The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1888-12-04
LEON COUNTY TOBACCO IN NEW YORK.
The LeadiaG Tobacco journal OF
the UmiOa Endorses the Coop
erativ+ AsisN If Handling

At only Thirty Cents a Pound, Florida Tobacco
wM pay One Huxlred and TDoenty.fpe per
cent Proft-H makes the Mouths of Nor
Mern Gro,ce,s Watcr-The Articles on Lem
COUNTY Tobacco, acritten by Mr.. j. j. Metz
spoken Of In High Terms Of Praise
The article "a the cos, handling and proht OF
fine leaf tobacco in Leon county, written by MIR.
]. J. Metz, which appeared IN the FLoRIDIAN
of November ID, has attracted general attention
all over the country. The United States 1o6ncc0
Journal, which is the leading trade journal of
the Union in this line of business, copies it in
full, and comments upon it as follows:
The above is the most sensible article on the
subject of Florida tobacco emanatng from
Southern pen We have ever met with. 1t Is al
most absolutely free from that bombastic style
and inflated exaggeratiOns which We have had
occasion SO frequently TO Tcbnke as posi-
lively injurious To the revival or the Florida to-
bacc0 culture 1t beirays a gladstone knowl-
edge of the topic it is treating OF and Is lmbued
with an earnestness and sense of responsibility
for the accomplishment of the end in view. We
are therefore, much the more disappointed to
and the writer msinformed concerning the duty
on foreign Leaf. The present duty is not Is
cents pound on Sumatra and Cuba tobacco. 1t
is 81 cents, and only IS cents 10 certain contin-
gencies.
The statement put forth by Mr.. Metz IA re-
CARDS the cost of producing An acre of tobacco
and its presumable profits will make the mouths
of our Northern growers water. While we will
cheerlullv concede To him the advantage of be-
| ing better posted on the cost of production we
will take the liberty to doubt his correctness as
regards the profits. For we do not think that
the Florida tobacco would average, for the
! present at least 50 cents pound because. as
! the writer himself has to concele, Florida has
hiicl NfIo In.
bacco capable to replace Suma'ra and Havana.
| Till then il will be beggar in our market, and
! beggars cannot be chOosers
But if Mr. Me,Z's figures about the cost OF
production are anywhere approximately accur-
ate Florida tobacco could sell in The market AT
80 cents and still leave ptoA 81 125 per cent.
and over-a margin remnneraiivc enough for
any legitimate business. Tue principal question
| however, is not about the prospective profits,
but simply this; win Florida turn out the weed
in such shape and quality as NJ. Me'Z is writ
ing it up? If it should in reality correspond t.
his descrip,ion--and he seems 10 be fully aware
of the kind of leaf the m Lrkct is IN need Oi =
then the profits will be there too. in exact pro
portion to the quality of the tat, and more so
All we are and have been craving for is Give
Us domestic leaf 10 replace the Sumatra an(
Havana But, alas! we have prayed thus fa
in vain. 1t you have some snch leaf down there
in any corner of Florida don't hide il uu,ler the
bushel, but send it up here; for New York is tht
market 10 make or unmake The reputation q
anv cigar ieat Otherwise The impression may
gam ground that y"n want To sci III ska be
fore the lion is caught
There Is III Mr.. Metz article one point which
panles tor the raising and selling Of 100 54arcnH1
Ems aIv'ce emtnaies from a true business intel
Itc' II S the only plan by which the prodnc
non OF tobacco can he made as remnnerativ,
here as IN Suma'ra. Individual growers. even i
they make AS big profit as The Dutch GONNA
MES, can never be made to believe Ihat th,i
a'ni'es are just as high. Dividends Of 100 pe
cent. >ounH very hlgn, as in fact they are bu
II any individual pian's ju>t one acre of tobacco
ana makes profit off it OF 1900, or 300 Der c4nt
he VIII sui be poor man with hardly enouyl
! 10 squeeze through Years lie That's whrr,
The shoe plnchcs our Northern growers. Their
prohts would be all right, it, taste I'd of cul,iva,.
ing one, Two or three acres OF Tobacco" they were
Interested IN the cultivation of 900 or : OOC