The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1879-02-25
Written for The Spirit Of Democracy
What Shall the Growers and Deal
ers Do to Improve the Culture
and Market Value OF Our
Leaf Tobacco?

ers Do to Improve the Culture
and Market Value OF Our
Leaf Tobacco?
what Shall We Do With the State
Warehouse at Bellaire?
Ed SPIRIT: Permit me to give to your
readers, through your paper, some ideas
that I trust may be OF interest to the
growers and dealers of leaf tobacco,
such as is grown in out county and ad.
joining ones
There has been but little written on
the mode Of cultivating, curing, hand
ling and marketing our growth Of leaf
tobacco You can read articles from va.
rious agricultural reports, pertaining to
the growth, culture, yield snd market
value OF other kinds Of leaf tobacco, and
many suggestions are offered to advance
the production, character and market
valne OF the same while for our kind Of
leaf there is not much advice given as TO
its culture, mode OF curing, handling aud
marketing. In fact il appears to be
peculiar kind, standing entirely alone,
coming in competition with none Of Its
class of the great staple.
The ques ion arises, Why is It that we
produce this kind of Leaf, and why is
Baltimore the only market for it2 I will
answer the 6rst, as have been informed
(which believe TO be .correct) that It
was introduced by the emigration Of to-
haccO growers from Maryland, who when
in their native State grew tobacco on
new lands and cured it by are; and when
they came here lands were new, wool
plenty, andtthey grew and cured tobacco
| the sans as they did in their native
State; and as they had already establish
ed market for similar grades Of Mary
land at Baltimore. it became the market
Tor our tobacco and has remained the
market ever since
We have scarcely any local demand. it
being almost entirely for export; and we
are subjected to the worst monopolies
known to almost auy American product,
mostly on accourt of the limited demand
for it. This den and amounts to about
$4,000 hogshesds annually, aid our av
erage production being greater than this
amount leaves a surplus to carry, from
year to year, of from 5000 to 9, 900 hogs
heads, which cannot be introduced iuto
any other market, and consequently has
to be carried at loss to owners France,
(the principal buyer,) Spsin, Italy, and
other European countries, conclude about
what amount they will want, and sdver
tise end sell the contract to the lowest
bidder and as they want different grades
OF leaf. they so arrange 1t that there is.
scsroely any competition between them
in buying. They know full we'll that no
one else wants their kind, aud the deal.
ers have in almost every instance had to
accept their offers, which are frequently
below the cost Of production and hand
ling. sa
But even this kind OF demand is pre-
| carious. Sometimes they let large
amounts accumulate on the market -
Hence the necessity Of having agents to
receive it, and warehouses to store it in,
until it Is needed For this purpose the
STAKE Of Maryland has laws governing
the inspection OF tobacco, regulating the
charges, and recognizing the ownership
OF tobacco consigned to be In the agent
Formerly, the agents made advances
on the promise of consienments They
have agreed to do a~sy with this, and
now advance only on receipt oftobacco,
and then mostly on time, by way OF &C
ceptances, at the rate of bouttwo.thirds
the value. According to the laws OF Ma
ryland they can sell or hypothecste your
tobacco, put the money in their pockets,
and cause you to lose your tobacco and
have the acceptance to pay.
This evil must be corrected Shippers
should have some security. The agent
has it all 1t is enough for dealers to
take the risk OF profits and losses, and
the honesty Of the agent in giving him
correct and full returns for his tobacco,
outside of the probability of the agent
in Baltimore failing and hiding behind
the laws OF Maryland I do not wish or
Intend to cay anything to disbonor any
agent in good standing But all the fail.
Iures OF agents have proven disastrous to
shippers. They generally close out their
entire stock Of leaf either by sale or by
pothecating, and put the proceeds where
lthey think it will do the most good, and
leave the shippers out in the cold,
4 This evil must be corrected, or the bu.
siness will be abandoned, Alreadv par.
ties who have business relations with
shippers have lost confidence in the sale
and financial management OF our tobac
co. sl
The evil might be corrected in Balti
more, but the shortest and surest plar
would be to ship onr entire crop OF lea
to Bellaire 1t should be the business O
our Leaf Tobacco Association to call I
meeting OF the shippers, and pass res
olation to that effect II Gieskie b Me
man. Wilkins / Beall,or any other agents
acquainted with the sale of leaf, woulC
receive the tobacco At Bellaire, and grow
ers and dealers ship all there. you woult
fnd that it could be sold there as we'll a
in Baltimore.
The State has been liberal in furnish
: ing such house. and it would be stupid
ity on our part, as growers and dealers
to let the enterprise 60 by default III
is not thought best to ship all there, le
US ship come such as air cured and heav
leafy grades which could be sold q
J home.
Just think Of 1t. II some expert woul
] have received tobacco last year at Bel
9 aire and sold 1900 hogsheads at "a La
!. as VIM. Lamping 4 Co. did, and eve
not failed, We would have abandone
J that place at once; but B f Hook
q Co, Wma Lamping 4 Co, and other
J. may fail in Baltimore, yet We continue I
) ship to that point
"a ] see that there will be meeting {
the growers and dealers on the 4th {
/ March, to be held in Barnesville. Ohit
e I am in hopes that it will be well attend
ed, and that matters may be fully di
y cussed relative to the evils in Baltimor
r rates of freight, possibility as to shil
;. ping to Bellaire. and the probability
"a our growers being induced to grow t
bscco that will meet with home man
factring demand. Let the question
asked in that Convention, Why is it tn