CULTURE AND CURING IN ILLINOIS. 



37 



The tobacco of southern Illinois is used for making strips for the English markets, for export to the continent 

 and to Africa, for manufacturing into heavy plug for Mexican balers, for stogie fillers, and for manufacturing a rough 

 smoking tobacco; but for all these purposes it is considered inferior to the tobacco grown in Kentucky, and even in 

 Indiana, Williamson county being an exception, in which the product is of considerable value. The tobacco is 

 generally of good size, red or brownish in color, showy, porous, with a. large stem and liber. In Johnson, iMassae, 

 and Pope counties some rich, fat tobacco is produced on the limestone soils, and on the oak and hickory ridges a style 

 of tobacco much resembling the light-colored leaf of the Uwensboro' ( Kentucky) district is made. It is estimated that 

 65 per cent., though classed as shipping leaf, may with more propriety be referred to the nondescript. It occupies 

 a very low place in the market, due probably more to bad handling than to the want of adaptation in the soils for 

 the production of a high grade. A large part of the product is grown on freshly-cleared lands, on which the original 

 timber growth was hickory, oak, walnut, and poplar, but the soils preferred are light-colored rolling uplands, with a 

 clayey, mulatto subsoil. On such lands the tobacco grows with a tiner texture, and has a better color, though light, 

 having but little body. On bottom lands, and on old lauds well manured, a dark -red, spongy leaf is produced, heavy, 

 but not fatty, which, though well adapted to the manufacture of strips, is unsuited for domestic manufacture. Old 

 lauds, when planted in tobacco, are generally treated with stable manure, at a cost varying from $1 50 to $5 per acre. 



The preparation of seed-beds and the cultivation of the crop are copied after the methods pursued in the heavy 

 tobacco districts of Kentucky, but much less care is taken with the crop. About two-thirds of the tobacco, alter 

 it is cut, is simply huug up in open barns, after being previously exposed to the suu on scaffolds, and no further 

 attention is given to curing it. It is afterward taken down, assorted, stripped, and packed in a rough way iu 

 hogsheads, which are made to weigh from 1,400 to 1,800 pounds for leaf and lugs. Some fire the tobacco with logs, 

 and here and there a few farmers have constructed barns with flues for curing. Such farmers make a moderate 

 profit on the crop, but it is a question of great doubt whether one farmer in ten growing tobacco in southern Illinois 

 makes it profitable. The average price received by the farmer is: for leaf, $3 75 to $5; lugs, $1 50 to $2. 



As estimated, the cost of production varies from $2 50 to $4 per hundred pounds, and the yield per acre for 

 the different counties growing over 100 acres averages 019 pounds. Saline county shows the largest production, 

 and also the largest average yield per acre in 1ST!), aud Williamson stands next. The quality of tobacco grown in 

 this latter county is much better than that raised in any other county in southern Illinois, and is better than the 

 best raised in Indiana; but all other southern Illinois tobacco is considered inferior. 



Hogsheads cost from $1 75 to $2. A large portion of the crop, probably three-fourths, is sold to local dealers, 

 who pay so much per pound through, receive it iu redrying houses, and pack it for market. 



Strips are put up at Galatia and Kaleigh, in Saline county, and also at Equality, iu Gallatiu county. At these 

 points 75,000 pounds of strips were put up in 1879. 



TOBACCO PEODUCTION. 



The following statement shows the amount of production, acreage, yield per acre, and value of the product in 

 the primary markets of all the tobacco areas iu the state of Illinois not embraced in the seed-leaf district for the 

 years indicated. The figures for all the years are estimated except those for 1879, which are made up from the 

 ceusus returns : 



The following statement shows the total amount of production for (he state of Illinois, yield, value of product 

 in primary markets, value per pound, aud value per acre for the years indicated. The yield of each year, except 

 the last, which is from census returns, is estimated : 



All reports agree that, while the tobacco area is very rapidly diminishing in southern Illinois, it is gradually 

 increasing in the northern part of the state, where the seed-leaf and Spanish varieties are cultivated. 



Oil 



