32 TOBACCO PRODUCTION IN THE UNITED STATES. 



a pound for it. On -hummock lands the same gentleman grew 1,800 pounds of Florida Leaf to the acre. The tobacco 

 nttained a height of 8 feet, and had from sixty to seventy leaves to the plant. The land was heavily manured with 

 cotton-seed, deep furrows having been run and Ulled with the seed, and then covered with two more furrows. This 

 crop brought in the market 18;,* cents per pound. 



Thomas M. Smith, of Decatur county, Georgia, raised a crop of 10 acres of Florida Leaf, which made an average 

 yield of 1,500 pounds to the acre, and was sold for 15 cents per pound. This crop was grown on red, stiff, hummock 

 laud, without the application of any fertilizer. 



The prices paid for the crops grown have also greatly animated the tobacco-growers. They have ranged about 

 as follows: Florida and Connecticut tillers, 5 cents; binders, 8 cents; wrappers, 10 cents; price around, 14 cents; 

 Cuba tobacco fillers and binders, 15 cents; wrappers, 25 to 30 cents; average for wrappers, 20 to 25 cents. A few 

 cases of extra tine tobacco brought prices far in excess of any mentioned here. 



The relative proportion of tillers, binders, and wrappers is variable, and depends upon the degree of skill and 

 care exercised in growing, curing, and sweating. In the best crops of seed-leaf there are about two-thirds wrappers 

 and one-third binders and tillers. 



The orop in Florida is very irregular in quantity. In 1873 it was 80,000 pounds; in 1874, 160,000 pounds; in 

 1875, 320,000 pounds. Since that time it has been constantly decreasing, the small amount produced being taken 

 by cigar manufacturers in Jacksonville. The average crop since 1870 has not exceeded 30,000 pounds, so small 

 a quantity as to be lost sight of in the volume of trade. 



CHAPTEB V. 

 CULTURE AND CUEING OF TOBACCO IN ILLINOIS. 



The state of Illinois has less variety in topography than almost any other state of the Union. The snrfa.ce 

 features are generally gently-rolling prairies, whose greatest elevations rarely exceed 700 feet above the sea-level. 

 This is increased in the northern part of t he state and decreased in the southern portion. The feature of the central 

 region is that of a great level, the slopes being of very slight grade. In the southern and western portions of the 

 state the surface is rugged over small areas, and there are some bluff-like peaks. 



Tobacco has been cultivated to some extent in Illinois since its first settlement, though up to 18C4 its culture 

 was confined, for the most part, to the more southerly counties. The census of 1840 reports the whole number of 

 pounds produced at 504,320, the following counties only reporting a production in excess of 50,000 pounds, viz: 

 Gallatin, 63,190; Wayne, (iO,110; White, 68,061; Williamson, 115,419. The succeeding census shows that the 

 production of this staple did not keep pace with the increase of population, for while the latter increased during 

 the decade between 1840 and 1850 nearly 80 per cent., the tobacco product increased only 48 per cent. The number 

 of pounds reported in 1850 was 841.394, only two counties reporting over 50,000 pounds, Saline and Williamson, 

 the latter producing over five-eighths of the whole. The census of 1860 returned 6,885,262 pounds; an increase, as 

 compared with 1850, of 718 per cent. The counties at that period producing over 50,000 pounds were Crawford, 

 Franklin, Gallatin, Hamilton, Jasper, Jefferson, Johnson, Pope, Saline, Wayne, White, and Williamson, the last- 

 named county still taking the lead, producing over 1,700,000 pounds, Johnson and Saline coming next, each producing 

 over 1,000,000 pounds. 



Previous to 1860 no tobacco as a staple crop had been cultivated in the northern tier of counties. The high 

 prices, however, whicli prevailed in 1863 induced Mr. A. Simmons, a resident of Stephenson county, to make an 

 experimental planting of the seed-leaf variety. It grew large and cured up an excellent color. lie had the whole 

 crop manufactured into cigars, and found a remunerative and ready market for them at home. His complete 

 success stimulated his neighbors the succeeding year to plant a crop, and the cultivation gradually extended so as 

 to embrace the larger portion of Stephenson and Jo Daviess counties. 



In 1870 the total production of Illinois was 5,249,274 pounds, a falling off, as compared with the census of 1860, 

 of over 20 per cent. This was probably due to the occurrence of unfavorable season, and not to a reduced acreage. 

 The following counties reported a production of over 50,000 pounds, viz: Edwards, Franklin, Gallatin, Hamilton, 

 Jackson, Johnson, Jefferson, Massac, Pope, Pulaski, Saline, Stephenson, Wayne, White, and Williamson; Saline 

 and Williamson being still in the lead, each producing a little over 1,150,000 pounds. Crawford and Jasper during 

 this decade abandoned to a large extent the culture of the crop, while Edwards, Massac, Pulaski, and Stephensou 

 were added to the list of tobacco-growing counties. The returns of the enumerators of the census of 1880 show a 

 total production for the state of 3,935,825 pounds, the counties having under cultivation over 100 acres bfing 

 Franklin, Hamilton, Johnson, Massac, Pope, Saline, Williamson, Jo Daviess, and Stephenson. Of the counties 

 named Jo Daviess and Stepheuson are in the extreme northwestern part of the state, the others in the southern 

 part. 



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