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TOBACCO IN THE UNITED STATES.* 



A bulletin by Mr. M. Whitney, Chief of the Division of Soils of the 

 U. S. Department of Agriculture, gives a brief review of recent litera- 

 ture on tobacco, statistics of tobacco production in the different tobacco- 

 growing districts of the United States, meteorological conditions in the 

 great tobacco regions, and texture and water content of typical soils of 

 the various tobacco-growing districts. 



The conclusion is drawn that there is not sufiB.cient difference in the 

 meteorological conditions in the different regions, as ordinarily recorded, 

 " to explain the distribution of the different classes of tobacco, yet this 

 distribution is probably due mainly to climatic conditions .... 



" One must still judge, so far as the climate is concerned, mainly 

 from the experience of others as to the class of tobacco to be raised, as 

 the ordinary meteorological record will be of very little value in determin- 

 ing this point. The plant is far more sensitive to these meteorological 

 conditions than are our instruments Even in such a famous tobacco 

 region as Cuba, tobacco of good quality can not be grown in the imme- 

 diate vicinity of the ocean or in certain parts of the island, even on what 

 would otherwise be considered good tobacco lands. This has been the 

 experience also in Sumatra and in our own country, but the influences 

 aie too subtle to be detected by our meteorological instruments. 



"Little therefore, can be said at the present time in regard to the 

 suitable climate condition for tobacco of any particular type or quality." 



Next to climatic conditions the class and type of tobacco depends 

 irore largely upon the character of soil than upon any other condition. 

 The preseijt bulletin reports and discusses mechanical analysis of a 

 large number of samples of soil and sub-soil collected in the more im- 

 portant tobacco districts, and also gives records of determinations of the 

 moisture content during several years in one or two localities in some 

 of the principal tobacco districts." 



The results show that the cigar tobacco soils of the Connecticut Yal- 

 ley contain on an average considerably less than 5 per cent of clay and 

 maintain on an average about 7 per cent of water throughout the sea- 

 son. " These soils are too light in texture for any of the staple farm 

 crops. They are adapted to the quick-growing spring vegetables. The 

 concitions seem to be peculiarly adapted to a particular grade of wrap- 

 per leaf tobacco." Attention is called to the fact that a few years ago, 

 when there was a greater demand for heavier cigars, these light soils 

 had little or no value for tobacco, the tobacco being grown mainly on 

 the heavier soils and on the " meadow lands" of the Connecticut Yalley. 

 These meadow lands differ from the light tobacco soils now cultivated 

 principally in containing a larger proportion of silt, which enable them 

 to maintain a water content of from 23 to 27 per cent. 



The tobacco lands of Pennsylvania, which are also devoted mainly 

 to growing cigar tobacco, are confined chiefly to a comparatively narrow 

 belt along the Susquehanna Eiver and to the limestone soils, "typically 

 developed in York and Lancaster Counties." The amount of clay in 



* Tobacco Soils of the United States, M. Whitney. (U. S. Dept. of Agri., 

 Division of Soils Bui. 11, pp. 47, pis. 13.) Review in Experiment Station Becordr- 

 IX, 11, Edited by Dr. A. C. True, &c. 



