Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1885-04-09
Tobacco in Wisconsin.

state is taken from the biennial report
of the Bureau of Labor Statistics OF the
State of Wisconsin,, for the years 1883
and 1884:
The name of Pomeroy is intimately
connected with the history of tobacco
growing In the west. In the year 1888
Thomas and Ralph Pomeroy raised the
first crop OF Connecticut seed leaf ever
grown in Wayne township, in the Miami
valley. Ohio. About II years later the
two brothers, Ralph and Orrin, and
cousin, Chester Pomeroy, journeyed
across the country by wagon to Rock
county, Wisconsin, taking the Connect
cut tobacco seed with them. They set
tied upon . beautiful prairie two miles
south of Edgerton, where two of the
brothers still reside.
Ralph Pomeroy grew his first crop of
Wisconsin tobacco on rented land on
the prairie near Syene, Dane county, in 1
1854. The next season he located at
his present home in Fulton. Chester
Pomeroy grew his first tobacco crop in
the state in 1857, and crop has been
grown on the same farm every year
since that date
A still earlier date is claimed by S. S.
Richmond, of East Troy. Walworth
county, who raised crop of tobacco in
1847 and on each succeeding year, ex-
cept 1860. His crop was generally
small and sold to manufacturers. Dur
ing these 81 years the highest price re-
allied was 50 cents and the lowest Z
cents per pound.
Ern,y, tba baneinptnn nf th;r I,,et,..y
in the state as outlined, the tobacco in-
terest has grown until it stands to-day
only second in the list of cigar leaf pro-
ducing states. For the first few years
those engaged in tobacco culture met
with but indifferent success. 1t took
years to establish market and to DEM
onstrate that Wisconsin tobacco was of
more than average quality. A few New
York Hebrews controlled the market
and held prices down, so that the grow
er realized but small proportion of the
profits on his industry.
To free themselves of this monopoly.
the WISCONSIN Tobacco Growers Asso-
ciation' was Termed. and samples of
Wisconsin leaf were sent to all the large
manufacturers, opening the eyes of the
trade to the fact that Wisconsin tobacco
was equal if not superior to the seed
leaf of any other state. New buyers
came into the market. and from that
time on the area devoted to its culture
increased with each succeeding year.
In 1874 the total acreage reported by
the different county clerks was l,444
acres. Ten years later the same records
show an increase to Is, 1856 acres About
| fn an he ,f ha =,
cultivated in Dane and Rock counties,
of which Dane has 1886 and Rock 1904
acres.
Springs, Dunkirk, Dunn and Albion, in
Dane county, and Fulton. Porter, Union,
James, lille and Center, in Rock, are the
leading tobacco producing towns.
The village of Edgerton being the
geographical center of the tobacco dis
trict, was the first shipping point and
market, and is yet the principal receiv-
ing place for this product. There are
located there twenty-five packing houses
which handle from 5000 to 20, 900 cases
each year. In addition there are ten
new warehouses in construction.
Stoughton has fifteen, GAINESVILLE ten,
Evansville three and Madison two to-
bacco warehouses, while two are located
at Milton junction, one each at Milton,
Fort Atkinson, Albany, Marshall, Sun
Prairie, De Forest, Footville, and two at
Deerheld. Thus, there are not less than
seventy tobacco packing houses in the
state.
Experience has proved that tobacco is
one of the most profitable crops that
Wisconsin farmers can grow, although
the average price received for the past
ten years ranges somewhere between
ten and eleven cents per pound. Since
the introduction of Spanish or Cuban
seed, prices have somewhat improved.
The cost of raising an acre of tobacco
in Wisconsin cannot safely be figured to
exceed $50, including rent of land, la
Dor and fertilizers. This would bring
the cost of producing to almost five
cents per pound. The census reports
contain an estimate of raising an acre
of tobacco in Pennsylvania, where the
total is fixed at S105 so, including $50
for manures and so for rent of land.
making the cost per pound nearly six
cents.
Perhaps an average of receipts for an
acre of Wisconsin tobacco would not
fall short of $3.50. Deduct the average
cost and we have d profit of $780, In
exceptional seasons, like that of 1888,
the profits are much higher. A single
instance will illustrate: N Altemus, of
Pleasant Springs, from three-acre
crop last year, received S1.004, or
1884. 66 per acre.
The tobacco fields in Wisconsin hard
ly average over four acres, conclusion
arrived at by comparing lists of sales.
There are, therefore, not far from 1000
growers interested in producing this
product,
The present crop, 81, estimated at the
value of 2,500,0 900, will bring to each
of these 1000 farmers an average of
1925 apiece. What other product of
the soil will bring such profitable re-
turns in cash? 1t is needless to state
that the counties of Dane and Rock,
where tobacco culture is largest, are
fast becoming the most prosperous and
wealthy in the state.
The theory that tobacco exhausts and
ruins the soil, after twenty-five years of
experience. has been proved erroneous
as far as Wisconsin is concerned