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A
large portion of lands are finely adapted for tobacco raising and
large quantities of fine quality are produced. Previous to the Civil War
Linn and its neighbor, Chariton county, raised an immense amount of
tobacco. This was the farmer's staple crop in those early days. Having set
out so many acres he could go to his merchant and get credit for household
and farm supplies until his crop was sold. At that time there was
practically no market for country produce, game and grain. Eggs were
quoted at 3 cents a dozen, and then most of the time the farmer had to
take his payment in trade. The big tobacco shipper, however, stood ready
with cash in hand to pay the farmer for his crop. Large tobacco barns,
then called factories, were established in the most important towns, and
here the negroes worked at stripping and packing leaf tobacco in large
hogsheads. These hogsheads would hold from 1,400 to 2,000 pounds of
tobacco. They were transported in large wagons to Brunswick or Glasgow,
where they were loaded on Missouri river boats for St. Louis.
At certain seasons of the year the shipments were so heavy that the
boats were loaded down with tobacco until the water would splash on
the lower deck. Nearly all of the Missouri tobacco went to Europe. In
certain sections of the old world the Missouri product was a high favorite
for plug and smoking because of its great strength. Englishmen in
particular were very fond of the long leaf tobacco raised in Missouri,
known to the trade as "Shoestring." At that time-prior to
1886-it was against the law to cultivate tobacco in England. The other
Missouri varieties raised were known as "Iron Oker,"
"Yellow Oker," and "One Sucker." "White
Burley" was grown towards the close of the tobacco industry in
Missouri. It is said that this variety of tobacco absorbed so much
moisture on the ocean voyage that its extra weight at the port of delivery
would pay the freightage across. But it was the smart dealer on the other
side who gained the advantage by this, and he long kept it to himself as a
trade secret. The vessels collected the freight bill at the port of
embarkation, and, of course, could not charge again on the other side.
A good quality of tobacco sold readily at from $10 to $12 per 100
pounds. Buyers would travel over the country and make contracts for
the factories.
The main drawback to a tobacco crop is that it drains the fertility
of the soil quicker than any other product. That may be the reason
England passed a law against its being raised there. After land has
been planted in tobacco for three seasons it is pretty well used up, and
it requires a great deal of careful nursing to bring it back to a state of
fertility again. It is said by the old tobacco raisers that if a crop were
well tended it would easily produce 750 pounds to the acre. But it
required constant watching. About three acres was enough for one
man to look after, if he also had to run the general work of the farm.
The discovery that India could produce splendid tobacco was the
cause of the industry stopping in Missouri and other American states.
This situation developed so quickly that a great many tobacco dealers
of Missouri were ruined. They had large consignments on the way to
Liverpool, but before the product got there the bottom had dropped
out of the market and the price of tobacco had fallen so low that the
American shipments wouldn't bring enough to pay the freightage. In
one instance the Liverpool dealers drew on the Missouri shipper to pay
the difference between the freight bill and what the tobacco sold for.
Those things stopped the tobacco industry in Missouri suddenly, but about
that time the iron horse had appeared and the great cities were taking
Missouri's grain and live stock at living prices.
Within the past two or three years the price of white burly has
gone up because of a demand from China, where the Celestial has been
ordered to discard his opium pipe.
Some few Missouri counties took up the business again and it was
demonstrated that tobacco might be produced here as well as in the
olden days, should the necessity arise. But now the price of stock and
grain and all kinds of country produce have advanced so that the
farmer doesn't care to devote much time to the weed.
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