Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1881-04-25
LANCASTER DAILY lNHRIIlGENCER MONDAY, APRIL 25

Y, APRIL 25, 1881.
THE LEGAL TOBACCO MARKET.
, = AuA Hqs,ry fos4Gooa lsaf. e
Tbs report Of the Nsw York mArket is
on ouI Out1idA pages. Dealers in the crop
of 1850 costume rather active hereabouts.
It il said shat coasilefable quantities have
been purchased during the past week.
Our own advices are that while number
of buyers have been riding the county
their purchasers have been comparatively
light. 1t appears that they have been
looking for ffrst-class leaf, and find it
rather scarce. It is believed that nearly
two thirds of the crop-certainly more
than one-half-has been purchased, and as
those earliest in the field took
the best, those who came in later are
compelled to take what they can get or do
without any. 1t may be remarked, how
ever, in this connection, that some of the
heaviest early buyers are still IN the field
competing with the newcomers. This is
because their early purchases turned out
Unexpectedly wen during the sweating
process, and convinced the buyers that
they had struck a bonanza in the 1880
crop. There has not been for many years,
4 crop of Lancaster county tobacco that
opened so unfavorably as the last one it
was undeniably badly bitten by the flea,
and to this defect was added the cry
of white vein " and want of quality"
1t was confidently asserted by dealers that
there were not ono crop in fifty that
would rank as first class, and some went
so far as to offer $50 for single perfect
leaf. It was confidently predicted that
there would not be 1000 cases Of tirst-class
leaf in the county. and many who
claimed to be we'll posted asserted that
there would not be 100! Now, since the
tobacco has been placed on the market,
the greater part Of it sold and much of it
packed, it is just as confidently asserted
that there is in the crop not less than
10, 600 cases Of as good tobacco leaf as ever
grown in the county. There are no more
complaints of white vein and even the
flea bites are becoming invisible A
Lancaster correspondent of the New York
Tobacco Journal has created something Of
sensation by dcclariag that the holes
made in the leaf by the flea are disappear
ing, and that after sweating, tho Leaf
shows no signs of the damage done by the
flea. The correspondent says:
''The fact is we'll known that this crop
sustained very serious injury from the
perforation of the leaf by the sO-called to
bacco flea but although the harm
wrought by it was not of Il fatal character,
it had the effect Of causing deterioration
in the value of the crop. 1t will therefore
be an agreeable surprise to the one hun
dred and twenty five to one hundred and
fifty packers of it to learn that nature is
slowly but surely repairing tho damage i'll
flicted by the flea. AS they bought the
tobacco with full knowledge of its i'm
| perfection, the information will be all tho
more pleasant that the holes in the leaf are
gradually contracting, through the actor
of heat > OF course I do not claim that
holes large enough to permit one to pas
his hand through will close up but those
the size of buck shot are actually disap
pearing. The proof of this statement is al
the command Of everybody who cares tC
| obtain it, Let those who are not already
aware of the fact in question examine
some of the cases Of 80 Pennsylvania lea
which have been packed sufficient lengtl
of timo to become well warmed up, ant
they will he convinced that my statemen
is in no respect visionary, but iadisputabl'
fact"
| Perhaps tho most rational way of &C
counting for the improved appearance o
the crop of 80 would be to say that j
was not half as bad as it was declared t.
be by the buyers, while it remained in tn
hands of the growers, and that it is moi
quite so good now as these same buyer
represent it to be. But, nevertheless
there is very positive and reliable evidenc;
that the pinholcs in the tobacco have to
large extent disappeared. A plau
sible reason given for this i'm
proved appearance of the leave
is that in majority of cases the insec
did not perforate the leaf, but merely att
the tender, succulent suface of it, leaving
intact the thin transparent network o
veins which form the body of the leaf
When held up against the light thOs'
transparent portions of the leaf lOOket
like holes, but were not holes and wheI
the tobacco was cased and sweated
the transparent places were again covered
with the Opaque gum that oozed from th'
leaves during the sweating process AL
ofus have seen grape leaves and leaves o
many other plants rendered entirely trans
parent by insects feeding upon them, ant
yet the leaf itself remaining intact il
shape, and only requiring a little NOR
body, a little green paint for instance, t.
make it perfect. May not the gumm!
substance in the sweating tobacco furnisl
sufficient body to obliterate the flea bites
There continues very lively demand TO
1879 Pennsylvania tobacco. A thOusan'
cases of it could be sold to-day at fai
prices could it be obtained. But it is ver,
scarce in our market, and we of only fev
sales in small lots, ranging from to L
cases.
Packing goes on briskly and will con
tinue for some weeks yet.
Following arc few recent sales Of th'
crop of 1880.
VIM. Wcstford, Of Strasburg, has sold t
Fatman his crop at IS, 5 and 3 !; JOSEPH
Hoverholtzer, of Earl, part from his croI
to same, at IL, 6 and 3; and two acres
to Skiles & Frey, amounting to 4,84(
pounds for s765.11. Martin Sbaub
of Martic, has sold his crop t.
Rosenwald at 20, 6 and 3; an(
Samuel Virgins, of Martic, to same Al
%, 6 and 3. Martin Refs, of Fulton, tc
Sener, at 10 and 6; George Oatman, o.
Salisbury, to Mr.. Fatman, at II, 6 and 3
A. II. Bair, of Earl, to Mr.. Stirk, at IA, {
and 3.
.Geist ana Griost.
Major Griest says that the occurrence
of his taking S. for an advertisement
which ho uovor insorfod in hiS woak1y