Morning journal and courier., 1891-06-17
ACREAGE OF TOBACCO.

~.~~~~A>S~ -
70 Increase This Year in Connecti-
cut-Growers Taking a Conserva-
tive Course-Havana VIII SupPlant
Connecticut Seed Leaf to a Great
Extent-The Prospect rs to Better
Prices.
Hartford Times.]
The town of East Windsor has many to-
bacco raisers, but only few large growers
of the weed. One of the largest growers
of the town is Mr.. J. II. Simonds of Ware
house Point. Some years ago this gentle.
man, who combines tobacco culture with
silk manufacturing as sort of side issue,
planted forty acres, and furnished capital
to another party to plant as many more
Last year he put out eighteen acres, and
has not increased his acreage this season.
The only change is in the variety chltiva-
ted Last year it was Connecticut seed
leaf; this year it is to be all Havana. His
view Of fertilizers is pretty well conveyed
in the remark: s'Stable manure is good
enough for me-" But he likes cotton seed
meal, and uses it considerably, because he
knows what it is, which is more than can
be said of many of the Wanted bagstuffs.
Mr.. Simonds does not anticipate any
great advance in prices, although they
may be little higher for year or two.
The tax on Sumatra is pretty severe, but
the Sumatra leaf is very thin and wraps
great deal more than ours. For this rea-
port Sumatra tobacco in spite of the tax.
As to the permanence of the repeal of the
tax, that depends upon politicians, who
are likely to act according to their own
ideas of policy with little regard as to
whether tobacco growers are helped or
hurt. Mr. Simonds will now abandon tho
seed leaf that he has raised 80 largely here
tofore, and cultivated Havana, having in
view the production of fine wrappers.
Horace Barber, proprietor of the Ware
house Point distillery, has planted twelve
acres, the same as last year. Nine acres
will be Havana. This year he devotes
tobacco men as the ''David Allen seed
leaf" originated some years ago by David
Allen of Broad Brook. He applies stable
manure almost exclusively, using CONNER
cial fertilizers only to q very limited ex-
tent. 1t is claimed that tobacco grown by
the use of barn manure has quality that
can be obtained in no other way. Bar
bers bookkeeper, Mr.. Woodward, says he
can tell by smoking few whiffs of cigar
whether or not commercial fertilizers were
applied to tho tobacco from which it is
made.
William T. Barber and R. A. Parker, at
Warehouse Point, plant about twelve
acres each of Havana.
On the Ellsworth farms, near the line of
South Windsor, eleven acres are planted.
Burt Grant, at Aelrose, has put out five
acres of Havana.
Hamilton Grant plants about the same
area, but changes this year from seed leaf
to Havana.
Eben Craw at Windsorville, will have
four acres of Havana.
A LARGE GROWER AND BUYER.
Last season Mr.. G. B. Filley of Broad
Brook had twenty acres in tobacco-the
largest area of any grower in East Wind
| sor that year. This season he will not have
more than last. Half his last crop was
seed leaf; the next is all Havana. Many
other growers have substituted Havana for
seed leaf, believing there are good reasons
for making the change. Of course the
principal one is the desire to supply the
anticipated demand for wrappers, for
which purpose Havana is no doubt supe-
rior to seed leaf. 1t is claimed that Ha-
vana is not more difficult to raise than seed
leaf, only requiring slightly longer time
"a week or SOTO mature. 1t is also
claimed that Havana is less liable
to injury in sweating than seed leaf.
wear only about 4, 900 cases of Connecticut
seed leaf in the whole state came through
the sweat sound and in good condition.
Some growers lost heavily and others but
little, but loss was universal. ALL were in
| the same boat, and it is scarcely an exag-
geration to say that not a single shed es-
| capped. Havana is preferred in tho market.
Mr.. Filley is the local buyer for Elias Bach
| & Sons, New York. This firm handles
from 10000 to IA, 900 cases in a year. Last
year they lost eight cases. Two Other
ACREAGE OF 81 TOBACCO.
"What is to be said of the claim that thu
acreage of tobacco in New England will be
| increased 20 per cent. this season!"
"You can say," replied Mr.. Filley en-
phatically, "that there will be no such
| thing In this town, Mr.. Myers, in the
| Broad Brook mill, planted last year two
| acres of the late Mr.. Davenport's land and
| this season has planted three more. This
| is the only instance I know of in East
| Windsor of a grower who has planted
more this year than last. There is no shed
room for an increased product and the fact
| that few new sheds are going up is unmis-
taxable. I think now of but single new
shed in process of construction in this
| town and I believe that is an old one built
over. Few new sheds are to be found in
| are provided in some localities is hardly
| proof of increasing acreage. Many grow
| ers have been trying to get along with in
| sufficient shed room. Last years expert.
| ence convinced them that this will not an
| swer. Profting by the lesson, farmers
generally will hang their tobacco thinner
| this year.
east Windsor may be considered, tax
ing everything into account, as good to-
bacco town as any in the state. Almost
| every farmer plants tobacco. Here there
| will be practically no increase in acreage
| this season, and it is not apparent that
| there will be an increase to exceed 5 per
cent throughout the state"
PROSPECT OF BETTER PRICES.
Mr.. Filley does not anticipate any
marked advance in prices. But there is
every reason to suppose that present
prices for goods of superior quality will
be maintained for time and perhaps be
slightly improved. Good tobacco must
command fair figures for while on &C
count of the existing shortage. There is
practically no old tobacco in the country.
Mr.. Filley says he has not seen time be-
fore in ten years when he couldn't drive
off and find from 500 to 1000 cases. Now
he knows of but five cases of
old tobacco unsold anywhere in this sec
| ton. To what extent the conditions favor
| able to good prices will be met and offset
by increased production in other parts of
the country cannot yet be determined In
New York, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and
other states the acreage will be greatly in
creased. Compared with the aggregate
production of the country the crop of Con-
| necticut amounts to but very little.
According to Mr.. Filley's view of the
matter, the Sumatra tax will not help Con-
necticut growers as much as has been ex-
pected. The manufacturers will probably
| continue to import Sumatra for fine cigars,
| Notwithstanding its cost. Our farmers
| should try to grow not a big leaf, but a
| fine, thin one. There are only two good
wrappers in tobacco leaf, and these are
3,