Tobacco. 7
"·- tained. The new type of tobacco gained favor rapidly 011 ac—
, count of its mild quality and bright, silky appearance, and its
cultivation soon spread over what is known as tl1e \Vhite Bur-
. ley district. This type now supplies the market with chewing,
cigarette, pipe and cigar tobacco, but the greater part of it is
manufactured into chewing tobacco.
The Dark Tobacco district, including western Kentucky,
part of western Tennessee, a small area of Missouri, southern
Illinois, and southwestern Indiana, produces a dark, heavy type
which is principally exported to European countries.
Tn view of tl1e fact that Kentucky and the bordering States
produce $$76,647,000 pounds of tobacco annually. ono-sixth of
the total production of the world, Hlltl 1nore than ono—half of tl1e
y production of tl1e e11tire United States—of a quality which is
peculiarly confined on account of soil and climatic conditions
to this area—we may expect that a great part of the world’s con-
sumption will continue to look to this western section for s11p—
plies.
Nuch has been written in recent years in regard to the im-
provement of tl1e tobacco plant by breeding and seed sclcc- y
Y ·- tion, but little reference has been made to tl1e actual field opcra—
tions employed in tl1e cultivation of the crop i11 this seetio11.
It is the object of this bulletin to present tl1e best methods of
cultivation now in use. giving in detail the principal operations
employed.
TUE PLANT lilill.
The plant bed should be located (lll some well-drained spot, _
with southern and eastern exposure if possible. This gives the
maximum amount of sunshine and a protection against the
cold lltt]'l'll(‘l']l and western winds. lt is :1 coniniou |tl'£l('ll('(} to
select a place in tl1e woods where the soil is loose. 'l`l'l2llrl!‘ a11d
rich in hunius. but in sections where wooded tracts are scarce,
plots covered \\'ltl1 brier patches or a heavy ,Q'l`ft\\'ill ··t' shrubbery
often found in abandoned fields make desirable locations. A
good substitute for virgin soil and one olitell used in the \\'hite
liurlev district is plots bearing :1 heavy growth ol bluegrass
sod, but cultivated lillltlF do not give as good results and should
X not be used if it can be avoided. A few successful tarniers use