£280 Per Acre.

Northland Age, Volume 27, Issue 52, 2 December 1927, Page 6

£2BO Per Acre.

Tamworth Tobacco.

Australia’s Top Crdp. Tobacco-growing is as the lure of gold to the miner. A Uigcrop, 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 Ctiaffey Bros.—Fred, Sid and Frank, M.L.A.—of Nemingha, Tamworth, have landed the big prize this year. In a season of almost general failure ot 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 plantation returned just 15 tons of flue-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, and have returned £2BO per acre. The 15 acres of crop have given a gross return of over £3350. The success of Messrs Ciiaffay Bros, this year stands out, since the whole crop of the State doef not amount to much more than 100 tons. About half the quantity has been produced in the Tamworth district where the majority of the crops were more or less failures. SCIENCE PL AYS A PART A heavier crop than that on Messrs Chaffey’s 8-acre area has not been produced in Tamworth districts in favourabe seasons. It stood up like a wall of broad, luxuriant leaves. It was, not, of of the finer texture that realises the highest prices, but it out-weighed that in bulk and total value. The highest price p : a for the top grade was 2/7%, for bright mahogany. This included some lemon leaf, which was not separately graded.

As former Minister for Agriculture Mr F. A. Chaffey took an 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 Add work. So it may be credited 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 313 per lb, which rate was obtained by Mr A. Weik, of Dungowan, for two bales of super lemon leqf.