s 
 
 U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
 
 TOBACCO SOILS OF CONNECTICUT AND 
 PENNSYLVANIA. 
 
 MILTON WHITNEY, 
 Chief of the Division of Agricultural Soils. 
 
 [Reprinted from the Yearbook of the U. S. Department of Agriculture for 1 894.] 
 
 WASHINGTON: 
 
 GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 
 1895. 
 
Glass. 
 
 
 Book 
 
 \j 
 
 . Wfc 
 
3 1 ^ 
 
 U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
 
 
 TOBACCO SOILS OF CONNECTICUT AND 
 PENNSYLVANIA. 
 
 BY 
 
 MILTON WHITNEY, 
 
 ( hief oj the Division o I , ullural Soils. 
 
 [Reprinted from the Yearbook of the U. S. Department oi Agriculture for 1894.] 
 
 WASH I NGTO N: 
 
 GOVERNMENT P R I N 1' 1 N G O V F ICE 
 1895. 
 
> 
 
 <p 
 
 
 
 
 ~- 1 
 
CON T E NTS 
 
 Page. 
 
 Adaptation of soils to varieties of tobacco 144 
 
 Tobacco soils of the Connecticut Valley 146 
 
 Tobacco soils of Pennsylvania 151 
 
 I L L 1 1 ST If. A T IONS 
 
 Fig. 1. Mechanical separation of the gravel, sand, silt, and day in 20 grams 
 
 of sal iso il fro in Poquonock, Conn., adapted to tobacco 147 
 
 Fig. 5. Mechanical separation of the gravel, sand, silt, and clay in 20 grams 
 
 of subsoil of the Podunk district, East Hartford, Conn., adapted to 
 
 tobacco 118 
 
 Fig. ii. Curves showing the amount of moisture in the tobacco soils at 
 
 Poquonock, l.asi Hartford, and Hatfield, in the Connecticut Valley. 149 
 Fig. 7. Average amount of water maintained in 20 grams of tobacco soils at 
 
 Poquonock, East Hartford, and Hatfield, in the Connecticut Valley. 150 
 Fig. 8. Mechanical separation of the gravel, sand, silt, and clay in 20 grams 
 
 of subsoil from .Marietta, Pa., adapted to tobacco 152 
 
 Fig. "J. Curves showing the amount of moisture in tobacco soils at Poquonock 
 
 and East Hart ford, Conn., and Marietta, Pa, 153 
 
 Fig. 10. Average amount of water in 20 grains of tobacco soils of Poijiionock 
 
 and Marietta 154 
 
 m 
 
(A portion of the article entitled "Soils in their Relation to Crop Production," in the Yearbook oft he 
 U. S. Department of Agriculture, 1894.) 
 
 TOBACCO SOILS OF CONNECTICUT AND PENNSYLVANIA. 
 
 By Milton Whitney, 
 Chief of the Division of Agricultural Soils, /'. S. Department of Agriculture. 
 
 Tobacco is grouped commercially into classes, types, and grades. 
 The class represents the use to which it is adapted, whether for cigar, 
 cigarette, smoking, chewing, or export trade. The type is dependent 
 upon certain qualities, such as the color, texture, and flavor of the leaf, 
 and upon the question whether it is sun-cured, air cured, flue-cured, etc. 
 The grade refers to the degree of excellence of the leaves from the same 
 type or even from the same stalk. The different grades are designated 
 as low, medium, and good, and also with respect to the use, as fillers, 
 binders, wrappers, and the like. 
 
 Different types of tobacco are required for cigars, cigarettes, smok- 
 ing, and chewing, and different grades for the wrappers and fillers of 
 cigars and for plug tobacco. Furthermore, different sections of our 
 own country and several of the importing foreign countries require dif- 
 ferent classes, types, and grades of tobacco for their use. 
 
 The English, German, and Italian markets require a coarse, ark, 
 heavy type of tobacco, grown extensively in the Clarksville district of 
 
 143 
 
144 YEARBOOK OF THE U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
 
 Tennessee and Kentucky. The Austrian and Swiss markets require a 
 lighter-colored and more leafy tobacco, which is grown upon the lighter 
 and poorer soils of the Clarksville district. The French market requires 
 a still lighter and coarser leaf. Nearly all of the Maryland tobacco 
 and much of the Virginia and Ohio tobaccos go to France, Holland, 
 and Germany for pipe smoking, as it is a mild, sweet-flavored tobacco, 
 with free burning qualities, making it specially suitable for this use. 
 The cigarette tobacco comes principally from the bright tobacco soils of 
 Virginia, North and South Carolina, and eastern Tennessee. 
 
 Tobacco can be grown on almost any well-drained soil which will 
 produce Indian corn; but the climatic conditions and the texture and 
 physical properties of the soil so greatly modify the development of the 
 plant as to determine the distribution of the different classes and 
 types. Climatic conditions control, of course, the general distribution, 
 but the influence of the texture of the soil in modifying the effect of 
 these climatic conditions determines the local distribution of types. 
 Tobacco readily adapts itself to a wide range of climatic conditions, as 
 is seen in the distribution of the plant in our own country from Florida 
 to Wisconsin. While it adapts itself very readily to the different con- 
 ditions of temperature and rainfall which normally prevail during the 
 growing season throughout this wide range of territory, seasons which 
 are either too wet or too dry very often reduce the yield per acre and 
 impair the quality and the value of the product. The plant is, further- 
 more, peculiarly sensitive to the conditions of moisture and heat, result- 
 ing under existing climatic conditions from the texture and physical 
 properties of the different soil formations, and this largely determines 
 the local distribution of the different types of tobacco. 
 
 ADAPTATION OF SOILS TO VARIETIES OP TOBACCO. 
 
 Soils adapted to the production of the coarse shipping tobacco, suit- 
 able for the English and German markets, will not produce fine tobacco 
 of any variety. Soils containing a large proportion of clay, or which 
 otherwise are very retentive of moisture, produce large, heavy plants, 
 which cure dark-brown or red, with large quantities of oil or gum in 
 the leaves. Light, sandy soils, on the other hand, produce a thinner 
 leaf, which cures a very bright red, mahogany, and even lemon yellow. 
 So marked is this influence of soil upon the quality of tobacco that a 
 fine bright-tobacco land may be separated by only a few feet from a 
 heavier clay soil which will produce only a coarse, heavy shipping leaf. 
 Varieties which produce an excellent quality of tobacco on soils to 
 which they are adapted produce an entirely different type when planted 
 on lands of a different character, and frequently fail entirely. Yellow 
 Pryor and Orinoco grown upon rich lowlands, especially if well 
 manured, produce a strong, heavy type of tobacco, while upon light, 
 new land the product of the same varieties is yellow, fine flavored, 
 thin textured, and sweet. 
 
RELATION OF SOILS TO CROP PRODUCTION. 145 
 
 Manures and fertilizers tend to increase the yield per acre, but in 
 the case of the fine, bright tobaccos this is usually accompanied by a 
 deterioration of the quality of the product, especially if excessive 
 quantities of stable manure and other forms of nitrogenous manures 
 are added to the land. With the heavier varieties of tobacco, how- 
 ever, this increase of yield is often accompanied by a marked improve- 
 ment in the quality of the product, as it becomes richer and contains 
 more oil and gum, which is an advantage for the purpose to which this 
 class of tobacco is adapted. 
 
 The distribution of the principal types of tobacco may be broadly 
 stated as follows: The seed-leaf, or Havana, tobacco is produced in 
 such quantities and such excellence as to give a distinct character to 
 localities m Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, 
 Illinois, Wisconsin, and Florida; the red shipping leaf gives a distinct 
 character to localities in Virginia, Kentucky, Indiana, Tennessee, Iowa, 
 and Arkansas; the white Burley gives a distinct character to localities 
 in Ohio and Kentucky; heavy shipping tobacco for export gives a 
 distinct character to localities in Maryland, Virginia,, West Virginia, 
 Kentucky, and Tennessee ; mahogany and yellow wrappers and smokers 
 give a distinct character to localities in Virginia, North and South < !ar- 
 olina, and eastern Tennessee. 
 
 The best soils for these different classes and types of tobacco are 
 very different, ranging from the light, sandy lauds of the pine barrens 
 for the fine yellow varieties to the heavy clay soils of the limestone 
 areas for the heavier grades of tobacco. This must always be borne in 
 mind, as otherwise there would be apparent contradictions, since in 
 some districts light, sandy loams, and in others strong clay soils, are 
 described as best adapted to the variety of tobacco which gives char- 
 acter to the locality. 
 
 The writer has endeavored to study during the past season the con- 
 ditions maintained by the soils adapted to some of these different 
 classes and types of tobacco for the purpose of determining those which 
 are essential to the best development of each of these types. This infor- 
 mation, with a knowledge of the ordinary climatic conditions, would give 
 a basis for the classification of tobacco soils and for the improvement 
 and modification of the conditions in many soils which are not, under 
 present methods of manuring and cultivation, well adapted to any par- 
 ticular type of tobacco. This work involves considerable preliminary 
 examination of the physical conditions of the soils in the localities which 
 are to be selected, and then the establishment of observing stations in 
 these different areas. It has been impossible, for various reasons, to 
 obtain in one year records of the soil conditions from many localities 
 and, with respect to the localities from which we have obtained records, 
 the data are not yet all available, and will not be until the tobacco is 
 cured. 
 
146 YEARBOOK OF THE IT. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
 TOBACCO SOILS OF THE CONNECTICUT VALLEY. 
 
 The influence of soil upon the quality of the tobacco grown in the 
 Connecticut A' alley is very marked. Where the soil is a heavy clay 
 loam, or for other reasons is normally very moist, the tobacco produces 
 a thick leaf which has considerable oil and gum in its tissues, cures a 
 dark color, and will bear sweating well, but is not well suited for cigar 
 wrappers at present because light- colored, thin-textured wrappers are 
 in demand at this time. Upon light, sandy soils the quality is very 
 line, the texture of the leaf is thin, and the color is light. It is this type 
 of tobacco which is at present in demand for cigar wrappers. A good 
 wrapper for our domestic use at present requires a leaf of line texture 
 and small veins, but with plenty of body. It must have elasticity and 
 strength to make it pliable in working, and it must have good sweating 
 qualities to bring out the flavor and to give it the aroma it needs when 
 finally cured. 
 
 Samples of the soils and subsoils have been collected from a number 
 of localities representing some of the principal types of land adapted to 
 tobacco and several soils not adapted to this crop. Observations have 
 been taken every day during the growing season to determine the 
 amount of moisture in the soils in several places. 
 
 The accompanying table gives the mechanical analyses of three of 
 the very finest types of tobacco soil in the State of Connecticut for the 
 light-colored, thin-textured wrappers. 
 
 
 Table s. — Mechanical analyses of stthsoils of t<>h<tcc<> h 
 
 nd. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 . 
 
 
 
 u 
 
 
 
 5 
 
 a . 
 
 '-i 
 
 a 
 
 ■p 
 
 o 
 
 
 No. 
 
 Locality. 
 
 
 I 
 
 z 
 
 ■/. - 
 
 s. K 
 
 in 
 
 - ri 
 
 
 
 o 
 
 
 o 
 
 
 
 O^ 
 
 -.1 
 
 c8 
 
 - ~" 
 
 © 
 
 © 
 
 
 2 
 
 © ■ 
 
 C3 ■ 
 
 
 
 3 
 
 C 
 
 o 
 
 o 
 
 3 
 
 Ph 
 
 > 
 
 m 
 
 Ph 
 
 O 
 
 
 CONNECTICUT. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 842 
 
 3J miles east of E;isl Hart- 
 
 Perct. 
 
 Perct. 
 
 Perct. Perct. 
 
 Per ct. 
 
 Per ct. 
 
 Perct. 
 
 Perct. 
 
 Perct. 
 
 Perct. 
 
 
 ford, " plains" 
 
 0.40 
 
 2.08 
 
 1.05 
 
 5. 03 
 
 18.31 
 
 25. 83 
 
 32. 11 
 
 11.31 
 
 1.15 
 
 2.51 
 
 1254 
 
 
 0. 56 
 
 1.64 
 
 3. 22 
 
 7. 53 
 
 19.64 
 
 23.76 
 
 34. 50 
 
 5. 92 
 
 0.78 
 
 2.53 
 
 729 
 
 East Hartford, Podiint 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 0.4!) 
 
 2. 05 
 
 0.09 
 
 0.30 
 
 1.11 
 
 9. 95 
 
 52. 47 
 
 27.73 
 
 3. 56 
 
 4.00 
 
 
 
 
 The amount of clay in these samples ranges from ii.5 to 4 per cent. 
 The soil of the "plains," near East Hartford, is a very light, sandy 
 soil, which grows a tobacco of a very fine texture and very good color, 
 but the yield per acre is naturally low. The conditions which give this 
 land its characteristic value are undoubtedly to be found in the small 
 content of clay and in the small amount of moisture which these 
 "plains" soils maintain. No observations have been made on the 
 moisture condition of these soils in their natural condition in the field. 
 
 The subsoil of the Poquonock lands is seen to contain about 2.o3 per 
 cent of clay, 5.92 per cent of silt, and less than 1 per cent of fine silt. 
 
RELATION OF SOILS TO CROP PRODUCTION. 
 
 147 
 
 These soils have almost identically the same texture as the "plains" 
 soil, and the development, texture, and color of the tobacco crop is 
 believed to be about the same. The yield is larger in this particular 
 locality, because the lands have been more intelligently cultivated. 
 This is believed to represent the finest type of land of the Connecti- 
 cut Valley for the light-colored, thin-textured cigar wrapper, which 
 approaches the Sumatra grade. When heavy, dark wrappers are in 
 style this soil can not compete with the heavy limestone soils of Penn- 
 sylvania for the domestic market. 
 
 Per Cent. 
 
 3.J13 
 
 !»W, 
 
 2-1 
 
 7S3 
 
 1,5 
 
 Medium sand. 
 
 /? 63 
 
 .5,25 
 
 Fine sand. Veryfinesand. 
 
 c23 76 3+fSO 
 
 J ■?£ 
 
 .05,01 
 
 0.7? 
 
 .01,005 
 
 Clay. 
 
 J!, S3 
 
 .005,0001 
 
 Diameter of the grains in milHmeiers. 
 
 Fig. 4.— Mechanical separation of the gravel, sand, silt, and clay in 20 grams of subsoil from 
 Poqnonock, Conn., adapted to tobacco. 
 
 The amount of moisture has been determined in these soils through- 
 out the growing season. The results are shown in a diagram, figure 0, 
 page 14!t. The figures on the left-hand side of the diagram indicate 
 the percentage of moisture found in the soil to a depth of 112 inches 
 from the surface. The dotted portions of the line pass through the 
 dates where observations are missing. 
 
 The soils of the Podunk region of East Hartford and Windsor, rep- 
 resented by Xo. 729, are seen to have about 4 per cent of clay and L'7.73 
 percent of silt, with 3.50 per cent of fine silt. The relatively large 
 amount of silt makes these soils more retentive of moisture than the 
 soils of Poquonock, and they are said to grow a rather heavier type of 
 tobacco. The relative character of the crops of these two soils during 
 the past season can not be exactly determined until the crops come out 
 of the sweat and are finally cured, which requires nearly a year from 
 the time the crop is harvested. 
 
148 YEARBOOK OF THE U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
 
 It will be seen that the soil of the Podniik district contained during 
 the season considerably more moisture than the soil at Poquonock, and 
 this undoubtedly accounts for the heavier and darker type of tobacco 
 produced. 
 
 Per Cent. 
 
 .OS 
 
 2-1 
 
 .30 
 
 1.5 
 
 /// 
 
 .5.25 
 
 s.ss 
 
 .25.1 
 
 VeryHnesand. 
 
 S2 ¥7 
 
 .1 05 
 
 Silt 
 
 27.73 
 
 
 .05.01 
 
 Fine silt 
 
 3. SO 
 
 Clay. 
 
 ¥00 
 
 01.005 .005-0001 
 
 Diameter of She grains in millimeters 
 
 Kin. 5. — Mechanical separation of the gravel, sand, silt, and clay in 20 grams of subsoil of the 
 Podunk district, East Hartford, Conn., adapted to tobacco. 
 
 Hatfield, Mass., is another center for the tobacco industry of the 
 Connecticut Valley, and samples have been collected from a number of 
 localities in that vicinity. Their mechanical analyses arc given in the 
 accompanying table. 
 
 Tabi.k !). — Mechanical analyses of subsoils. 
 
 No. 
 
 Locality. 
 
 9 5 
 5 ^ 
 
 o -x 
 
 <• 
 
 C 
 
 a 
 
 ' "a 
 5 
 
 B 
 1 
 
 ■2 
 
 ■d 
 
 a 
 
 a ^ 
 
 U <-* 
 
 : 
 
 -d 
 
 a 
 
 2 A 
 - N 
 
 '<—' *^ 
 
 — 
 
 . 
 
 r. E 
 
 f 
 
 a c i 
 
 ■d 
 
 s 
 
 E 
 O 
 
 5, 
 
 ■7. 
 
 o 
 
 a 
 
 i 
 o 
 o 
 o _^ 
 
 • s 
 B 
 
 o 
 
 ci ■ 
 
 
 MASSACHUSETTS. 
 
 Perct. 
 
 Perct. 
 
 Perct. 
 
 Pi- ret. 
 
 Perct. 
 
 / Vr <7. 
 
 /Vr ci. 
 
 Per el. 
 
 Per ct. 
 
 Per ct. 
 
 1039 
 
 Hatfield, "2-acre lot" 
 
 0. 21 
 
 1.48 
 
 0. oo 
 
 0.00 
 
 2. 50 
 
 28.11 
 
 55. 78 
 
 10.71 
 
 0. 03 
 
 0.92 
 
 1173 
 
 Hatfield, represent in g 
 average soils of this lo- 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 cality 
 
 0.59 
 
 2.71 
 
 0. 00 
 
 0. 00 
 
 0.40 
 
 9.00 
 
 4 'J. 12 
 
 38. 90 
 
 3.07 
 
 3.17 
 
 875 
 
 Hatfield, 100 feet from 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 ( lonnecticut River 
 
 0. 66 
 
 2. 15 
 
 0.00 
 
 0. 00 
 
 0.12 
 
 2.31 
 
 40. 30 
 
 45.41 
 
 4. 15 
 
 4.50 
 
 901 
 
 Hatfield, 200 feet from 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Connecticut J Mvcr 
 
 o. 82 
 
 2.90 
 
 0. 00 
 
 0.00 
 
 0.21 
 
 2.13 
 
 38. 1 1 
 
 45.09 
 
 4. 70 
 
 5.98 
 
 
 Not suited to tobacco. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 999 
 
 Hatfield, "heai yloatn"... 
 
 0.88 
 
 3.45 
 
 0.00 
 
 0. 00 
 
 0. 10 
 
 0.43 
 
 21.88 
 
 67. 00 
 
 3.41 
 
 2.61 
 
 1250 
 
 Hatfield, "meadow land". 
 
 0.10 
 
 4.75 
 
 0.00 
 
 o.oo 
 
 Or 05 
 
 0.50 
 
 32.64 
 
 49.32 
 
 5.46 
 
 6.79 
 
RELATION OF SOILS TO CROP PRODUCTION. 
 
 149 
 
 There are two very different types of land represented here. Sample 
 No. 1030 came from a 2-acre lot in the town of Hatfield, considered to 
 be of the very finest type of tobacco land of the locality. The yield 
 per acre is small, but the color, texture, and quality of the tobacco are 
 very superior, and the wrappers bring a high price. It will be seen 
 that the texture of this soil is similar to that of the Poquonock and of 
 
 JUNE. 
 
 JULY. 
 
 
 It 
 
 I7U8 
 
 19 
 
 20 
 
 21 
 
 22 
 
 23 
 
 24 
 
 25\2&27 
 
 28 
 
 29 
 
 30 
 
 1 \.2 
 
 3 
 
 4 
 
 5 
 
 6 
 
 7 
 
 8 
 
 9 
 
 10 
 
 // 
 
 12 
 
 /3 \I4 
 
 IS\I6 
 
 33 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 32 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 ■;, i 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 29 
 
 26 
 
 27 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 ^1 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 \ 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 26 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 1 
 
 \ 
 
 
 
 
 25 
 
 
 
 
 
 , 
 
 f\ 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 > 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 1 
 
 
 I 
 
 A 
 
 
 
 
 24 
 
 •. 
 
 ►^ 
 
 
 
 
 
 \ 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 / 
 
 
 
 \i 
 
 n 
 
 V 
 
 A 
 
 •v 
 
 23 
 
 
 ' 
 
 A 
 
 
 
 
 % 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 * 
 
 \ 
 
 H 
 
 177 
 
 7f 
 
 LO 
 
 
 /• 
 
 — 
 
 J 
 
 
 
 V 
 
 22 
 
 
 
 V 
 
 
 
 
 % 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 \ 
 
 1 
 
 1A 
 
 ?S. 
 
 
 
 / 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 21 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 \ 
 
 i 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 \ 
 
 "V 
 
 '+ 
 
 
 
 / 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 20 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 \ 
 
 J 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 *•- 
 
 J 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 IS 
 
 la 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 V 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 17 
 IB 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 EA 
 
 ST 
 
 H/ 
 
 /?r 
 
 FC 
 
 ?/3 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 A 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 A 
 
 
 c 
 
 ON 
 
 v. 
 
 15 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 J 
 
 r 
 
 V 
 
 j^ 
 
 ^*- 
 
 S», 
 
 ) 
 
 f\ 
 
 [ 
 
 
 r 
 
 ■~c. 
 
 ., 
 
 14 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 f 
 
 J 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 V 
 
 
 v 
 
 / 
 
 
 
 
 13 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 " 
 
 ,*f 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 V 
 
 
 
 
 
 12 
 II 
 10 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 A 
 
 L_ 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 9 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 • f 
 
 V 
 
 «• 
 
 8 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 ft. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 J 
 
 
 
 
 7 
 6 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 — 
 
 -. 
 
 ■s 
 
 V 
 
 * 
 
 n/ 
 
 r 
 
 V 
 
 -. 
 
 
 
 P, 
 
 QU 
 
 ON 
 
 )Ch 
 
 ,c 
 
 r w, 
 
 f. 
 
 / 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 -»- 
 
 " 
 
 ■•« 
 
 »•* 
 
 — 
 
 -.' 
 
 
 
 
 5 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 4 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 3 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 2 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 / 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Fig. 0. 
 
 -Curves showing the amount of moisture in the tobacco soils at Poquonock, East 
 Hartford, and Hatfield, in the Connecticut Valley. 
 
 the "plains" soil at East Hartford. Sample No. 117.'> represents about 
 the average tobacco soils of the Hatfield district. This is said to pro- 
 duce a very fine quality of tobacco. It will be seen from the analysis 
 that the texture of this soil is quite similar to that of the Podnnk dis- 
 trict of Connecticut. Samples Nos. 875 and UOL represent what are 
 
150 YEARBOOK OF THE U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
 
 East 
 Poquonock Hartford 
 
 Hatfield 
 
 2 8% 
 
 called the " river sands," near the edge of the first terrace overlooking 
 the river. They have a small percentage of clay, but a rather large 
 amount of silt. This might make them rather too retentive of moisture, 
 but their position on the bank of the river insures perfect drainage, as 
 the bluff is 25 or 30 feet high at this place. For this reason these soils 
 produce a very fine quality of tobacco, as fine in every way as does 
 No. 1030. The importance of the bluff in securing thorough drainage 
 to these lands is very marked. Sample No. 875 is taken about 100 feet 
 nearer the river bank than No. 901, and the soil is considered more 
 valuable for tobacco than the other, the product being brighter and of 
 a finer texture. 
 The other two samples were taken from different types of land. 
 
 Sample No. 009 represents what is 
 locally known as a "heavy loam" 
 .and No. L250 is from a meadow land. 
 These two soils are said to produce 
 tobacco the leaves of which are 
 coarse textured and oily, do not take 
 on a good color, and are unsuited to 
 the present market demands; but 
 when dark wrappers are in style 
 these lands will be taken up and the 
 cultivation of tobacco will be aban- 
 doned on the light soils. These soils 
 do not ditt'er materially from the 
 other samples at Hatfield except in 
 the large amount of silt they con- 
 tain. ( ) w i n g to th i s 1 arge amount of 
 silt and to the peculiar arrangement 
 of the silt grains, these soils are very 
 close and very retentive of moisture, 
 and to these soil peculiarities are 
 due the characteristics which unfit 
 this tobacco for the present demand. 
 The plants show all the symptoms of 
 an excessive growth from an exces- 
 sive water supply. 
 The accompanying diagram (fig. 0) shows the amount of moisture 
 maintained during a part of June and July in the soils at Poquonock, 
 where the light wrappers are produced, in the soils of the Fodunk dis- 
 trict, and in this "heavy loam" soil at Hatfield (No. 009), which is 
 unsuited to tobacco. 
 
 Figure 7 shows the actual amount of water maintained, on the aver- 
 age, by 20 grains of the soil at Poquonock, and at East Hartford, and of 
 this' heavy loam at Hatfield, through the season. The excessive amount 
 of moisture maintained by the Hatfield soil is strikingly apparent. 
 
 Fig, 7. — Average amount of water maintained 
 in 20 grama <>t' tobacco soils at Foquonock, 
 East Bartford, and Hatfield, in the Connecti- 
 cut A' alley. 
 
RELATION OF SOILS TO CROP PRODUCTION. 151 
 
 It may be asked if this "heavy loam" from Hatfield is better adapted 
 to other types of tobacco. This is undoubtedly so, but just at present 
 the heavy, coarse types of tobacco, which in its present condition it is 
 adapted to grow, are worth but little. It may also be asked if the con- 
 ditions could be modified so as to make the land better adapted to the 
 finer types of cigar tobacco. This could undoubtedly be done. The 
 first thing needed would be to underdrain the land by tile drains so as 
 to remove as much as possible of the excess of water. The tobacco 
 should be grown on high beds or ridges, which would keep the roots 
 in drier soil and materially improve the texture and quality of f he crop. 
 The texture of the soil .should be changed by judicious methods of 
 cropping, manuring, and cultivation, making it more loamy and less 
 retentive of moisture. The excessive growth of the plants could be 
 checked by cultivation, or by the use of certain manures and chemicals 
 which would prevent the plants from taking up so much moisture not- 
 withstanding its abundance in the soil. But all this would be expen- 
 sive, and it is a question whether it could be economically done under 
 the prevailing conditions. 
 
 TOBACCO SOILS OF PENNSYLVANIA. 
 
 The characteristic tobacco of Pennsylvania is grown on the heavy 
 limestone soils having a stiff red-clay subsoil. These soils represent the 
 very finest type of agricultural land, being well adapted to both wheat 
 and grass. They are identical in geological formation, texture, and 
 agricultural value with the soils of the Cumberland Valley of western 
 Maryland and Virginia and with the soils of the blue-grass region of 
 Kentucky. There are, of course, many areas along the river, on the 
 islands, and back in other of the geological formations of the hill conn 
 try where sandy soils prevail and where a light-colored, thin-textured 
 leaf is produced. This latter type of tobacco at present has a higher 
 market value than the crop from the heavier soils, but the type which 
 has given character to the tobacco area of Pennsylvania is that grown 
 upon these rich and fertile limestone soils of Lancaster and the adja- 
 cent counties. These limestone soils produce a heavy, dark type of 
 tobacco admirably adapted for wrappers for our domestic use when dark 
 cigars happen to be in fashion. 
 
 The fad or fancy for light or dark cigars is difficult to explain. It 
 causes prices to fluctuate fust in favor of one and then of the other of 
 our two principal domestic types of tobacco. 
 
 These conditions should be fully realized by the tobacco planters so 
 that they can adapt themselves to the market demands which they can 
 not control. They should fully understand the important influence of 
 the character of the soil on their crop. When the fashion calls for light 
 cigars they should cultivate only their lighter soils and use their heavier 
 lands for other crops. When dark cigars are in demand the lighter soils 
 should be diverted from this use and the heavier soils be once more 
 
152 YEARBOOK OF THE U. S. DEPARTMENT OP AGRICULTURE. 
 
 taken up. The method of cultivation also should tend to emphasize as 
 much as x>ossible the differences in the conditions of these two classes of 
 soils; the lighter soils should have perfect drainage and maintain but a 
 small amount of moisture, while the heavier soils should maintain at all 
 times an abundant and uniform supply of moisture. 
 
 The accompanying table gives the mechanical analyses of two sub- 
 soils of tobacco lands from the typical tobacco area of Lancaster 
 County. 
 
 Ta blk 10. — Mechanical analyses of subsoils. 
 
 
 
 u 
 
 
 ,_, 
 
 _ 
 
 ,-, 
 
 ,_. 
 
 
 J, 
 
 i 
 
 
 
 +3 
 
 g"' 
 
 a 
 
 a 
 
 
 3 • 
 
 
 q 
 
 lO 
 
 o 
 
 No. 
 
 Locality. 
 
 ^ 
 
 > 
 
 
 ^ .J. 
 
 CD 
 
 ai 1 
 
 f 
 I I-. 
 
 i 
 >/1 
 
 H 
 
 o 
 f 
 
 q 
 
 o 
 
 . 1 
 
 
 
 cl 
 
 a 
 
 o 
 
 •M "" 
 
 © 
 
 £ 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 O 
 
 o 
 
 P\ 
 
 N 
 
 l> 
 
 X 
 
 Ph 
 
 O 
 
 
 PENNSYLVANIA. 
 
 Per ct. 
 
 Per ct. 
 
 Per ct. 
 
 Perct. 
 
 iV/- et. 
 
 Perct. 
 
 /Vr ct. 
 
 Per ct. 
 
 P. e7. 
 
 1360 
 
 
 4.36 
 
 0. 12 
 
 0.22 
 
 0.27 
 
 0.37 
 
 7. 48 
 
 28. 28 
 
 16.24 
 
 35. 80 
 
 16 
 
 Lititz 
 
 5. 34 
 
 0. 36 
 
 0.40 
 
 0.93 
 
 3.11 
 
 1 1. 45 
 
 30. 55 
 
 10.35 
 
 36.30 
 
 
 
 
 Per Cent. 
 
 tf/„? 
 
 Coarse sand. 
 
 J/ 
 
 0.17 
 
 0.37 
 
 Verytinesand- 
 
 7?f 
 
 Silt. 
 
 £8.cZ? 
 
 Fine silt. Clay. 
 
 /6<Z^ JSJO 
 
 .5.25 
 
 .25-.1 
 
 .1.05 
 
 .05-.01 
 
 005-.0001 
 
 Diameter of the grains in millimeters. 
 
 Flu. 8. — Mechanical separation of the gravel, sand, silt, and clay in 20 grams of subsoil from 
 Marietta, Pa., adapted to tobacco. 
 
 It will be seen that these subsoils contain about 3(3 per cent of clay, 
 nearly as much silt, and about half as much line silt. They contain 
 only a very small percentage of sand. There can hardly be a greater 
 contrast in agricultural soils than between these heavy limestone soils 
 adapted to grass, wheat, and the heavy types of tobacco, and the light 
 sandy lands of the Connecticut Valley. 
 
RELATION OF SOILS TO CROP PRODUCTION. 
 
 153 
 
 The- accompanying diagram (fig. 0) shows the amount of moisture 
 maintained during the month of July by the soil at Marietta, from 
 determinations in samples taken in the field and sent in to the labora- 
 tory of the United States Department of Agriculture, compared with 
 the moisture determinations at Poquonock and East Hartford, Conn., 
 which have been given elsewhere. 
 
 
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 Pig. 9. — Curves showing t lie amount of moisture in tobacco soils at Poquonock and East 
 Hartford, Conn., and Marietta, Pa. 
 
 It will be seen that the limestone soil at Marietta maintains nearly 
 three times as much water for the plants as the light soil at Poquonock, 
 and this more abundant water supply would be expected to have just 
 the effect which is apparent in the darker, heavier type of tobacco pro- 
 duced. 
 
154 YEARBOOK OF THE U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
 
 Poquonock 
 
 Light Wrappers 
 
 7% 
 
 Marietta 
 Dark Wrappers 
 
 I 6% 
 
 The Connecticut Y alley tobacco competes principally with the Suma- 
 tra, and the Pennsylvania with the Cuban tobacco. Our planters 
 claim that the domestic wrappers from the Connecticut Yalley have a 
 better color and a better flavor than the Sumatra tobacco. The latter, 
 however, has an exceedingly thin leaf, hardly thicker than tissue paper, 
 but remarkably strong, elastic, and pliable. The veins are so delicate 
 that they do not need to be removed. The leaves are so thin and yet 
 so strong and cut to such advantage that manufacturers can estimate 
 very closely how many cigars a pound of wrapper will cover. It is 
 said to cover from four to seven times as many cigars as an equal 
 weight of the domestic leaf. The cigars also have a smoother appear- 
 ance and are thought to make a bet- 
 ter appearance in the windows and 
 .show cases. For these reasons 
 manufacturers have been paying 
 from $3 to $5 per pound for the 
 Sumatra wrapper rather than pay 
 from 25 to 50 cents per pound for 
 the domestic leaf. The problem 
 before our planters, therefore, is to 
 make a smaller and thinner leaf, 
 with more elasticity and strength 
 and with much smaller veins. The 
 peculiar character of the Sumatra 
 tobacco must be largely due to the 
 climatic conditions of the island, but 
 the same result can possibly be ob- 
 tained here by close and intelligent 
 attention to selection and breeding 
 of varieties and by control of the 
 soil conditions. 
 
 The Pennsylvania tobacco is well 
 adapted for cigar wrappers, but it 
 lacks the peculiar delicate flavor 
 and aroma of the best grades of 
 imported Havana. These qualities are undoubtedly due, in large part 
 at least, to the tropical climatic conditions of the island. Whether 
 these same qualities can be obtained in the same perfection under the 
 existing climatic conditions in Pennsylvania, and if not, whether these 
 conditions can be so controlled or changed as to give the desired qual- 
 ities, can not be foretold, but otter a legitimate and promising subject 
 for investigation. The improvement of the crop should be carried on 
 in the lines indicated in this paper by comparing the conditions of cli- 
 mate, especially the conditions of moisture and temperature, within the 
 range of the best tobacco soils of Cuba, with those conditions prevail- 
 ing in Pennsylvania. When these are known they will form a basis, 
 
 Fig. 10.— The avera 
 grains of tobacco 
 Marietta. 
 
 amount of water in 20 
 lils of Poquonock and 
 
RELATION OF SOILS TO CROP PRODUCTION. 155 
 
 otherwise wanting, for the intelligent control of the soil conditions or 
 the improvement of methods of cultivation and treatment. 
 
 Tobacco is grown in Pennsylvania in rather small patches, the aver- 
 age size of the fields being about 3 acres. A small proportion of the 
 farmers cultivate as much as 5 acres, but it is rather uncommon to have 
 more than this, and there is a disadvantage in having more, as the crop 
 can not be so well attended to. The crop is grown under a very inten- 
 sive system of cultivation, involving great care, labor, and expense. 
 AVitb such small arras as these there is no good reason why planters 
 should not insure their crop against injury by drought by having small 
 irrigation plants which would render them in a measure independent 
 in case of any deficiency in the rainfall. The water could be obtained 
 either from springs or streams, of which there are a great many in that 
 limestone area, or by pumping with a windmill or small farm engine. 
 In the arid legions of Kansas a good windmill, it is claimed, will fill a 
 reservoir large enough to irrigate as much as 5 or 10 acres of land, even 
 where several applications of water have to be used during the growing 
 season. In the tobacco area of Pennsylvania probably one thorough 
 irrigation would cany a crop over the most prolonged drought which 
 is there liable to occur. A reservoir 100 feet square would be sufficient 
 to irrigate the crop, and this reservoir could be stocked with fish, which 
 would prove a source of pleasure and profit. If it were kept constantly 
 filled it could be drawn upon for the tobacco crop when needed, for the 
 garden if it were conveniently located, and for other general farm 
 purposes. The cost of such an outfit would be comparatively small; 
 it could be made to pay by the amount of fish it would produce, if prop- 
 erly attended to, and as a measure of precaution and insurance against 
 loss of the crop by drought it would be a wise investment even if it 
 were used only once in two or three seasons. 
 
 Where there are no available springs or streams and a windmill can 
 not well be used, a small farm engine, such as would run a thrashing 
 machine, could be very economically employed. Such an engine 
 attached to one of the many forms of irrigating pumps would irrigate 
 the entire tobacco field in a day or two at a very inconsiderable cost 
 for fuel, labor, and wear and tear of machinery. The advantage of 
 this would be that with small driven or bored wells located on different 
 parts of the farm the engine and pump could be moved from place to 
 place as the different fields were cultivated in tobacco in rotation from 
 season to season. 
 
 6 2 ^