eT Meter aN. pee ip ee et ee ene ane * . DS WOM CS eas A enn, ee SO asp ates Ne. i arta Re oe U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. BUREAU OF SOILS—BULLETIN NO. 29. ‘MILTON WHITNEY, Chief. 597 / TOBACCO. INVESTIGATIONS : IN OILO. BY GEORGE 'T. McNESS ann GEORGE B > MASSEY, a pee | WASHINGTON: GOVERNMENT. PRINTING OFFICE. , ; 1905. k = a =f) Z tx ) De + < eS wwe PAK EMENT OF AGRICULTURE. BUREAU OF S8OILS—BULLETIN NO. 29, MILTON WHITNEY, Chief. TOBACCO INVESTIGATIONS IN OHIO. BY GEORGE T. McNESS anp GEORGE B. MASSEY. WASHINGTON: GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, 1905. a oe no gram BUREAU OF SOILS. Miron Wuirney, Chief of Bureau. ALBERT G. Rice, Chief Clerk. SCIENTIFIC STAFF. Lyman J. Briaas, in charge of Laboratory of Soil Physics. Frank K. Cameron, in charge of Laboratory of Soil Chemistry. Frank D. GarpNer, in charge of Soil Management. GrorGE T. McNess, in charge of Tobacco Investigations. CLARENCE W. Dorsey, in charge of Alkali Land Reclamation. GrorGE N. Correy, in charge of Soil Survey. ASSISTANTS IN TOBACCO INVESTIGATIONS. WaLTeR M. Hinson. Henry WEINBERG. GEORGE B. Massey. W. J. Woop. J. B. Srewart. Orro OLson. Lewis W. AYER. R. S. Epuey. Harry RIcnu. W. W. GREEN. E. H. MatrHewson. OV 2°7 1006 Uv. Ur D. a « 66 tee be Sis rye fee « . aC a16;5,8 ea ¢ ce eee ‘ LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL. U.S. Department or AGRICULTURE, JUREAU OF SOILS, Washington, D. C., June 15, 1905. Sir: I respectfully transmit herewith a report by Messrs. George T. MeNess and George B. Massey on Tobacco Investigations in Ohio, including the growing of Cuban seed tobacco and the introduction of the bulk method of fermentation. I recommend that this report be published as Bulletin No. 29 of the Bureau of Soils. Respectfully, Minton Wurrney, Chief of Bureau. Hon. James WiLson, Secretary of Agriculture, » vo io EON TENTS. Page. Imirodtction......--2---------.- ee rs = Birch ecte ee i (CINCH ee a ei” 2 2 ee ere _ 8 Description of best tobacco soils.-9-- 6 Sasa eee 10 Miami gravelly loam___________-._-_--._- ~~. ee 10 Miami clay loam _____ ___- = eee mL ti on. * ae eee os ee 12 itypesiot leaf... ..42..<-3- ee eee BAS 6 oder eee 14 AMMO Spanish 7-2 22225 -- 22 2 222-22 Ee ee ee eee 14 Ohio seed leaf ____- ee ee et Se 2 RR Pen on oA 15 Little Dutch ____- Bee re tes ee an = ee ee ae 15 Cuban seed leaf ._________. OD WM 3 Ee SRS — 15 Growing of Cuban seed tobacco .....---.--.-...----.---------.----------- Aly Details of the work in 1904 _- Weeeha> fee © Sek ea 18 Preparation of the land _-..-------- 6 ee ee ee eee 18 Me seed bed. 22 f= 2 Shee nee soe Leese ce sent seem enee 18 Mransplantine 22 2.2.2..2-2.-22...-..6- Be es ee oe 18 (Ci nce) ao) ee eee ey es 19 Topping and suckering ____-__--__-_. ----_ oe ee ee 19 NAT VeSGING oe ee ee mete os. 2c 5 Fe 5 ele ekss ot See eae 19 age (aN Ove eee =e 2 eee ec a Jee Be eves cee Sano 20 HGnMrembaOMees ok oe eee awe eons melee See Sn re ee 22 SAIN Pane 2B oo. 2 eee ee ee a1) eee car 24 osteo prOUMGtONE 92-28 2 2 ee Lee bo ee Se te wc eee se 25 Sale of tobacco grown in 1902 and 1903 experiments _..----- 26 Introduction of bulk fermentation in Ohio__-._--- 6 28 Des ription of various methods. -_-------- 2 ee 28 Details of fermentation of leaf of different types .---------- 6 30 Relative cost of different methods of fermentation -___-____-_-__ 3B Cooperative work during three seasons ___..________ .-_.---. -----. -_-- 33 Letters from the trade_______._________2.___-- A ae 37 TOBACCO INVESTIGATIONS IN OHTO. INTRODUCTION. The production of tobacco adapted to the different market demands has become a prominent factor in our agriculture. Of particular importance is the production of superior filler-leaf tobacco. The filler leaf of a cigar, above all things, must have a good flavor, good aroma, and good burn. It has long been recognized by the tobacco trade that the leaf grown on the strong, heavy soils found in the Miami Valley of Ohio makes the most desirable fiiler grown in this country. Although the leaf does not possess the mild aroma and fragrance of the Cuban tobacco, yet it has such desirable qualities that the culture of tobacco has become the principal industry of that part of Ohio. The growing of cigar leaf in Ohio dates back to 1797, when the early settlers grew small crops for their own consumption. About the year 1838 Mr. S. Pomeroy, of Suffield, Conn., moved to the valley, carrying with him some tobacco seed from his native place. He planted a small field in Miami Township, Montgomery County, and from this beginning the cultivation of tobacco gradually spread to the neighboring farms. ‘The only tobacco, however, reported in the cen- sus of 1840 from the present Miami Valley district was 95 pounds, grown in Clark County. The cultivation of tobacco was confined to Montgomery County until 1850, when some farmers in the neighborhood of Alpha, in Green County, began to grow it. In 1851 a small quantity was pro- duced in Butler County, in Dicks Creek Valley, and within the next three or four years the cultivation extended successively into Warren, Preble, and Miami counties. Previously to 1850 a few patches were grown in several counties from Virginia seed for domestic use. The census for that year reported 2,500 pounds for Butler County, 1,460 pounds for Chnton County, 135 pounds for Champaign County, 7,132 pounds for Drake County, 2,500 pounds for Miami County, 50 pounds for Preble County, and 2,601 pounds for Warren County. Montgomery County for the same year reported 196,971 pounds, or o 4 8 TOBACCO INVESTIGATIONS IN OHIO. about 500 cases, which shows that tobacco had become a staple in that district. The crops grown in the Miami Valley in 1850 and 1851 amounted to about 2,000 cases, and in the succeeding year the production had risen to 4,000 cases, an increase of 100 per cent in a single year. All these crops were marketed in New York. That grown in 1850 brought from 9 to 10 cents a pound, but the crop of 1851 averaged only 44 cents a pound. The growing of tobacco on a commercial scale was first developed on the soils of the river bottoms. No effort was made to grow a fine quality of leaf, the main object being to produce a large yield. which was used mostly for binders and wrappers of cheap cigars. With the change which came in the character of the leaf demanded by the dealers, these river bottom lands were given up to a large ex- tent and the rolling uplands used for the growing of cigar fillers. Although improvements have been made in the selection of suitable soils and in the method of planting, the Ohio tobacco grower is still deficient in his knowledge of the curing of his crop. Great loss is experienced every year in damage from mold and pole rot. This is due to a great extent to the poor construction of the curing sheds and the lack of sufficient barn room at harvest time. It was the object of the Bureau of Soils in making the experiments detailed in this report to prove to the tobacco grower and packer of the Miami Valley that an improved type, containing qualities similar to the tobacco grown in Cuba, could be grown on certain of their soils, and also that by improved methods of curing and fermentation the annual loss arising from mold and pole rot could be largely if not wholly overcome. CLIMATE. The climate of southwestern Ohio is typical of a large part of the central interior region of the United States. There is a maximum range in temperature, between the coldest days in winter and the hottest In summer, of 115° F., the difference between a minimum of —15° F. and a maximum of 100° F. The following table is compiled from the long-established records of the Weather Bureau station at Cincinnati. This station is not over 35 miles from the area surveyed in Montgomery County, and so may be taken as representing the general condition in the Miami Valley tobacco district. The figures presented in this table are nor- mals computed on records extending over many years. The normals for each of the months of the growing season and for the entire year are shown. CLIMATE OF SOUTHWESTERN OHIO. Climatological data for southwestern Ohio. Mean Mean Ne) Mean : ee rerag aE Month, maximum) minimum) monthly | monuidy |, relative ture. ture. ture. rainfall. | humidity. bey be se Ld i Inches. Per cent. INTO ENDS BSS ne ee ee 63 45 55 ao 61 INES. St Se oe, Se a ae 74 pt 65 4.0 63 BIC ee eee oe sre heen een oe edc | 81 65 7 4.4 65 IIHS 7S eet 3 Se Oey ee ee 86 69 77 3.9 65 PAST TLS pepe Ao oa ae aia Dna aichs 84 67 75 3.8 65 HSYzyoi(2) a0) 012) Skee hn ee 78 62 68 3.0 69 Na 110 624 ee a 63.8 48.9 56 a22.4 69 a Total for six months. The following table shows the average monthly and annual tem- perature and the monthly and annual rainfall at Cincinnati and Day- ton for the three years during which experiments in growing Cuban seed leaf tobacco have been carried on: Monthly and annual temperature and precipitation. Dayton. Cincinnati. 1902. 1903. 1904. 1902. 1903. 1904. Month. —|—_____— =| (Ee | : : Tem-|} Pre- |Tem-) Pre- |Tem-| Pre- |Tem-| Pre- |Tem- Pre- |Tem-) Pre- pera-|cipita-| pera-cipita- pera-cipita-| pera-cipita-| pera-cipita- pera- cipita- ture. tion. ture,| tion. | ture.| tion. | ture.) tion. | ture. tion. ture. tion. OU. Vad ttgls| Osi, In. oy oh In. as Tn. cap a Tn. Vi Th. January __..-------- 28.9) 1.13} 28.2] 2.389 | 21.3 | 4.61 | 31.5) 2.10} 31.1! 2.05 | 27.0] 2.66 February. ___..-___. 22.2 .61 | 82.0 | 4.79 | 25.4) 2.53) 25.1 .B8 | 34.6 | 5.76 | 28.9 | 2.66 March -.....--...... 43.0| 2.55 | 47.6| 3.69| 41.8) 7.90] 44.8] 1.47] 49.7) 4.97] 44.2) 8.17 / 09) | 49.3] 2.13 | 51.2} 3.66 | 45.4 | 3.18 | 52.8) 2.87 | 58.6 3.49 | 48.2 | 2.28 May - 65.4 | 2.39 | 65.2 4.66 | 61.6 | 4.05 | 67.6] 5.54 | 67.4 | 3.83 | 64.2 | 3.70 dhvhs(: Serr 69.8 7.32 | 66.0 | 9.09 | 70.2 2.47 | 71.8 Dawn | 60.6 3.27 | 72.4 2.60 SNe! occas oa.2 75.8 | 3.42 | 75.2 1.43 | 73.6 | 3.04 | 77.4] 3.47] 77.8) 2.31] 75.5 80 Aumpust 2.22.22 22.2 71.9 we LNAso | EALT | TGs) Tet i4aed .65 | 74.9 | 2.75 | 75.0 41 September __.._.__- 65.4 | 4.95 | 67.4 | .65 | 66.6] 2.00 | 66.6 | 4.26 | 69.2 | 1.78 | 69.9 1.28 @ctober .£.2--..-2.. 56.4} 3.25 | 55.0 | 2.72 | 53.6 M2, | beso (geie | Oleo 1.31 | 56.7 | .89 November _.._...__| 49.8 | 3.56 | 38.2 | 2.44 | 41.8 .63 | 52.4 | 3.29 | 40.4 1.45 | 44.4 | 34 December _______.-- 30.6 | 3.95 | 25.8 2.00 | 29.3 4.16 | 33.0 5.25 | 27.6 | 1:72 | 82.4 3.75 Annual ._._.._| 52.4 | 85.97 | 52.2 | 38.69 | 50.2 | 37.67 | 54.7 | 37.30 | 54.3 | 34.69 | 53.2 | 29.54 From the foregoing table it is seen that July and August are the hottest months and January and February are the coldest months in the year. 3160—No. r 29—05 5) M -_ The greatest precipitation takes place in May and June. 10 TOBACCO INVESTIGATIONS IN OHIO. The following table gives the actual rainfall on the tobacco field near Germantown, and the dates on which precipitation occurred, during the growing of the experimental crop in 1904: Rainfall at Germantown. | Date. Inch. | Date. Inch. June 19____------ 0.36 duly Zle~ soe ee 0.32 yA ies Be ae .65 ps ae eae -10 Dera 30 OT ees Ol | DR eee | oes Olen Anis lee amen 37 nese ee sees .ot lS eee 05 July, bese-=s2<2 .99 1! SiSae 2, ee 21% | ree 35D 1 Uae es Se . 4 (ae era 32 DO ee 18 LS nee eee 02 Sept illsa eee 08 Delia eee 10 Be. st odeboog | .4l WO coaicss atl? wee iY eee eae Ae | 155 eee ee 05 | 19d 3) In 1904 the last killing frosts in spring occurred at Dayton, on May 16, and at Cincinnati, on April 25, while the first in the fall cecurred on October 7 and 28, respectively, for the two stations. There was thus a growing season for tender plants ranging from 144 to 186 days. DESCRIPTION OF BEST TOBACCO SOILS. MIAMI GRAVELLY LOAM. The two soils found most suitable for the cultivation of tobacco are the Miami gravelly loam and the Miami clay loam. The Miami gravelly loam occupies large areas in the river valleys. This is generally known as the second bottom, and is considered the finest farming land in the valley. The principal areas are situated between the Great Miami and the Mad rivers, and a few miles south of Dayton, east of the Great Miami River, in Van Buren Township. There is also another large area in West Dayton, but it is mainly oecu- pied by the city. In addition to these there are several other areas of a few square miles in extent. This formation may occur as a high first bottom, but generally as the second terrace above the river beds. These river bottoms, or, more properly speaking, terraces, are from 20 to 60 feet above the river level. When a number of successive ter- races are found they rise from 5 to 15 feet, one above another. Rarely five distinct terraces may be counted, but the most common occurrence of this formation is, as stated, either as a high first terrace or a rolling terrace 10 to 15 feet above the areas of the Miami loam formation. The soil is derived from the great mass of glacial débris deposited over the country by the ice, but this material has subsequently been DESCRIPTION OF TOBACCO SOILS. VW modified considerably by the action of the streams which flow through the valley. These rivers and streams must have been greatly swollen during the closing period of the Glacial epoch when they received the waters from the melting masses of ice covering the country to the northward. The terraces certainly bear witness to the assorting and carrying power of these swollen rivers, for in every instance they are found to consist of beds of great thickness composed of well-rounded and nicely assorted gravel and sand. Although the terraces are com- posed largely of gravel, the soil carries more or less silt and clay. The soil may be described as a heavy, sticky, reddish-brown loam to a depth of 12 inches. This soil contains some sand, but there is suf- ficient clay to give it the properties of a heavy loam. Under the soil is found a stiff reddish-brown clay loam, quite similar to the sub- soils of the clay uplands, but always containing a larger percentage of sharp angular quartz somewhat less than one-half inch in diameter. The subsoil as we go deeper contains more and more gravel, until at 30 feet it grades into a mass of well-rounded gravel. Exposures of 30 and even 40 feet of well-rounded stratified gravel underlying these soils were noticed in some of the old gravel pits above and below Dayton. These gravel beds insure perfect drainage conditions and render the soil warm and dry. On the surface there is a varying amount of well-rounded gravel from 2 to 5 inches in diameter. The quantity of gravel contained in the soil to a depth of 10 inches is sel- dom less than 15 per cent and rarely more than 40 per cent. Exces- sive quantities of gravel on the surface of the soil are found only in very limited areas. Often along the slopes from one terrace to another the gravel may be found coming to the surface in considerable quan- tities. Generally the gravel is nearer the surface in the large areas south of Dayton than it is in other extensive areas of this formation. None of the areas is subject to overflow from the rivers even during the highest floods. The second bottoms were eagerly sought by the early settlers, for it was recognized that the soils were light, warm, and dry, and would produce twice as much as the cold, wet uplands. When discovered they are said to have been covered with a thick growth of sugar maple, black walnut, many kinds of oak, ash, hickory, mulberry, elm, locust, buckeye, basswood, sycamore, cherry, hackberry, gum, and beech— trees which denote a rich, productive soil. But little now remains of the once extensive forest, and only scattered groves are seen, which are mostly a growth of a few varieties of oak. The Miami gravelly loam is always in demand, and some of the best-improved farms of the county are to be found on the slightly rolling terraces. It was on this soil that the early cultivation of tobacco received such an impetus, and for a long time it was consid- 12 TOBACCO INVESTIGATIONS IN OHIO. ered the finest tobacco land of the valley, but with the ever-changing demands of the trade it is not now so important as formerly, although many large fields of tobacco are grown each year on this type of soil. The following table shows the texture of the interstitial material forming this soil: Mechanical analyses of Miami gravelly loam. = } 19 | o a ed rs) S 1% S| oA S | ee) ah ee oe ee alee | ot : S| eee ad _ lrg ae) BE | aes Sey) Ge ae aloe No. Locality. | Déscription. Da ea epiek if Asis! O92 | oe | S8 | : gg Sie gz aT ao ]og log | | &p a5 | 3° Sm aol s ea cate bes all che rare) 2 Ss } 848° Ve ee eae ;& |e A Fe eer 5S) | Picts Pact. WPcts| Pact WB elo GRacta vEacn 5008 | North of Dayton -... -.-.| 0 to 12 inches----- 5.51 | 11.23) 9.36 | 17.66 | 15.58 | 25.59 | 12.95 5009 | Subsoil of 5008 __--______- 12 to 24 inches.-__| 17.64 | 14.60 | 10.06 | 9.90 | 6.19 | 18.00 | 26.538 | | MIAMI CLAY LOAM. The Miami clay loam covers fully four times as large an area in Montgomery County as all the other formations combined. — Fre- quently the roads extend a long distance through this type without a change in the character of the soil other than the shght changes depending upon the varying drainage conditions of the different fields. There are large areas in the northern part of the county that are the exact counterpart of equally large areas in the extreme south- eastern and southwestern portions of the county. The surface features of this soil vary greatly in the different see- tions of the county. In the northern and central parts the topography is that of a broad, level, or gently rolling plain. In the other sections the surface is hilly and broken, although there are frequent inter- stream areas which are comparatively level for a considerable dis- tance. In the level areas the fields are apt to be poorly drained, and formerly this was much more generally the case, but the open- ing of the large ditches and the improvement of the fields by under- ground drains have put the lands in excellent condition, so that they are no longer spoken of as cold, wet uplands. In the more hilly areas the drainage is well established, and artificial drainage is unnecessary. Where the upland borders the valleys there is often a steep scarp of from 80 to 120 feet, but where the valley gradually merges into the uplands a distance of several miles may be traversed before the general level of the upland is reached. This soil is the weathered product of the heterogeneous mass of ground-up rocks left upon the surface in glacial times. This deposit of glacial débris varies from 2 feet to more than 100 feet in thick- DESCRIPTION OF TOBACCO SOILS. Le ness, depending upon the inequalities of the surface before the mate- rial was deposited. The soil of the Miami clay loam is a light loam containing a rela- tively high proportion of silt. It is a remarkably uniform soil, whether found on the steep hillside or on the more level uplands. It has a light yellowish-brown color when newly plowed or when moistened by recent rains. When not stirred for several weeks in a hot, dry season, it becomes almost white, and it is often spoken of by the farmers as “* white clay.” This character of material is found to an average depth of 10 or 12 inches. It is easy to till and is light and loose and readily dries after rains. The subsoil, beginning at a depth of 12 inches, is a heavy, sticky red-brown clay loam, which when thoroughly dried checks into small cubes, closely resembling the stiff subsoil of the Miami gravelly loam, although it contains a much smaller percentage of small angular quartz gravel, and in many localities none whatever. When the sub- soil is free from gravel it closely resembles the alluvial deposits of the Red River in Louisiana and Arkansas. The depth of the subsoil is from 2 to 5 feet. In the northern, and in some places in the cen- tral-western parts of the county, the subsoil rests directly upon the glaciated and scratched surface of the Niagara limestone. Tn many other places the material, at a depth of 3 or 4 feet, passes gradually into a stiff mass of clay filled with angular bowlders and pebbles and contaiming occasional pockets of quartz sand and well-rounded, strat- ified gravel. The pebbles and bowlders embedded in the mass of clay generally have sharp corners and are often scratched, especially on one side. There is usually a small quantity of stones on the surface of the Miami clay loam, but never enough to interfere with cultivation, for where originally plentiful the bowlders have been removed. The percentage of small stones on the surface varies from 5 to 20 per cent. These stones are fragments of limestone and angular pieces of the metamorphic series of rocks, such as granite. eneiss. ete. Although it has been stated that this soil is remarkably uniform, there are two areas which deserve special mention. These are a high hilly area a short distance southeast of Dayton and another somewhat similar area a few miles northwest of Dayton, in Harrison Township. In these two localities there are several high hills, which are composed to a great extent of beds of large, rounded gravel and pockets of clean, sharp sand, overlain with a soil the exact counterpart of the soil found in the typical areas. The only difference in these areas is that at a depth of 2 feet the subsoils are underlain with gravel instead of compact clay filled with angular bowlders. The drainage condi- tions of these areas are the same as in the Miami gravelly loam, 14 TOBACCO INVESTIGATIONS IN OHIO. The Miami clay loam is called by various local names, which usu- ally have some reference to the topography or the soil conditions. A common name is that of * sugar-tree land,” on account of the prev- alence of sugar maples in the native forests. Again, it is called * clay uplands ” and “second bottom,” as distinguished from the lower river bottoms proper. Frequently it is called * limestone soil,” from the -bed of limestone which closely underlies it, or, again, * white clay,” or, if deep plowing has brought up some of the subsoils to the surface, “red clay.” In the more level parts of the area, where the timber growth is largely beech, the name “beech land” is used. When these lands were first explored they were covered with a thick growth of sugar maple, soft maple, basswood, beech, black walnut, poplar, wild cherry, white oak, blue ash, several varieties of oaks, black gum, elm, hickory, buckeye, end ironwood. There is still con- siderable timber standing on the uplands, which can be seen skirting the horizon in every direction. Tobacco is the crop which seems to succeed the best on the Miami clay loam, and each year large quantities are harvested. On almost every farm will be found 3, 5, or 8 acres of tobacco, while many farms have from 10 to 30 acres in this crop. Tobacco grown on the uplands has a good body, good sweating properties, and is fine fibered and elastic. The following table gives the results of a mechanical analysis of the soil and subsoil of this type: Mechanical analysis of Miami clay loam. : | ~ | P P | Very Fine Coarse | Medium Fine ’ 13 a A A : é lee. fine Silt, 0.05} Clay, Description. urevel, eon seen gs eae sand, 0.1} to 0.005 to cee mm. Pai Ouran to 0.05 (0.005 mam. | O mm. mm. Per cent.| Per cent.| Per cent. Per cent.| Per cent. Per cent.) Per cent. Soren re Sel shel sata. ane) 1.28 2.83| 3.46 11.36 11.40) 48.40 | 16.86 Shell) eae eee: BZ) «Bebe 3.34 | 11.19 14.22} 26.40 36.25 | TYPES OF LEAF. There are four principal varieties of tobacco grown in the Miami Valley—Zimmer Spanish, Ohio seed leaf, Little Dutch, and Ohio Cuban. AIl of these types are grown for cigar purposes. ZIMMER SPANISH. In the Miami Valley the Zimmer Spanish is grown more generally than any of the other types, being in great demand at the present time as a filler for many brands of domestic cigars. This variety is said to be a hybrid from the native seed leaf crossed with the Cuban TYPES OF LEAF. 15 variety, and was introduced by Mr. Jacob Zimmer, from whom it takes its name. Some authorities believe it to be a modification of a variety know as the * Baltimore Cuban,” the seed of this type having been distributed by the Department of Agriculture several years ago. The plant grows about 4 feet high and has the leaves set close together on the stalk. The leaf is a little more pointed than the Cuban type, which it otherwise resembles very closely. The Zimmer Spanish tobacco when planted on the uplands yields about 600 pounds to the acre, while on the warmer second bottom lands the yield is much greater. Although the upland tobacco is lighter in weight, it is claimed to have the best quality and aroma. The average price received by the grower is 7 cents, and the high- est price is seldom more than 10 cents a pound. This variety of tobacco is also grown to a limited extent in Wisconsin. OHIO SEED LEAF. The Ohio seed leaf is the oldest of the varieties grown in the Miami Valley, and before the introduction of the Zimmer Spanish it was grown much more generally than at present. In recent years, notwithstanding the seed leaf gives the larger yield, the Zimmer Spanish has displaced it to a considerable extent. The seed leaf is grown also in the New England States, but in that district it produces a wrapper, or binder leaf, while in Ohio it is grown almost exclusively for fillers. Because of the greater size of the plants. they are set 3 feet apart each way in the field. The leaf is very large and broad, and when ripe the edges curl over, giving it the appear- ance of the heavy shipping tobacco of Virginia. When well fer- mented the leaf makes a desirable filler and is largely used in the cheaper grades of cigars. In the past considerable quantities have been exported to Germany and France. LITTLE DUTCH. The Little Dutch tobacco is a sweet-scented variety grown princi- pally around Miamisburg, although the acreage has declined in recent years. It was introduced by a Mr. Rayendorf, who brought the seed from Germany. It has a narrow leaf and a small, short growth. It is used for cigar fillers, making a cigar with an aroma resembling the Yara tobacco grown in the eastern part of Cuba. It requires great sare in curing, the leaf being thin and easily damaged during the process of fermentation. CUBAN SEED LEAF. The Cuban seed leaf tobacco was introduced into Ohio a few years ago by some leaf dealers, who procured the seed from Florida, where 16 TOBACCO INVESTIGATIONS IN OHIO. this type of tobacco has been successfully grown for several years. Owing to the changed conditions both in soil and in climate, which destroyed the uniformity of the type, and to the methods used in its cultivation by the farmers, who were totally unacquainted with the requirements of this new variety, the attempt was a failure, and the trade did not receive this tobacco with favor. The tobacco had most of ‘the physical characteristics of the Cuban leaf, but it lacked the aroma which was necessary for a filler leaf. The old method of fermentation then in use did not help to bring out this quality; on the contrary, it made the leaf harsh and strong in taste, although some of the leaves showed signs of merit. GROWING OF CUBAN SEED TOBACCO. In the spring of 1902 the Bureau of Soils decided to see what im- provements could be made in the methods of cultivating and curing tobacco grown from imported Cuban seed in the Miami Valley. Mr. George B. Massey, an expert of the Bureau of Soils, was detailed to look over the area which had been previously surveyed in the Miami Valley, to select a suitable soil, and to make other arrangements for conducting this work. A desirable soil (Miami clay loam) was lo- rated on the farms of Mr. John H. Rohrer and Mr. John A. Begard, two well-known tobacco growers of that section, and agreements were entered into with these gentlemen, under which they furnished the land, implements, and curing sheds necessary to carry on the experiments, the Bureau for its part providing the experienced labor. A crop of 6 acres was grown, fermented, and baled under the Bureau’s direction, yielding 2,191 pounds of fermented tobacco. In this same season 5 acres were also planted in Zimmer Spanish, yielding 3,700 pounds, or 748 pounds to the acre. A second experiment was conducted during the season of 1903 to demonstrate further the possibilities of growing in Ohio a Cuban seed tobacco having the qualities demanded by the trade in a high-class cigar filler. Seven and a half acres were planted on the Miami clay loam, yielding 3,950 pounds of air-cured leaf, or 527 pounds to the acre. When fermented and baled this tobacco weighed 3,451 pounds. In 1904 the Bureau conducted another experiment, using this time two distinct types of soil. Six acres were planted in the upland soil (Miami clay loam), which yielded 3,056 pounds of leaf, or 509 pounds per acre, and 4 acres in the second bottom land (Miami gravelly loam), which yielded 3,082 pounds, or 770 pounds per acre. The most improved methods were used in fertilization and cultiva- tion. Labor-saving implements were used to minimize the cost of production, and the tobacco was bulk fermented, graded, and baled according to the latest methods used where this type of tobacco is grown successfully. 3160—No. 29—05 M 3 17 18 TOBACCO INVESTIGATIONS IN OHIO. DETAILS OF THE WORK IN 1904. The following pages detail the work connected with the production of the crops of 1904, beginning with the preparation of the seed bed and continuing through all the operations until the finished product was ready for the market. PREPARATION CF THE LAND. The land was plowed in the spring to a depth of 8 or 10 inches, using a two-horse plow, and as soon as the frost was out of the ground 20 loads of well-rotted stable manure to the acre were applied broadeast. This was plowed under with a two-horse plow and allowed to decay. About two weeks after this plowing the land was harrowed with a disk harrow to break up the clods and thoroughly pulverize the soil. Just before setting out the young tobacco plants the land was again harrowed with a fine-toothed harrow, which leveled off the land and left the soil in good tilth. THE SEED BED. In preparing the seed bed the work was commenced the preceding fall by spading the ground well and dividing it into beds 6 feet wide and about 40 feet long. Each bed was surrounded by boards 2 inches thick and 12 inches wide, set 3 inches in the ground. These frames were filled with leaves and manure to keep out the frost during the winter season, and about the Ist of April this top dressing was raked off and the soil again spaded and well pulverized. After this a liberal application of cotton-seed meal was raked in, leaving the surface of the bed smooth and loose. About seven days before the time of planting the seed was put in apple-tree punk, made soft with warm water, and kept in a room with a temperature between 70° and 75° FY. until it germinated. The sprouted seed was then mixed with cotton-seed meal and sown broad- ‘ast in the beds at the rate of 2 tablespoonfuls of seed to 100 square yards of surface. The beds were then lightly rolled to preserve the moisture and to cover the seed. .\ light cloth was stretched over the bed and securely fastened to the boards on all sides. This retained the heat in the bed and protected the young plants from damage by frosts or insects. TRANSPLANTING. The tobacco was transplanted from the seed bed to the field during the early part of June. The plants were set out with a mechanical planter, known as the tobacco setter, being placed 14 inches apart in rows 8 feet apart. This machine, which rolls the ground, opens the furrow and sets and waters the plants, requires three persons to GROWING OF CUBAN SEED TOBACCO. 19 operate it—a man to drive and two men or boys to feed the plants into the machine. Plants set by machine are found to make earlier and better growth and to give more uniform results than when set by hand. Transplanting by this machine can be carried on and good results obtained when the weather conditions would be fatal to hand- set tobacco. CULTIVATION. No plant responds more quickly to thorough cultivation than tobacco, but the plant having quite an extended system of surface roots, all cultivation should be shallow. The field should be kept clean and in good tilth, both to promote the rapid and healthful growth of the plant and to remove the hiding places afforded to insects by a growth of grass or weeds or accumulations of trash. After the young plants had been set out a week cultivation was commenced, and thereafter the entire crop was hoed and plowed every week. In hoeing, great care was taken to break the crust that formed after each rain and to draw fresh soil up to the plant. The plowing was done with a two-horse riding cultivator, which left the plants on a slight ridge or hill, just enough to shed water in case of any very heavy rains. By this method of cultivation the soil was left in a mellow and well-pulverized condition, the power of the soil to absorb and retain moisture was increased, and the root system of the plants given a larger area in which to gather food. TOPPING AND SUCKERING. About six weeks after transplanting the seed bud appeared. This was carefully taken out with the three top leaves, care being exercised not to injure the remaining leaves of the plant. Just when to top the plant, as well as how many leaves to take out with the bud, depends upon the climatic conditions during the growing season, the strength and vitality of the plant, and the purpose for which the leaf 1s being grown. . After the plants were topped suckers appeared at the junction of each leaf with the stem. These were broken off as soon as it was possible to do so without injury to the plant. Suckers will appear on all types of tobacco after being topped, and unless they are broken off the leaf will lose part of the nutritive matter which has been stored in it and deteriorate in quality. HARVESTING. Harvesting was commenced about the middle of August, at which time the early set plants showed signs of ripeness. The time when a 20 TOBACCO INVESTIGATIONS IN OHIO. plant is ripe and ready to be cut is a matter of judgment and experi- ence. There is a slight change in the color of the leaf. The leaf is observed to change from a rank green to a lighter shade of green, yellow spots appear, and the leaf feels coarse and thick to the touch. Tt also breaks easily, especially when the dew is upon it. Doctor Loew “ in this connection says: The ripening of the tobacco leaf is, in other words, not a physiological but a pathological phenomenon. By the accumulation of nicotine, oxidizing enzyins, and acids a state is finally reached in which the normal deep green color of the chlorophyll grains gives way to a yellowish color. A “ripe” leaf contains, per 100 square centimeters, an average of 0.164 gram of matter soluble in boiling water, while a young leaf contains only 0.066, the former having, therefore, for an equal surface about 2.5 times as much soluble organic matter as the latter. As to the total weight, a ripe leaf weighs from 1.8 to 1.5—on the average 1.4— times as much as an equal surface of a young Jeaf of the same plant. It is espe- cially the nicotine and the protein compounds that increase in a ripe leaf, a fact of which anyone can soon convince himself by a comparison of the reaction caused by phosphotungstic acid in the juices of ripe and unripe leaves. The amount of water in ripe leaves averages, roughly, 88 per cent, and in young leaves S88 per cent; that is, when compared in nearly starch-free condition, after ‘overripe’ leaves, they contain, like the young leaves, relatively more water and less or- . , being kept two days in darkness. * * * As to the so-called ganic matter than the ripe leaves. By the stoppage of the functions of the chlorophyll grains, which gradually change in the overripe leaves, hew produc- tion of organic matter is prevented, while consumption still proceeds. In harvesting filler tobacco the plants are cut and not primed, as is the practice with wrappers. In cutting, the man stands over the plant, takes hold of it with his left hand, and carefully bends it over; with his right he cuts the stalk with a knife or hatchet just above the ground, taking care not to injure any of the leaves. When suffi- about 12 stalks to the lath— ciently wilted, it is hung upon a lath and hauled to the curing barn. BARN CURING. The tobacco was hung upon the tier poles direct from the field, and is not left upon scaffolds or racks to wilt, as is the custom among the growers of export tobacco, About 6 inches space was left be- tween the laths hung in the top of the building to prevent a too ‘apid cure, or “ haying down,” while in the body of the barn more space was given between each lath to allow for a freer circulation of air, and in the case of damp or rainy weather to prevent pole sweat, which would occur if the laths were placed closer together. a Physiological Studies of Connecticut Leaf Tobacco, Report No. 65, U. 8. Dept. Agr., 1900. GROWING OF CUBAN SEED TOBACCO. 21 All the ventilators were kept shut for the first three days, during which time the tobacco undergoes its first change, viz, the turning of the leaf from a green to a bright yellow color. After this the barn was opened or closed, according to the weather conditions. No fixed rules can be given for the curing of tobacco, as the manipulation of the barn is governed by the conditions of the weather and the nature of the tobacco. If the season during which the tobacco is being cured be excessively hot and dry, it is best to close the barn tightly during the day and open it at night. During the day the tobacco will become very dry, and at night, with the ventilators open, it will cool off and become soft and pliable. When the tobacco is cured, with the exception of the stem or mid- rib, the ventilators may be left open during the day, especially on the shady side of the barn, but whenever the day is rainy or there is a strong wind blowing it is best to keep the barn closed tight to pre- vent damage from too much moisture or to guard against injury to the leaf by whipping. When there are frequent showers and but little sunshine, the barn should be closed, and small wood or char- coal fires, distributed throughout the barn, should be lighted for a short time each day. These fires should be continued as long as it is necessary to keep the tobacco in proper condition. When charcoal can not be obtained for fuel, wood which has as little odor as possi- ble should be selected. It is very important to dry out the barn without giving the tobacco any foreign odor. The barn curing is complete when the midribs of the leaves ure cured, at which time the tobacco is ready to be taken down. To get the tobacco in condition to be handled, all the ventilators should be left open the night before. In the morning the tobacco should be soft and pliable, but not wet. The barn should then be closed im order to retain the moisture. In stripping the leaves off the stalk they are divided into three erades. The three lower leaves are called “sand leaves,” the three upper leaves are called “ tops.” or * tips,” and the leaves of the bal- ance of the plant, which form the most desirable part of the tobacco, are called “middles.” This separation is made to facilitate the handling of the leaf in the packing house, where each grade of leaf receives a different treatment in the fermentation. After stripping the leaves off the stalk they are tied in hands, or bundles, containing «bout forty leaves each, and packed in boxes or in paper bundles for delivery to the packing house. It is a matter of impossibility to control the moisture conditions in curing tobacco as long as the present form of curing barn is used and the prevailing method of crowding the stalks in the barn is followed. 22 TOBACCO INVESTIGATIONS IN OHIO. Ample space should be left between the laths to allow a free circula- tion of air, and the barn should be so constructed as to be closed tightly or thrown wide open, as the occasion demands. Where the barns are poorly constructed and the roof is leaky, it is impossible to properly manipulate the tobacco, and curing will continue to be a weak point with the Ohio growers until improvements in the barns are made. A fine crop of tobacco may be grown and harvested, and vet, on account of poor barn management, its value will in some instances be reduced 25 per cent by pole sweat. With a barn that can be tightly closed » few fires will suffice to dry the tobacco even in the dampest weather, and in this way pole sweat, mold, and damage of any kind that arises from excessive moisture can be prevented. The opening and closing of the barn requires nice discrimination. It is by allowing the tobacco to become alternately soft and dry, each to just the right degree, that the leaf is properly cured. If tobacco is allowed to dry out too quickly the color will be uneven and mottled. if, on the other hand, too long a time is taken to effect a cure the leaf will become tender. It should be the aim to manage the barn so that the tobacco will become soft and fairly dried out once in every twenty-four hours. A period of from six to eight weeks is ordinarily required to cure tobacco that is cut and hung with the stalk. FERMENTATION. The grower of cigar tobacco seldom ferments and packs his own tobacco, generally selling it in its green, or raw, state to the leaf dealer. The Bureau of Soils, however, desiring to gain an opinion from the trade as to the value of the leaf when produced under the very best methods from planting to packing, deemed it necessary to carry the experiment through all the various processes. Therefore, the tobacco, after barn curing, was fermented by the bulk method, sized into three grades, and packed into bales according to the Cuban style. As received from the curing shed, the tobacco was stacked in bulks in the warehouse to ferment with its own moisture, a thermometer being placed in the bulks to determine the temperatures. The tem- perature was allowed to run as high as the moisture in the leaf would admit, but in no instance did it go above 120° F. before “ kasing ” (adding water by artificial means). The changes in temperature of one of the bulks, which contained 3,950 pounds of tobacco, before “ kasing ” are shown in the following table: 99 GROWING OF CUBAN SEED TOBACCO. vars) Changes in temperature of bulk during progress of fermentation. | Date, [Temper nate, |Temper'| pate, (Temper Date, | Temper F. F. F. FF. INTOVs 2 .---- 55 || Dec. 9. ------ 103 || Dec. 27__--..-- 120) {Sam [4 100 ie, em | 5D 11] ope 10] ee 119 1 100 3 Eee 60 | ieee 100 | 29a 78 i 100 a 61 | i age ees 100 | BO) = w5- 78 hea 100 ae 63 | Ce 100 an 79 18....... 100 26_....- 65 14._---.. 99 Jan. 1 82 19_- 101 ee 67 | 15a__ 98 es. 85 20. 101 ORitat & 69 | Tees 91 | one 86 ills se: 102 99___... 72 || a 4 | 4 86 22. 102 Sijece | 76 || 1822... 96 Feat! 87 || | 1038 Dee. ls.:.- B4 192 2: 102 (eae 87 eeee| 108 7 oe | 91 | ae 106 (ae 89 |) 5 ea | 101 | 98 | eile. 110 oe 89 || 26... 99 ‘ —o | 101 | 22.02. 12 7... 92 ae 96 an | 104 ee Oe 5 1 ee 94 28.......| 90 —— | 105 ee 118 nes %6 nee 88 (ae | 106 | a 119 12... 99 30......- 85 1 jae ee 105 || Ya ae 120 1): ore 100 «Bulk turned. The moisture originally contained in the tobacco had nearly all evaporated during this fermentation, but owing to the heavy nature of the leaf it was deemed advisable to ferment it again. During the arly part of February the bulk was taken down, each hand of tobacco was dipped in water to add sufficient moisture to the leaf to renew active fermentation, and a new bulk built. Within the next six days the temperature had reached 121° F., when the tobacco was again taken down, each hand shaken out, and then rebulked. In this bulk the highest temperature was reached on February 25, when the ther- mometer read 120° F., and from that date to February 29 the temper- ature gradually fell a few degrees each day, indicating that the action of fermentation was growing less. The tobacco was rebulked again on March 1. After this turning the temperature did not rise above 109° F., and on March 31 it fell to 98° F. The bulk of tobacco was then taken down, sized, graded, and rebulked to age, remaining thereafter at an average temperature of 102° F. 24 TOBACCO INVESTIGATIONS IN OHIO. The changes in temperature of the bulk after kasing are given in the following table: Changes in temperature of bulk. Date, [Temper| Date, | Temper/ Date, [Temper] Date, | Renipor: °F. oF, | °F | om Feb. 13._.... 75 || Feb. 25.__...- 120 | Mar. 8.__.._.| 100.) Mar.22.____- | 109 1 ees 85 | Pst fee, ce 120 | 1 a es 100 pas Yee, Seat 109 een 97 | eee 119 | ester 7B se 106 16__...- 110 Opa Eee 117 | 1 ie 5 oh eas 106 ees. 115 | 29 0 117 | hae 77 Of eeees 106 18% 2. -<2 120 || Mar. la__.__- 87 | Ls eee 7 Py een | 105 i pees 121 | a ee 91 | bee 86 Ogn apes 105 200 91 | eo 98 | 16. 98 pon ees | 100 7 eee 95 nae A 99 sl eee 100 5) ae | 100 aa 111 | ioe een 101 | Cae 105 Bi) ee | 98 Poo ess 115 | aie W1 193-14. 107 | 7) 120 ae 100 7 ne 108 || | | | I| a Bulk turned. This method of fermentation removes the danger of injury to the tobacco by black rot or other fungus, and minimizes the chances for unevenness in color or flavor due to excessive or deficient local fer- mentations. During the process of rebulking, the tobacco is thor- oughly shaken out and aired, and all objectionable gases are given an opportunity to pass off. That such an elimination takes place is readily proved by a noticeable odor which fills the room during the first turning of the bulk. This odor, which is decidedly disagreeable at first, is less objectionable during the second turning. During the third and fourth turnings the tobacco has attained 2 mellow, aromatic odor, and when this stage is reached there is no need for fear of further damage. The tobacco can remain indefinitely in bulk to age, or it can be packed in bales to undergo the same process. This final aging or ripening of filler tobacco is necessary to put it in the proper condition for the manufacturer. BALING. Tying the tobacco in carrots and packing it in bales was the last manipulation in preparing it for market. Four hands of tobacco were tied together with bast, and 80 of these carrots were packed in a bale made of palm bark imported from Cuba, over which was placed a covering of burlap. The bales weighed about 112 pounds and were stacked five high in a room of average temperature to season or age. The care of the tobacco after being baled depends largely upon the condition in which it is packed. If it is thoroughly cured and well dried out it should be stored in a place where it will remain as near dormant as possible, as further fermentation is unnec- eee - GROWING OF CUBAN SEED TOBACCO. 2h essary. If the tobacco is packed in high “ kase ” (with considerable moisture) fermentation will continue, especially during the summer months. The position of the bales should be changed every week, and they should occasionally be opened for examination, and, if nec- essary, stood on end to cool off and stop fermentation. COST OF PRODUCTION, A careful account was kept of all expenditures connected with the production and finishing of the crop of Cuban seed tobacco grown in the experiment of 1904. The two tables following give the cost of each operation on the basis of 1 pound as the unit. Cost of growing Cuban seed tobacco. laa . Operation. Cost pe pound. as == Se —— | = Cents. Proparing land, sowing, and weeding seed’ bed _..--__...-.....--.--=..+-.------=+-----+--- 1.00 Pulling plants and transplanting. --......---..----------------- 1.25 aloes Vn (lM OSe ming 3 Sa aee aoe e ait keen oe Se et es a ae oe ee ee 1.50 IB boferwayes. nies inh 0a (eis ee epee ae a Oe Ie eee ee ee ee gs 1.00 AMG joy aa baye: FeaoVG! joa Veli sy 3 al Men ae eee py, 2 ae a eae ee, ee eee 1.50 Denes LT) eee eS Be oe ee ae ie Oe Pe ee oe Pe eeen Osa eee See to S58 5. 2.25 [edo lseyaw nave: 22 see Se RSS ee Ue Pa eee ee ee a ays a Re ee ee ee cl ee Se eee See -20 hakanordow i LOM POleES and Stripping <2. 2222 2S 2222 oa ee as Seed ae oenceacede esos | 1.75 "TRO ns a = 5 ae ee eR ae en 10.50 a! : | Cost of fermenting and packing Cuban seed tobacco. Operation. pened | Cents. Rermentingin ‘bulk << ..--. 2s... 2... Se le SO a oe eh seh SoS 1.25 Sivan over Ayana =the ls |o1216) 196 61-9 a eee ens ee a ee ee 1.25 Wurroulne An OAH Me sescak otecs eects sec ed nade os edu a tee mces seataessecce. esses eS saeee By (3) IVEECLCIOLSS LSE (Cenk eh ht Coe anne ot = te gee Soe ae den Secs ewan | 1.00 Ev ous anaeeR Ga I1G1C Oni tee aie eee ener oe che ade eee ce Se es oe Pe! ees | £25 CRG ed Leen ee ae = Bete BEL 2 es ok eRe ops ol eek ee sy beeen oases te eet 4.50 The total cost of the crop of 74 acres, including cultivation, har- vesting, and warehouse work, was $517.65, or 15 cents per pound on the basis of the fermented leaf. {t cost nearly half as much to fer- ment and pack the crop as it did to produce it to the time it was ready for the warehouse. The total yield on 74 acres of Cuban seed tobacco was 3,950 pounds, or an average of 527 pounds of cured tobacco per acre. The total yield after fermentation was 3,451 pounds, or 460 pounds per acre, showing a total loss of weight during fermentation of 499 pounds, or 67 pounds per acre—a shrinkage of 13 per cent from the time the tobacco was taken from the poles to the time it was packed in the bale. bo 6 TOBACCO INVESTIGATIONS IN OHIO. The following table shows the weights of the different grades of tobacco produced : Proportion and weight of different grades of Cuban seed tobacco in crop of 1904, Propor- Grade. Weight. | “tion. Pounds. | Per cent. GANG 2s * So o8 Se ate Ss ates pon See ate em 2,401 69. 0 NDT ING A a 2 i Sh LN SE ee ee 538 yal IB OR GMR oe hae omy es 8 ee ee | 512 14.1 2 1 (ee ee ee EE TS ee ML sn ier | 3,451 From this table it will be seen that 69 per cent of the crop graded as heavy filler, 15 per cent as hght filler, and 14 per cent as broken and trashy leaves. SALE OF TOBACCO GROWN IN 1902 AND 1903 EXPERIMENTS. In the fall of 1904 samples of the Zimmer Spanish and the Ohio Cuban seed, grown in 1902 and 1903, were placed on the market. The sale of the 1902 crop, which included both Zimmer Spanish and Cuban seed, was intrusted to Mr. H. G. Vetterlein, of Philadelphia, and of the Ohio Cuban, grown in 1903, to Mr. John Rohrer, of Ger- mantown, Ohio. The employment of persons directly connected with the trade was deemed advisable both to relieve the Bureau of the details of making the sales and to insure the protection of the growers. The Department of Agriculture had no interest in the receipts from the sales of these tobaccos, but was interested solely in the results as indicating the judgment of the trade as to the value of the leaf for filler purposes. The proceeds of sales, less the broker’s commission, were turned over to the owners of the several crops. In December, 1904, Mr. Vetterlein sold to Messrs. Dohan & Tait, of Philadelphia, 20 half cases of the Zimmer Spanish, weighing 3,196 pounds, at 164 cents per pound. As will be seen from a letter from this firm, quoted on a following page, the quality of the leaf was perfectly satisfactory. The 1902 Ohio Cuban has not been sold, the trade pronouncing the leaf a httle too heavy. This is not due, however, to the variety of tobacco, as all types of tobacco grown that year in the Miami Valley, including the Zimmer Spanish, were not up to the standard of qual- ity, owing to the unfavorable climatic conditions during the growing season. In the winter of 1904-5 Mr. Rohrer submitted to the trade samples of the Ohio Cuban grown in 1903. In response he received from The Samuel Hirsch Company, of Cincinnati, Ohio, an offer of 35 cents a pound for the entire crop, which was accepted. GROWING OF CUBAN SEED TOBACCO. 27 The 21 bales weighed about 3,178 pounds net, and at 85 cents per pound, less 3 per cent for cash, the amount received was $1.078.93, or a return for the finished product of $143.85 per acre. | Asa result of the experiments of the last three years, there will be erown during 1905 about 35 acres of Cuban seed tobacco. This to- bacco will be grown by the farmers of the Miami Valley under Gov- ernment supervision, and already a firm has declared its intention to purchase the tobacco at 15 cents per pound, green weight, wherever the grower obtains 9 cents per pound for his Zimmer Spanish, a pro- portionate increase or decrease being made in the price if the Zimmer type brings more or less than the price stated. The following letters have been received from persons and firms who have handled the tobacco grown in the experimental crops of 1902 and 1903: {From John Hl. Rohrer, Germantown, Ohio. | I have received a letter from the Sam T. Hirsch Company, Cincinnati, Ohio, the firm to whom I sold the 1903 Ohio Cuban, in which they state that the first 2 bales they received from the Department warehouse had been manufactured and had given perfect satisfaction, and although the remainder of the crop was not to have been shipped until April 15, they wished me at once to ship 2 more bales, as they are in need of the tobacco. I am perfectly satisfied that with favorable climatic conditions and thorough and systematic fertilization and cultivation, we can grow here in the Miami Valley a satisfactory grade of filler tobacco from Cuban seed, which, I believe, will return a good profit to the grower. I draw these conclusions after having paid close attention to the crops grown during the past three years under Mr. Massey’s direction, and also after a close examination of the leaf after fer- mentation. The introduction of bulk fermentation of our native tobaecos I consider to be the most practical piece of work your Department has yet done in Ohio. It has not only saved thousands of dollars to the packers, which otherwise they would have lost in damaged tobacco, but it has enabled us to place an article ef better quality on the market and within a shorter period of time. It is my opinion that in the course of a year or two every pound of Ohio cigar tobacco will be fermented by the bulk method of fermentation that your Department has introduced with so much success. [From The Samuel Hirsch Company, Cincinnati, Ohio. ] In regard to your favor of the 11th, we wish to say that we find the tobacco in question (Ohio Cuban seed) very satisfactory. We consider it a very desirable filler and are very much pleased with our purchase. [From Dohan & Taitt. Philadelphia, la. ] Yours of March 1 at hand, and we beg to state that the Zimmer Spenish grown by your Bureau, and purchased by us, we consider exceedingly fine, though a rather heavy-bodied tobacco. We have not tested your Texas tobacco thoroughly, having only smoked a cigar or two, from which we could not form a fair idea of the tobacco. We regret that we can not give you our opinion of the latter, but the general appearance of the tobacco is excellent. INTRODUCTION OF BULK FERMENTATION IN OHIO. DESCRIPTION OF VARIOUS METHODS. Prior to the introduction by the Bureau of Soils of the bulk method of fermentation into the cigar-leaf districts of Ohio two methods of fermentation were in use, viz, the natural sweat and the force sweat. 30th methods had disadvantages, and great loss was yearly sustained by the packers, owing to damage of various kinds traceable directly to the inability to control the process of fermentation under the hit- or-miss systems employed. In the natural sweat process the leaf is packed under pressure into eases holding from 300 to 400 pounds. When the cases are filled and closed they are stored for eight or ten months without being given any attention whatever. The idea is that the tobacco will warm up at the beginning of spring weather and continue to ferment during the summer months. In the early part of the succeeding fall the tobacco is examined and sampled for the first time after being packed. The examination not infrequently reveals the fact that a large pro- portion of the tobacco has been damaged or, as the packers say, “ has developed black rot.” The cases then are opened and the damaged hands or leaves picked out and the sound portion repacked. This involves a great deal of trouble and expense aside from the direct loss in the damaged tobacco. It is claimed by some packers that the damage occurs soon after the tobacco is packed, while lying in a chilled condition, and that this can be prevented by forced sweating. Many packers, therefore, prepare a room in their warehouse where, either by means of steam or stoves, a high temperature can be steadily maintained. As soon as a case of tobacco is packed it is put into this room and when the room is filled it is closed and the temperature kept from 110° F. to 112° F. This sweating process is continued for thirty or forty days, at the end of which time the tobacco is taken out and allowed to cool and dry. While there is some show of curing in the center of the case, the tobacco on the top and at the bottom and sides of the case is not cured, but has become dry, and there is ordinarily as much damaged leaf as where the natural sweat method is followed. In the bulk method of fermentation the tobacco is moistened if need be, piled on a platform, and covered with blankets. In the bulk is inserted an electrical thermometer, by means of which the 28 INTRODUCTION OF BULK FERMENTATION. 29 changes in temperature, indicative of the progress of fermentation, ure known to the packer, and the tobacco can be so manipulated as to keep the fermentation within the limit of safety. Tt is this matter of absolute control of the process that marks the superiority of the bulk method over the methods of natural or forced sweating. To support the bulk a platform should be made, 6 feet wide and from 12 to 14 feet long, raised about 4 inches from the floor of the sweat room. At the ends of this platform are placed footboards 6 feet wide and 7 feet high. Such a platform will hold from 5,000 to 6,000 pounds of tobacco. After covering the platform and head- boards with paper, the bulking is begun by laying the two outer rows, placing the heads of the tobacco even with the edges of the platform and allowing the tips to point to the center. Then another row is begun on each side, allowing the heads to rest two-thirds of the length of the leaf from the butts of the first row, keeping the tips pointing to the center. A third row is made on each side in the same manner. This will make six rows across the width of the platform, or sufficient to cover the floor. The second tier is laid in the same manner, and this process is continued until the bulk has reached a height of 6 or 7 feet, or until 5,000 or 6,000 pounds of tobacco have been bulked. When the bulk is completed the top is covered with ordinary cotton blankets, over which are placed rubber blankets. The tobacco is allowed to stay in bulk from ten to twelve days, the actual time being governed by the character of the leaf and condi- tion of the tobacco when placed in bulk. Ordinarily the temperature increases about 6° F. every twenty-four hours. When the tempera- ture has reached a certain degree, which varies with different types of leaf, the tobacco is taken off the bulk, well shaken out, and rebulked, building the new bulk as the old one is taken down. To rebulk tobacco the handler should proceed as follows: Take off the first two layers from the bulk and place them in cases. Then take the tobacco from the old bulk and lay the foundation of the new one, building up the tiers until half the old bulk is removed. Place the two layers that were set aside on the new bulk and refill the cases with two more layers from the old bulk, and set these aside until the remainder of the old bulk has been placed on the new. Place the two cases of tobacco on the new bulk and cover it with blankets as before. In this way what was the inside of the old bulk has become the outside of the new, and what was the outside of the old bulk has become the inside of the new bulk. In this way every part of the tobacco will receive the same amount of fermentation. When the rebulking is completed the tobacco is allowed to stand until the tem- perature rises to a maximum limit and starts to fall. As soon as the temperature declines sufliciently—the exact point varies with the 30 TOBACCO INVESTIGATIONS IN OHIO. different types—the tobacco is taken out of the bulk and packed in Cases. DETAILS OF FERMENTATION OF LEAF OF DIFFERENT TYPES. There are differences in the character of the Zimmer Spanish, Ohio seed leaf, and Little Dutch tobaecos which necessitate modifications in the processes of fermenting the several types. Though these modifica- tions are slight, they are of vital importance, and have been made the subject of careful investigation during the three years that the work has been carried on in Ohio. Perhaps the most important question has been that of artificially moistening the leaf before bulking, and it has been established that only the Zimmer Spanish and Ohio seed leaf varieties can be moistened, the same quantity of water added to the Little Dutch tobacco ruining the leaf. Other important questions determined are the number of rebulkings necessary, the length of time required to complete the fermentation, the temperatures at which the tobacco should be turned, ete. These questions, as apper- taining to the different types of tobacco, will be considered in detail. As the greater part of the Ohio cigar filler is Zimmer Spanish, the fermentation of this type is of more general interest to the Ohio grower and packer. This tobacco as received from the grower does not contain sufficient moisture to carry it through the fermentation, and, being a rather heavy-bodied leaf, it requires a higher tempera- ture to complete the process than is necessary in case of the other Ohio filler types. To obtain an active ferment of this leaf it is necessary to add moisture. This is done by dipping the hands in water and allowing the leaf thoroughly to absorb the moisture before placing it in the bulk. This the leaf will do in about forty-eight hours. It is seldom found necessary in fermenting Zimmer Spanish to turn the bulk more than once, as the two heatings put the leaf in perfect condition for packing in cases where it undergoes the process of aging. Some packers ferment their tobacco before sizing and assorting it, and in this case the tobacco is taken from the bulk after the tempera- ture has reached the maximum and declined to a point within 105° to 120° F., at which stage the leaf can be sized and sorted without hecoming too dry to pack. If the tobacco has been sized and sorted before being bulked it is generally left until the temperature has cooled off to 100° or 105° F. The tobacco has then just enough moisture in it to pack well. The average cost of bulk fermenting Zimmer Spanish tobacco, which includes * kasing,” bulking, and packing in cases, is 90 cents per 100 pounds. The following table gives the temperature of a bulk of Zimmer Spanish: 9 INTRODUCTION OF BULK FERMENTATION. ak Changes in temperature of a bulk of Zimmer Spanish tobacco. pate, |[Zewerer| Date, [Temper] pate, Temper] Date, Temper oF, oF. FE. oF, ADIs 20 scr ==- 84 |) Apr. 28__.___- 134 || May 6____-___- 111 || May 14___. 138 Sec | 90 290 139 ee 118 15.--_-- 135 ae 96 B04 = 139 | Soe = 124 iN; eee 133 ae 104 May 1.____.. 86 9. 128 17_....-- 129 oe 112 ae 9] 1 129 18..._... 128 ee Wi en 6 ie 133 | 19 125 ae 124 | ee 99 | eee 137 205. 119 See | 131 Bessa 105 ne 138 Qo 117 “Bulk turned. » Bulk taken up, assorted, sized, and packed. The Ohio seed leaf usually has to be “ kased.” The same method of moistening the tobacco is followed as with the Zimmer Spanish, and the leaf is allowed forty-eight hours to absorb the moisture before being placed in bulk. Owing to the character of this leaf the temperature of the bulk is not allowed to go higher than 130° F. It is seldom necessary for this type to go through more than two heat- ings unless it has been too heavily “ kased,” when a third heating will be necessary. After the second heat the temperature of the bulk will decline, and when it reaches 107°-F. the tobacco should be taken down and packed in cases to age. The cost of bulk fermenting seed leaf tobacco, including * kasing,” bulking, and packing in cases, is 65 cents per 100 pounds. The following table gives the temperature of a bulk of Ohio seed leaf tobacco: Changes in temperature of a bulk of Ohio seed leaf tobacco. | | t ! pate, [Temper] pate, [Temyer| pote, [Temper Date, | Tamper oF, || oF, oF, | oF, June 19_-----| 80 || July 8._-_---- 100 || July 16__--..- 122 || July 29- ee 7 21... 84 | 4 106 17 | 123 | 30.------ Wi a 98 || Die au 109 Is —- 120 31 ee 116 2 105, || Oe. c le ied ne 0) Aug. 1 14 a | 111 || eee 118 i hee 120 2.......| 112 via 115 || Bla aw 118 Bec wet 122 |) 3 | 112 26... | 121 9. 118 | 123 a | Wi ee 125 ae | 118 || ae 122 |) fe: 110 ee 130 i 5 Be | 120 4. ._.__.| 120 | 6 109 Ogu eed. | 130 1 al ee | 120 | OF ha eee 120 | | ere 108 301 129 1B. | 120 ae 118 8. | 109 uly Ws -. 3. 84 | i 22 27 | 118 ec 107 Q._.--- 93 || ia eee 122 28 | 118 10b______| 107 “ Bulk turned. o Bulk taken down and packed. In bulk fermenting Little Dutch tobacco great care and judgment have to be exercised, as this type is much more likely to be damaged during the process than either the Zimmer Spanish or Ohio seed leaf. 32 TOBACCO INVESTIGATIONS IN OHIO. This variety does not require such a high temperature to ferment it, but it is allowed to remain in the bulk at a lower temperature for a greater length of time. The addition of water is very seldom neces- sary, and, owing to the relatively small quantity of moisture in the leaf, the bulk, after the first turning, seldom reaches a temperature of more than 128° F. Like the other varieties of Ohio cigar-filler leaf, it is rarely found necessary to turn the bulk more than once, two heatings being enough to prevent the development of mold or black rot. When the temperature of the bulk has declined to about 90° or 100° F. the tobacco may be taken down and packed. The leaf at this temperature has been found to contain just enough moisture to pack well. The average cost of fermenting Little Dutch tobacco, including bulking and packing, is 45 cents per 100 pounds. The following table gives the temperature of a bulk of Little Dutch tobacco: Changes in temperature of a bulk of Little Dutch tobacco. Date, [Temper] pate. [Temper] pete, |Temper| Date. | Temper a 2 ah OF CRE oH Apr..162-=-7- 85 || May 5_----- 110 || May 24____- 106 || June 12_______} 101 Vi... 90 (ieee 118 aie 104 | ipseoeee 100 18._...- 95 pee a 124 26____- 106 eicweess 98 19. 100 ae | 128 | BT .....| 104 15: 98 20-0 102 eee) 128 aoe 104 Goce ee 98 5 104 eae 126 | a 108 || Yee i 97 22 112 es 126 30. 103 | 1s 97 Cs, 114 || | [a 122% SIS2e 108 || Oe 5.2. 96 eee 116 18... 121 || June 1____. 103 | H: Dee 96 Qo 122 10 ete 119 | 2..__.| loz | 7) Wee 96 25 126 | 1 ee 6 ai 102 | 938 ee 96 | ae 128 | Teas 116 Ass 102 Oe}. uae 94 98 129 | yee 112 | B._-- 102 of 94 oe 130 || i eee 110 Bie 104 Sores a 93 30_____- 130 | 1952.2 110 ee 104 26. ae 93 May la___. 128 | ee 108 | G5 ay 104 Oy fe ae) 93 ae 90 || 21--..- 108 | 9.22: 108 28. 92 : oe 98 re 106 Li 108 |) 20 eee | 91 ‘eee 104 || Do ee. 106 ee 102 |] 30D 90 “Bulk turned. > Bulk taken down and packed in cases. As was to be expected, some trouble was experienced during the earlier stages of the investigations in Ohio. In one of the first bulks of Zimmer Spanish tobacco fermented black rot had begun to develop, but by decreasing the size of the bulk and placing a layer of trash of a thickness of 8 inches under and over the good tobacco the spread of the fungus was prevented. In some cases, also, white mold made its appearance. Experiments soon showed that by forcing the tempera- ture up to 140° F. the spores of this fungus could be rendered innocuous, and thereafter this source of danger was under complete control. INTRODUCTION OF BULK FERMENTATION. a3) The indications of both these dangerous conditions are discoverable, if they exist at all, on the first turning of the bulk, and steps can at once be taken to prevent the spread of the trouble. Under the old methods of fermentation the conditions would not be known until the tobacco is sampled, when much of the tobacco would be irretrievably ruined, RELATIVE COST OF DIFFERENT METHODS OF FERMENTATION. It has been urged by some packers that it is cheaper to case ferment tobacco than it is to ferment it in bulk, which is probably true where the tobacco is given but four or five days’ preliminary fermenting in the case and then finally packed in cases under pressure and allowed to dry out in the sweat room for a few weeks. Such manipulation, however, is at best a compromise, and tobacco handled in this way is not thoroughly fermented. If tobacco be given two packings before it is finally cased, as must be done to ferment the leaf thoroughly, it has been demonstrated that the cost is even greater than the cost of bulk fermenting. COOPERATIVE WORK DURING THREE SEASONS. “During the spring of 1902 the Bureau of Soils began experiments in the fermentation of the native Ohio tobacco, believing that by using the method of bulk fermentation already outlined the damage arising from mold and black rot could be eliminated. The plans of the Bureau for fermenting filler tobacco were explained to several local leaf dealers, and arrangements were entered into with these gentlemen to ferment part of their tobacco according to the proposed method. They agreed to provide the necessary warehouse room and tobacco for conducting the experiments, while the Bureau of Soils provided the experienced labor. Accordingly, bulks were built in five different warehouses. The following table gives the names of the packers cooperating with the Department, the location of the ware- houses where the experiments were carried on, and the number of pounds of tobacco fermented : Bulk fermented tobacco, 1902. ; : obacco Packer. Location of warehouse. |, 1°? fermented ee. - a a | Pounds. PROBED NPRINGTOSS cece 289s ce esc o ce ee eee ook. beet cesecee| Germantown 222.2: 2222.2--! 360, 000 Homma bAcCOmompany.....-..925- 22.2. 5__..s2k: sces:2.--.]| Camden:..2...2-0222-2% 162, 000 Venlo yed | BY R05 042) gy ee re Gratis... 2k 3 ee 2 2 eee 72, 000 Miami Leaf Tobacco Company --...._.-..-..-.------------ Dy tN) 22682 ee ee 21, 600 Tj, TEL, (ROVE ee Germantown ___... _____-- 39, 600 MOL ity oe 655, 200 34 TOBACCO INVESTIGATIONS IN OHIO. This tobacco was mostly Zimmer Spanish, grown the year before, and had become dry and hard, which made it necessary to add water to get the leaf in the proper condition to cause fermentation. After being dipped the tobacco was packed loosely in cases and allowed to remain about twenty-four hours, by which time it had thor- oughly taken up the water, making the leaves soft and phable. It was then placed in bulks, containing from 6,000 to 8,000 pounds. The tobacco was not packed tightly, but simply piled loose, only hand pressure being used, and the temperature of the room was kept at about 75° F. The tobacco was well fermented at the end of sixty days. On taking the bulk down and packing the tobacco into cases, no sign of damage of any kind was found, and the leaf was thor- oughly fermented its entire length. These packers were so well pleased with the results obtained that the Bureau of Soils was asked to continue the experiment an a larger scale the following year. The new process had created such an inter- est among the tobacco packers of the Miami Valley that not only did those firms cooperating with the Bureau the previous year ask for further assistance, but requests were received from other packers for the cooperation of the Bureau in fermenting their tobacco. During the season of 1903 the Bureau supervised the fermentation of 4,212,000 pounds of tobacco, consisting of the Zimmer Spanish, the Ohio seed leaf, and the Little Dutch varieties. The work was performed in cooperation with 10 packers in the Miami Valley. The following table gives the details of this season’s work : Bulk fermented tobacco, 1908. Variety of Tobacco. Packer. Location. oe a. _ Pounds. Zimmer Spanish _______------ | Doddsi® Mays 222-2-2----3 |) Miamisburg. 2-- os. eset 900, 000 | H. Schumacker-___-.._----- Way tones. 22-2 396, 000 BY A SHOstettene. 2-2 e--2e— West Manchester —._.----- 720, 000 The Four Tobacco Co -__-- | Camdene=:225.2-2 5) 162, 000 Young Brothers. =.--=_-=_ = | Gratis=22")\. 22 eee 90, 000 Joseph Endress. ...-------- Germantown 223-2... see 108, 000 Ai ee (eg 509 011 es) cee ee | ee dO2t2 ee eee 21, 600 J. H.and J. F. Burbaker_-| West Alexander. -_---:---- 360, 000 J. W. Gebhardt -2.-.. 2:2: Miamisbures. -s22esseeee 14, 400 | Doctor'Stone:..:...-----.-- Union Gity.2 2-2 144,000 Total 2 sc csecese othe Deb ae Spee eee oe ee | eee ee 2,916, 000 Ohio seed leaf -_....__.-..--- BAS EHostetter ease Richmond, And _2-- sees 648, 000 | He Schumacker === 2---=- Dayitontsscess sae eee 216, 000 Apeletalavo)cbWeye oe ek Germantown -..-...-------- 144, 000 MGtalicafes <2. teed [oc loci es 2 ee eee At 1,008, 000 | eee InttlewDuteh2.-.-..-+--.=-25 BAG Hostetters=---<.--2ee Richmond ind. 2 ses2- =e" 252, 000 | H..Schumacker==2222>-2-- Day tony. sc. 23 See 16, 200 Dodds'& Mays....--.-5-2-.|"Miamisburs: ees=-seeeeee= 19, 800 gba ace Pak ee |n.--2cco bee. o) ick es | eee 288, 000 INTRODUCTION OF BULK FERMENTATION. 35 During the season of 1904 the Bureau still further extended its work in bulk fermentation. Most of the packers who cooperated with the Bureau during the seasons of 1902 and 1903 placed larger quantities under the Bureau’s charge for fermentation, while other firms, seeing the advantage to be derived from bulk fermentation, adopted the method. During the season of 1904, 10,208,000 pounds of the various types of Ohio tobacco were fermented. The table below gives the details of the work in the same manner as has been done for the two seasons preceding. Bulk fermented tobacco, 1904. Variety of tobacco. Packer. Location. Pi eral Pounds. Zimmer Spanish ______------- Miami Leaf Tobacco Co__.| Dayton __....-...-...__---. 1,008, 000 He Schumacker s.252-2 2 25-|. 2225 C0peeen se. Sete) 900, 000 | William Stroop........-.-.]----- COs 2 eee het et 648, 000 | Oniel & RUSE 2822 aeoee se Oise. Sanne Eee nena nce 126, 000 BAS ELOPn 222. 2ea2e-e oe es [2d GO. 2e_Aee Soman: OF | 432, 000 B. A. Hostetter _.....__..... West Manchester and | __ 1,080,000 Dayton. Dodds & Mays_-__..-_____. Mig miSpure 9.222.222 2.-. 360, 000 The Four Tobacco Co ___-- | CAIN G Onis ato= 7 han oe 2 A 216, 000 Young) Brose. 22.222. 52222: | Winchester __..........---- 144, 000 Burbacker Bros ._______-- | West Alexander...._______ 324, 000 J.H. Rohrer _...-...--..-- Germantown -......._..... 180,000 Sainders & Kerrs_________- Tippecanoe ........---.-..- 144, 000 De WiemtOne@re.-