26 TOBACCO PRODUCTION IN THE UNITED STATES. 



comparatively poor, dry, silicious soils, producing from 500 to 600 pounds per acre of half bright or good bright 

 wrapping leaf, which sells from 10 to 30 cents per pound, yield a far better return to the planter than the rich red- 

 clay soils or manured lots, which produce larger crops of ordinary shipping leaf, bringing only 3 or 4 cents per 

 pound. The thin soils are easily cultivated, as no rank -weeds shoot up to interfere with the growth of the crop. 



The beds of limestone are approximately horizontal, and the clayey beds which overlie them absorb water slowly, 

 especially upon the level prairie lands. In their wild state a rank vegetation springs up upon these level, almost 

 treeless plains, and iu time forms a thick mat of humus, which, commingled by cultivation, makes a very rich soil. 

 "When cherty beds occur along with the clay, the land is much better drained. Where there is a predominance of clay 

 the soils are cold, but the gravel of the chert, when present, warms up such soils, and gives a quick growth to the 

 crops planted upon them. Usually the cherty soils have in their original condition a scanty growth of hickory and 

 black-jack, with an undergrowth of hazel. These loose, dry, siliceo-calcareous and argillaceous soils are seldom 

 affected injuriously by either wet or dry seasons unless the maximum is extreme. When freshly cleared the 

 tobacco grown on them has an exceedingly fine, silky texture, a golden color when cured, and a rich aroma. In 

 the language of one of the schedules, " The soil preferred is a gravelly loam, rich, red, deep, and light, with a subsoil 

 of reddish clay " freshly cleared land, on which the original growth was as indicated above. Another describes 

 the best soil for heavy tobacco as the black loam of bottom lands, and for fine tobacco flat hickory laud, the 

 latter gray in color, with a reddish-yellow subsoil, warm and dry. The land is carried in tobacco two years, the 

 quality of the second year's growth being much heavier and better suited for shipping leaf than for wrappers. It 

 is observed that the color of the under-clay has much to do with the quality of the tobacco. Very red under-clays, 

 free from gravel, will not make a type so flue as lighter clays, but the product is heavier. No difference, however, 

 is seen in the product of level or rolling lands, provided they be equally well drained and of similar soils. 



It is estimated that 40 per cent, of the soils preferred for the growth of the better types of tobacco is occupied 

 in the county of Beuton, and that 70 per cent, of the wooded lands is adapted to its growth. 



The usual practice to prevent a rapid deterioration of soil is to sow wheat at the end of the second year, 

 and upon this crop of wheat, in the following spring, clover. Two crops of clover are allowed to mature, which 

 are sometimes depastured with stock, but often suffered to fall down and decay upon the land for its enrichment. 



While the finest tobacco is grown upon lands which had an original tree covering of hickory and black-jack, it 

 is noted that a soil with a tree growth of walnut and wild cherry always indicative of fertility will make a broad 

 shipping leaf, color dark brown, fiber large, but leaf pliant and full of oil. 



In relation to these two classes of soil, namely, the black-jack and hickory soil, with light reddish clay, and the 

 walnut and cherry soil, with a deep red uuder-clay, some curious facts were brought to light by Dr. Peter, the 

 chemist of the geological survey. Taking two samples of the first class, one virgin and the other having been 

 under cultivation for twenty years, it was found that by cultivation the soil had lost in organic matter, oxide of 

 iron, carbonate of lime, and magnesia, but the silica, potash, soda, and phosphoric acid were increased, the first by 

 3 per cent., the second by 20 per cent., soda by 38 per cent., and phosphoric acid by 81 per cent. The loss, 

 however, in all these elements was very large iu a comparison of two analyses of virgin soil and of soil long under 

 tillage taken from Washington county, where the timber growth was walnut and cherry and the subsoil a deep 

 red clay. 



Very little fertilizing is done for the tobacco crop, mainly because fresh lauds are largely employed in its 

 growth. In making the heavier grades of shipping leaf sometimes from two to four tons of manure are applied 

 broadcast upon an acre, but the effect is to increase the yield at the expense of quality. A few farmers apply the 

 manure in the hill. 



PLANTING Aim CULTIVATION OF TOBACCO. 



Seed-beds are burned and prepared in all respects as in Tennessee and Kentucky. These beds are sown at any 

 time from December 20 to March 15, and the plants are large enough for transplanting from May 10 to June 25. 

 For fancy or fine crops the earlier the plants are set the better, as bright colors are more easily made when the 

 tobacco is cured before the advent of cool weather. Old lauds require larger plants than new. 



The preparation of the soil for receiving the plants depends upon the quality of the tobacco to be produced and 

 whether the land be old or new. For the finer kinds a light plowing, only 3 to 4 inches deep, is given. For heavy 

 shipping leaf deep and thorough breaking is done, 7 or 8 inches in depth for old land, first during the winter, if 

 possible, and again in April or May. New lands are well grubbed, broken with coulter once or twice, then with 

 turning plow twice, 1 followed with a heavy harrow after each breaking. Subsoiling is not practiced in preparing 

 the land for growing a crop of tobacco, but is found to be very beneficial for other crops. Harrowing the land 

 several times is regarded as indispensable to putting the soil in good condition. Old land is laid off with long, 

 narrow plows (bull-tongues), and two furrows are thrown on this with a turning plow, making a straight ridge, 

 elevated 3 or 4 inches above the general level. The tops of these ridges are slightly flattened with a common hoe 

 and the plants are set on the ridges from 20 to 24 inches apart for fine tobacco. In growing heavier tobacco, or 

 tobacco of any kind on new land, the land is laid off 3 feet each way, or 3J by 3 feet, or on very rich soils 3J by 3J 

 feet, and small hills are made at the points of intersection. This is always done when it is desired to apply manure 



to the hill, it being placed in the depressions made at the intersectional points and the hills made above them. U 

 620 



