Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1888-04-17
Some Words Regarding the 1888
Crop,
West. lob. journal J

In the past week or two reports from
some correspondents and exchanges
indicate that there is a growing dispo
sition to "hedge' some on the pro,
posed acreage for the 1888 Tobacco
crop. An Executive Committee of a
gathering OF farmers, held at Fulton
KY, few weeks ago, are out in an
address TO planters TO restrict their
acreage to certain amount per hand
aud call upon farmers association to
Yields their influence 10 this send.
a number of planters, with whom
we have spoken in the past few weeks,
while admitting that very large
acreage was probable in theirimmedi-
ate neighborhoods, protested TO have
information from other neighbor-
hoods that promised very moderate
acreage. Yet, allowing for all this,
there has been so much seed sown
and so many plant beds prepared,
that If they prosper even moderately
well they will furnish an amount of
plants that will be astonishing, and
the temptation to use the plants,
when they are at their disposal, will
be so great, especially with the re-
membrance of high prices obtained
for good proportion of the 1887 crop,
that it is safe TO say few of them will
be destroyed.
In Kentucky and Ohio the greatest
danger of overcropping presents it.
self, Burley having created such
furore that districts that never grew
il before will try it this year, and the |
old districts, with the Blue Grass |
section, will in all probability show |
all acreage under Tobacco never be-
fore equalled by them-unless plant
Prs come TO their senses at the eleventh
hour and show courage and iortitude
enough to act in opposition to their
preconceived desires. We know it
is hard for planter who has obtained
from seventeen to twenty cents per
pound-and with the latter price
was sometimes paid an additional
bonus of 800 for even small crop
for crops which the previous year
would have brought much more than
one quarter the price, to overcome the
temptation, but they will give the
slightest consideration to the causes
that led to tie prices of the 1856 and
1887 crops, they will be convinced OF
the desirability Of moderate plant
ing in 1888.
BY this overcropping the quality of
cropis damaged as well as the value
of it. When there is such anxiety
TO plant large quantity to sell at the
anticipated high price, labor in pro-
portion isnot furnished, and in conse-
quence the crop can not be properly
attended to in the field, can not be
timely cut and housed, and can not
be carefully cured and handled.
With small crop well attended to
and carefully housed and cured, as
well as intelligently handled and
packed, there is more actual value
and less labor.
There is room for a moderate crop
one that will supply domestic man
ufactures with good working stock 8,
and assist in working off the very un-
desirable stock of Old Tobacco held
for and in foreign countries, and re-
placing IL to a certain extent with
Tobacco of merit, that need not fear
the competition of Substitute" and
that can be held for its intrinsic value,
and the planters that devote them
selves-each to the types best suited
TO their immediate section-to max
ing small, choice crops, will in all
probability be the happier at the close
of the year, while those who go to
work with the intention of utilizing
every plant that can be scraped out
of very ample beds will be burdened
with quantity that will test the cap
acity of every outbuildIng or shed on
their farms, and will be lamenting
for that character and quantity which
in every year butone ofunusual scar
city or famine-as 1887 was-really
attaches value to crop.