THE SOUTHERN PLANTER. 



519 



up, and the rest a lon<? snout with blighted 

 kernels, or mere rudiments of them upon it. 



Will not our friend examine into this theory, 

 and experiment a little, and see if we are cor- 

 rect? 



In regard to sheep dung, it is a strong dress- 

 ing, and should be fermented or composted be- 

 fore being used. It is then excellent. 



From the Southern Farmer. 



Prizing Tobacco. 



The article on this subject should command 

 the careful attention of tobacco planters. It is 

 from the pen of one of our commission mer- 

 chants, formerly a planter and who speaks 

 from experience derived from both persuits. 

 Considering that tobacco is one of our staple 

 crops, it may well excite surprise that a portion 

 of it should be brought to market in a condi 

 tion not at all creditable to the skill of the 

 planter. Bat that such is the fact, will be evi- 

 dent to any spectator who attends the breaks 

 at the warehouses for a few days. Besides the 

 several evidences of mismanagement which our 

 correspondent has specified, such a degree of 

 heat is sometimes discovered — caused by too 

 much moisture — as not only to impair the qual- 

 ity of the article, but almost to destroy its 

 Talue. The loss of course fiills on the planter, 

 which might have been avoided by a little 

 more care in the handling. 



Many persons have taken to growing tobac- 

 co within the last year or two who probably 

 never raised a plant before. This may account 

 for much of the bad tobacco ^yhich has been 

 sent to market — for to make a successful plan- 

 ter requires an experience of several years. — 

 Nevertheless a proper degree of care will over- 

 come many difficulties in the art; and if a first 

 rate article cannot be produced at first, it is in 

 the power of an intelligent man to produce at 

 least a respectable one. It yields more ready 

 money than any other crop, and after the plan- 

 ter has gone to the trouble of growing it, he 

 should not relax a moment in his diligence in 

 preparing it for market. 



Our correspondent is well able to treat the 

 subject, in all its details, in an instructive man- 

 ner, and we should be glad to hear further from 

 him. No person can so well inform the plan- 

 ter what sort of an article the buyer wants, as 

 the commission merchant ; and a series of ar- 

 ticles—for the subject is a prolific one—might 

 render a service which many planters seem 

 greatly to stand in need of. 



In connexion with this subject we would en- 

 quire whether the planters of the south side 

 might not be benefited by such an institution in 

 Petersburg as the Tobacco Exchange in Rich- 

 mond. We are aware that it encountered con- 

 siderable opposition in the commencement, as 

 all innovations are pretty certain to do ; but 

 from what wc have learned, it works well, and 

 large quantities of tobacco are daily sold at the 



board by sample, for which there is an active 

 competition. We invite a discussion of the 

 subject. 



P. S. — Since the above was in type, we have 

 received a communication in relation to the 

 Tobacco Exchange from an intelligent corres- 

 pondent, which vrill be found in our issue ol 

 this week. The writer — who is what he rep- 

 resents himself to be, a planter; and who has 

 taken the pains to enquire into the working ol 

 the system — takes decided ground in its favor, 

 and has at least given us a very readable arti- 

 cle. 



If it is thought by any that an undue proni- 

 inence is given to the sul ject of tobacco this 

 week, we have only to say in excuse that it ex- 

 cites at this time more interest than any other 

 crop. 



Prizing Tobacco. — This operation in prepar- 

 ing tobacco for market — than which there iy 

 none more important, from sowing the seed to 

 selling the crop — does not receive that atten- 

 tion from the larger portion of planters to 

 which it is justly entitled. Be the crop good 

 or bad, the planters' profits are mainly depen- 

 dent upon the condition of his tobacco when it 

 reaches market. True a planter cannot prize 

 a good crop unless he first makes it ; but a fine 

 article may be so bungled over in prizing, put 

 up in such order, so fangled and mixed by care- 

 less hands, as to be actually worth less by 50c. 

 to $1 per cwt., than a more inferior one, prop- 

 erly ordered, straightened and well prepared 

 for market. 



The writer has been a close observer of to- 

 bacco sales for several years, and has seen r. 

 difference of $1 to $2| per cwt. produced in 

 crops grown on adjoining farms, cultivated in 

 the same manner, and sold the same day, which 

 could only be attributed to the manner of priit- 

 ing. 



The buyer must take the tobacco as it comes 

 from the planters' hands ; he can use only u 

 certain portion of it per day. That in safe con- 

 dition he can keep for future use, and is always 

 willing to pay for it full market rates; that out 

 of condition he must keep until he can use it, 

 and if he considers his interest, buys at what 

 it will be worth to him when he shall be ready 

 to work it up ; thereby throwing on the plan- 

 ter the injury and loss in the tobacco from the 

 time of purchase to that of manufacturing. — 

 This loss is considerable. The planter has to 

 bear it. It is right that he should. lie ha^ 

 no cause to complain of the manufacturer. It 

 he feels like doing so, let him come here in 

 September or October, and walk into one of 

 our large factories, and take a look at a hhd. 

 then being pulled up, bearing his own name 

 on its head, which he sold in the spring. We 

 presume he would then feel rather more sym- 

 pathy than blame for the manufacturer, an<J 

 congratulate himself that he and that tobacco 

 parted long ago. But planters can remedy tiiie 



