TOBACCO CULTIVATION.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 171, 21 July 1928, Page 11

TOBACCO CULTIVATION.

EXCELLENT PROSPECTS AHEAD. AUCKLAND AREAS SUITABLE. GOVERNMENT EXPERT'S OPINIONS. PREPARATIONS FOR EXPORT TRADE. 1 ' Having gone into the question very ! thoroughly, and after visiting the vari- j ous districts round about the Auckland province there is no doubt in my ; mind that the prospects for growing c tobacco are very good." This statement was made to a "Star" i representative this morning by Mr. C. E. j Lowe, tobacco expert appointed by the , Government to go into the whole quest tion. ( At the present time," he continued, t ' the growers are making a good thing out of it under the protective tariff, and that has a tendency to make the i value of our leaf much higher in New Zealand than in London. Here, growers are getting as high as 3/6 per lb as against the Government's guaranteed price of 2/3 on the London market. This state of affairs is likely to con- 1 tinue until the whole demand in New ! Zealand has been met. Then there is sure to be a drop to a lower figure, be- ' cause we will have'to export. ' It is the idea of the Government to give farmers every assistance possible against that time of lower prices. That is to say, it must be realised that competition will then become very keen, ! and only the better class leaf will command a price. That is why expert 1 tuition is being carried out, so that 1 those who are taking up tobacco culture ' will be able to carry on along right lines 1 when every grower iri New Zealand will ' have to export. It will then be a case of the world's markets for the world's 1 quality. My business is to start people out on the proper lines so that they may be able to compete in those world's 1 markets." i On the World's Markets. j "Has good progress been made?" was ' asked. i ''Assuredly yes," Mr. Lowe replied. During the last three years very good 1 work has been accomplished, and if 1 things go on as they are doing there is 1 nothing, In my opinion, to prevent New Zealand tobacco from being able to compete with any in the world, and the day is fast approaching when that will be an accomplished fact." Concerning his tour of the Auckland provincial areas, which he thinks will make excellent tobacco producing country, Mr. Lowe spoke with enthusiasm. Already he has prepared for one hundred acres to be planted in the Auckland and suburban area, fifty acres at Rotorua and one hundred acres in North Auckland, more particularly in the Hokianga district. Nelson had one thousand acres under cultivation last year, but, as with Tauranga and the Bay of Plenty district, the coming season's quantity of land which will be under culth-ation is at present unknown. It is anticipated, however, that it will consist of very large areas. Mr. Lowe explained that his forecasts, as far as new areas were concerned at , present, were somewhat in the nature of guesswork. "But," he added, "when I have seen the plants half-grown then HI know what the result will be. The Slant must be seen under cultivation," e explained, "and then it is decided how to give it the necessary cultural treatment. But a pretty good guess can be made at the outset as to what the final result will be." Concerning Auckland Province. As far as the Auckland Province is concerned, Mr. Lowe said, the tobacco plant seed should be sown in boxes under glass. Then, when they had grown to the size of a small- lettuce, they should be transferred into separate nursery beds and planted near the site where the crop is to be finally grown. About the end of October the plants should be transplanted permanently to the open ground. The plants need constant attention and care up to the harvesting time, which should take place early in February. "There was not an unsold leaf of marketing quality on the New Zealand market last season," said Mr. Lowe, "and I have known as much as £IDO per acre being taken off certain lands. That is too much when the land was bought at £8 per acre because it does not give it a chance. There is a great opportunity of settling some of the Dominion's poorer class lands by the cultivation of tobacco. At present most ; of the areas under production are in the • nature of supplementary crops to > farmers. Once the ground is broken in, 1 however, the rest is easy in comparison. Women on the Farms. "There is no doubt about it, tobacco , growing in this country will have a , tendency to keep women on the farm," ; Mr. Lowe predicted. "You see the men I do the ploughing and preparation of the i land and the planting. Then it is an i easy matter for the women to attend ■ to the plants and the cultivation of ' them. I know of girls earning £100 off an acre of land under proper methods • of tobacco culture, and they haven't to ' work hard either. It is light and conge- . nial, and they have plenty of time to i themselves. The hours are not long and . they do not have to work all the year i round." , Looking down the valley called i future, Mr. Lowe said, he could see business girls and factory girls in the , city of Auckland, who were run down f in health going up to the Riverhead plan- . tations and earning a shilling an hour r on the tobacco grounds. "They will - come back much improved in health and - better fitted to carry out their jobs iu . the city," he said. "The outings will be i of a similar nature to those in Nelson r during the hop-picking season. Note of Warning.

"I would like to issue a word of warning to the prospective tobacco farmer at this juncture," said Mr. Lowe in conclusion. "It must be distinctly understood that tobacco growing is a catch crop. Cultivation should not be undertaken in isolated districts or places. The crop is not like turnip growing, for instance. 'The latter can be planted away on an isolated part of a farm and practically left till it comes to maturity. Not so with tobacco. The plantation must be close to the home. Tobacco plants will not stand being left alone. It's a lonely plant needing care and attention till the leaf ia ready to harvest. Let me put it this way—when you smile at a tobacco plant it smiles back at you."