1 Juye,f1899. ] QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 469) 
Tropical Industries. 
PROFITABLE TOBACCO-GROWING. 
By R. S. NEVILL, 
Tobacco Expert. 
To the question, “Is the growing of heavy export tobaccos profitable, or can 
Queensland growers compete with other countries in other markets?” the 
answer is—Yes, if the farmers are willing to adopt modern methods, and 
conduct their farming operations upon lines followed by other agricultural 
communities. Not only that, but they can practically monopolise the market 
for this class of tobaceo in these colonies, as it is conceded that, so far, this 
colony gives promise of being able to produce the -best tobacco grown in 
Australia. Given the soil and a sufficient rainfall, the cost of production in 
this colony should be less than it is in the United States, for the following 
reasons :—The Queensland farmer does not require to feed his working stock 
through a long hard winter, his taxes are little more than half those imposed on. 
the farmer in the United States, and he gets a larger yield than. the latter, 
while the price of labour is about the same. 
Ordinarily, the amount of tobacco produced here is not commensurate with 
the labour performed, and for the reason that the labour is often not properly 
directed. 
It is doubtful if any one crop, to the exclusion of all others, can be made 
profitable one year with another, employing only one-third or one-half of a man’s 
time, and the balance idle or doing wage work when he can get it. By diversi- 
fying the crops of the farm, and making tobacco one of the crops, the farmer 
does not then depend upon the one crop for the whole of his income and 
sustenance, and he is sure to get a good price for one or more of his products,. 
besides producing his own food, which he can do cheaper than he can buy it out 
of his tobacco money. 
METHODS. 
It goes without saying that the one-crop system requires a higher average: 
of prices to be profitable than that of several crops. By diversifying their crops,. 
the farmers of the United States have found tobacco-growing fairly profitable: 
at 383d. per Ib. 
_ The cost of production in Queensland can be materially lessened by substi- 
tuting the plough for the hoe, as I have heretofore suggested —a process: which 
will increase the quantity and improve the quality, Improved curing-sheds and 
improved methods of curing will also give additional weight to the tobacco,, 
besides improving its quality. The labour of transplanting can be much Tessened. 
by a thorough preparation of the ground beforehand, by deep ploughing and 
deeper cross-ploughing, and thorough harrowing, and getting the soil into the 
best of tilth. By this means a proper arrangement of soil particles is obtained, 
and the land is in the best physical condition, influencing beneficially both the 
temperature and the moisture; the free access of air 1s secured, supplying the 
necessary amount of oxygen, and the soil is in such a condition of fineness as to: 
ulow a perfect root development. | 
These are all essential to healthy plant life; and when these conditions exist,. 
the farmer will have fewer plants dying from transplanting, and the labour will 
be materially lessened. It should be evident to everyone that the soil in such 
condition as to supply, fully, all that plant life demands of it, will give the best 
results in every particular, and this condition cannot be obtained without the: 
free use of the plough. 
