124 TOBACCO PRODUCTION IN THE UNITED STATES. 



This genetic relation of the soil to the underlying rock explains the obvious fact that the irregular patches and 

 /ones of bright- tobacco soils have generally their longer dimension in a northeast and southwest direction. This is 

 the direction of the outcrops of the rocks, which has evidently exercised a marked influence upon the topography 

 of the district, determining in some and modifying in many cases the direction of the streams and valleys, and 

 so the trend of the ridges. Herein also is found the cause why no considerable area produces bright tobacco 

 exclusively, not often even an entire farm of much extent; and also of the other equally familiar fact, that in 

 regions and on isolated farms outside of the recognized bright-tobacco areas not unfrequently some of the best crops 

 are produced, and beds and patches and ledges of the rocks adapted to the production of the proper soils are 

 intercalated here and there among masses of unfavorable composition, and vice versa. 



Such are some of the conclusions to which we are conducted by a general study of the more obtrusive facts 

 connected with the culture of the bright tobacco of this district. 



But one important feature of the district remains to be considered. Two tracts of quite exceptional character 

 occur within the limits of the district, very nearly bounding it, in fact, on the northwest and on the southeast. 

 Topographically, these tracts are notable as basins or troughs, whose trend is northeast and southwest. They are 

 marked almost everywhere by a considerable depression below the general level of the surrounding country. They 

 are notable also as furnishing the channel-ways of many streams, and when the course of a stream lies across their 

 track they commonly end by changing that course to conform to that of these troughs. Geologically, they will be 

 noted on the map as narrow ribbons of Triassic rocks. Lithologically considered, they consist of alternating beds 

 of sandstones, sandy-clay slates, and shales, sometimes indurated, generally soft and little compacted, and readily 

 yielding to the erosive agencies of a climate characterized by a heavy rainfall. It will be observed that nearly the 

 whole of these tracts is included in the bright- tobacco territory, and most of them in the choicest areas, as, for 

 example, Granville and Pittsylvania conspicuously. This is due to the obvious fact that these rocks, by their 

 decomposition, usually give rise to light, sandy soils, with subsoils of corresponding open sandy texture, and 

 furnish in general the class of soils already described as especially favorable to the growth of the bright-tobacco 

 plants. These rocks furnish a much larger proportion of such soils than the granites, gneisses, and schists of the 

 older formations, and are comparable in this respect to the Quaternary rocks of the first district. These zones of 

 Triassic soils, it hardly need be said, are everywhere recognizable, even when the rocks are concealed by the forest 

 and undergrowth already described as characteristic of the bright- tobacco soils, the pine being an almost invariable 

 element, the white oaks, black-jacks, gum, sourwood, etc., being very prevalent. Of course, there are exceptional 

 areas of very different soils, often of high fertility ; but the general fact remains conspicuous that these Triassic 

 soils are generally better adapted than those of older formations to the special industry under consideration. 



The soils of many of the counties southward are just as well adapted to this industry as those included. 



PIEDMONT DISTRICT. The bright-yellow tobacco culture has been extended gradually during the last eight or 

 ten years into this region, receiving an earlier and larger expansion in the counties of the district lying in Virginia 

 than in those of North Carolina. Specimens of the product of this region (Wilkes county) were taken to Vienna 

 in 1873 as part of the exhibit made by the geological survey of North Carolina, and were pronounced by experts 

 to be equal to the best from any part of the world. Buyers in Eeidville, Lynchburg, and elsewhere place the best 

 product of this region with the corresponding brand from the older sections. 



The description of the soils which produce this tobacco in the third district would be a mere repetition of that 

 for the second. The rocks which give origin and character to the soils are of the same age and description. The 

 characteristic growths are also the same, with the exception that the chestnut and chestnut oak are to be added. 

 A peculiarity of the product of several of the counties of this district, mostly in Virginia, is a substitution in large 

 part of the bright yellow by the mahogany tobacco. This is notably true of the eastern part of Henry and most 

 of Franklin, except the southeast, and a considerable part of Patrick, and to a smaller extent of the adjacent 

 counties of North Carolina. The most common variety, the Orinoco (popularly Iron Oak), and to some extent the 

 Flannigan, is grown, especially in Henry county. This mahogany tobacco bears as good a price (and finds as ready 

 sale) as the average of the bright-yellow tobaccos, and is preferred to these by most of the manufacturers of these 

 counties, although they do not reach the fancy prices of the brights. Henry county is the chief producer of this 

 tobacco, Franklin coming next, but making also a considerable quantity of the brighter brand, chiefly in the 

 southeastern section of the county. Patrick county produces also a mahogany, but inferior to that of the eastern 

 half of Henry. The soils which produce this quality of plant are very similar to those of the bright-yellow district, 

 but the subsoil is brown to reddish, and the forests contain a greater variety of oaks, black and Spanish, replacing 

 in part and mingling with the white oak, black-jack, chestnut, etc. There is a less proportion of feldspathic and 

 quartzose gneisses in these counties than is found generally in the second district, and less than in several of the 

 counties of the third in North Carolina. 



MOUNTAIN DISTRICT. The culture of tobacco for market is ot' very recent introduction into this district. 

 About five years ago the subject began to attract attention in Madison county, on the French Broad river, and in 1878 

 the tobacco product of that county was sold for some $50,000; that of 1880 is estimated at $225,000, which means 

 about 1,000,000 pounds. The bright-yellow tobacco from this new quarter grades, both, in texture and in color, in 



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