut 
  lacks 
  the 
  body 
  and 
  uniformity 
  of 
  

   texlure 
  and 
  color 
  of 
  the 
  .second 
  year's 
  growth 
  on 
  the 
  best 
  

   tobacco 
  lands. 
  

  

  Fertilizers 
  are 
  applied 
  upon 
  new 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  upon 
  old 
  

   lands. 
  In 
  the 
  older 
  tobacco 
  counties 
  cases 
  are 
  given 
  where 
  

   tobacco 
  has 
  been 
  grown 
  upon 
  land 
  for 
  twenty 
  years 
  in 
  suc- 
  

   cession 
  without 
  decrease 
  in 
  yield 
  or 
  deterioration 
  in 
  quality, 
  

   but 
  always 
  with 
  the 
  aid 
  of 
  manure. 
  Such 
  lands 
  appear 
  to 
  

   possess 
  permanent 
  qualities, 
  which 
  need 
  only 
  the 
  addition 
  

   of 
  fertilizers 
  and 
  manures, 
  and 
  it 
  is 
  believed 
  that 
  with 
  proper 
  

   care 
  and 
  rotation 
  most 
  of 
  them 
  can 
  be 
  kept 
  up 
  indefi- 
  

   nitely.* 
  

  

  Old 
  fields 
  of 
  the 
  proper 
  soil, 
  which 
  have 
  been 
  worn 
  out 
  

   and 
  abandoned 
  make, 
  when 
  cleared 
  of 
  their 
  new 
  growth. 
  

   the 
  best 
  tobacco 
  lands. 
  They 
  are 
  generally 
  overgrown 
  with 
  

  

  * 
  It 
  is 
  unquestionably 
  true 
  tliat 
  the 
  mechanical 
  condition 
  of 
  llie 
  soil 
  and 
  tlic 
  

   absence 
  ol" 
  certain 
  inorganic 
  elements 
  liave 
  more 
  to 
  do 
  with 
  the 
  production 
  of 
  

   flnc 
  tobacco 
  than 
  a 
  supply 
  of 
  plant 
  food. 
  This 
  soil 
  is, 
  indeed, 
  a 
  sponjce, 
  which 
  

   receives 
  and 
  retains 
  just 
  fertilizers 
  enough 
  to 
  bring 
  the 
  plant 
  to 
  the 
  proper 
  size, 
  

   wlien 
  thoy 
  become 
  cxhausled, 
  and 
  the 
  plant 
  goes 
  into 
  a 
  gradual 
  decline, 
  growing 
  

   more 
  and 
  more 
  yellow 
  and 
  more 
  and 
  more 
  delicate 
  in 
  tissue, 
  until 
  it 
  is 
  out. 
  Too 
  

   much 
  manure 
  will 
  destroy 
  the 
  flue 
  qualities 
  of 
  the 
  leaf, 
  impairing 
  its 
  color 
  and 
  

   iucreasing 
  its 
  coarseness. 
  

  

  