£280 PER ACRE

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXI, 1 December 1927, Page 2

£2BO PER ACRE

TAMWORTH TOBACCO

Tobacco,growing is as the lure of gold to the miner, says the Sydney ‘ ‘Daily Telegraph.” A big crop well cured, is a veritable gold mine. But there are more failures than successes. It is the occasional big ( prize that leads the grower on year after year in the gamble against seasons, fungus diseases, -and insect pests. Messrs Chaifey Bros.—Fred, Sid and Flrank, M.L.A.—of Nemingha, Tamworth, have landed the big prize this year. In a season of almost general failure of tobacco crops throughout Australia, they harvested a heavy crop, and one that is claimed to be the most valuable on record in the Commonwealth. Their 15-acre plant-ation,_returned just 15 tons of fine-cured leaf, and this has been sold at an average of 2s per lb., or £225 per ton. Eight acres of this crop, however, which had special attention for experimental purposes, yielded 25cwt, ahd returned £2BO per acre. The 15 acres of crop have given a gross return of over £3550. The success of Messrs Cliaffey Bros, this year stands out, since the whole crop of the State does not amount to much more than 100 tons. , About half this quantity has been produced in the Tamworth district, where the majority of the crops were more or less failures. A heavier crop tjian (hat on 'Messrs Chaffey’s eight-acre area has not been ‘produced in Tamworth district in favorable seasons. It stood up like a wall of broad, luxuriant leaves. It was not, of course, of the finer, texture that realises the highest prices, but it outweighed that in bulk and total value. The highest price paid for the top grade was 2s 7|d, for bright mahogany. This included some lemon leaf, which was not separately graded. ' As former Minister of Agriculture, Mr F.' A. Cliaffey took active personal interest in blue mould research and other problems affecting the industry. He and his brothers have applied the lessons of the scientists and experts to their field work. So it may be creditec| to their methods that they have had such a wonderful result in a year that was strewn with adversity to most other growers. 'Now they have 25 acres prepared, and the necessary seedlings ready for the planting in the coming month. ' •The highest price paid by the buyers this season in the Tamworth district was 3s 3d per lb., which rate was obtained by Mr A. Weik, of Dungovvan, for two bales of super-lemon leaf.