Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1877-11-10

Our returns here for the Virginia
market, owing to the difficulty of
separating sales from deliveries, and
estimating loose tobacco by hogs
heads, are necessarily incomplete !;
but the omission uncOnsidered, the
aggregate of receipts and sales, both
for the last and preceding two quar-
tiers, are larger, and it will be per-
ceived, than would have been i'm
ferred from the appearance of trade
as effected from day to day. Adj
ding to the stock on hand as above
indicated, the quantity of leaf held
in Europe at the date of last advi-
ces, namely, 81, 100 hogsheads, the
visible supply Of old tobacco about
October ! is shown to have been
168, 1888 hogsheads, or II, 100 more
than at the same time last year.
The stock held in the United States
about October 1, was 1873 hogs
heads less, and in Europe 1908
more than at the same date in 1876.
Contemplating the available sup
ply i'm conjunction with the enOr-
NOUS cropjust housed, it is not easy
to forecast the immediate future of
the trade. Are prices to be lower
or higher than they are at present,
is a question that nearly every inter-
ested person is now asking himself
or others, and it is a difficult ques-
ton to answer. AT the first glance
it would appear as if they must be
lower: and unless a speculative
movement, based upon the eXpecta-
ton of smaller and less desirable
crops for the next succeeding year
or two supervenes, they cannot well
be higher. They will probably not
vary greatly from the present range.
The export for the remainder of the
season is not likely to be large, as
purchases for thisIpurpOse will he
confined mainly to grades that can
be had at low rates. Yet in these
there will be sufficient done in Il re-
tail way for Reggie and open market
account to reduce the supply to an
average quantity by January J.,
1878. AS now sold these grades dis
place all competing substitutes, and
the demand for them will continue
as long as they do this.
When the burden incident to
superabundance of low and monde
script stock is removed, the way is
clear for all good leaf, whether Of
the old or new crops, at the present
range of prices. The 1877 crop,
though large and in the main good,
cannot by any possibility yield an
excess of really useful tobacco; and
for this reason, if for no other, IL Is
quite safe to assume that however
large the crop may prove, the cur
rent range ofprices for this sort will
not be materially changed. To in
sure moderate degree Of prosperity
for the coming year it is only neces-
sary that the 1877 crop shall be
bought at prices that will admit of
its being sold at about the present
rates. The open markets the past
season have given but little encOur-
agement to shippers, and we do not
know what they may feel inclined
to do next season. Our principal
outlet this year has been through
the Regies, or the Reggie buyers,
who, fortunately, have made money
while many others have lost money.
But other outlets will continue open,
or be opened, il prices are kept fav-
Orable.
If an advance, speculative or legi-
innate, is rendered necessary, the
export trade in all directions will be
checked. Already planters in the
CIarksVille district are talking Of
seven or eight cents round, but this
range is apparently beyond the limit
that should be asked or paid. Fac
tors here are generally agreed that
i'm view of all the circumstances
something like the following prices
only can be paid this year: For the
best ClarlIsville not exceeding six
cents, and for the general crop from
four and half to five cents for
Green River three to four cents, and
for the Indiana and Illinois crops
from three to three and half cents.
At these prices it is believed busi-
ness will be safe and comparatively
prosperous, ut anything above them
it is believed only disaster can re-
suit