The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1894-06-28

tatlVe OF the Baltimore Manu. fdttnrers'
Peeora, who has lately been in Hen
derSon gathering material for the
basis of series Of articles for his Jour
nal relative to the industries and re-
sources of this section Of the State, in
a recent letter says This OF our tobacco
interests
The usual reply to question as to
the state Of the tobacco business is
anything but encouraging. The visi-
tor to the North Carolina tobacco dis
trlct is usually informed that the
market is so overstocked that "there
is no money any more in raising to-
baCco.' This is the answer | received
while on a train near this place the
other day, and l wondered if it was
really so-that you could not realize
more than the cost of production in
raising the plant. As Henderson is
one of the most important depots in
the South for pipe and cigarette to-
bacco, it is a good place to gain a
fair idea of the present state of the
market, and l found it paid TO inves-
tigate closely.
Judging from the reports of tobacco
stocks on hand at the worlds main
distributing points, there is enough
tobacco now stored to supply the
demand for two years at some points.
But the quality. That is the main
point. There is plenty of tobacco,
such as it is, but good tobacco is
scarce, and the man who raises a su-
perior grade will find ready demand
at all seasons. The best way to prove
that is to attend the sales at some of
the warehouses as | did. Visiting
these warehouses one could see at a
glance why the market was overstocked.
On the floors lay pile after pile OF
dark, smelling and ill-looking leaf
which in some cases sold as low as
$3.50 per 100 pounds, and from this
prices that day ranged all the way up
to SIS per 90, and yet much of the
poor tobacco was grown on the same
kind of soil and in the same locality
as the fine grades. Why wasn't it as
good? Because the grower had neg
lected it, perhaps had planted more
acreage than he could care for, or had
the idea that after being started the
plants could take care of themselves.
Mr.. d. Y. Cooper has the largest
tobacco house in Henderson and one
of the largest in the South. Among
his patrons are some of the most ex-
tensive growers OF the weed in North
Carolina. On the day in question a
barn. of tobacco was put on sale
little over 500 pounds in all. The
owner had arranged it in seven grades
and before the auctioneer reached it al
of the dozen or more buyers had care
fully scanned the piles. About ter
feet away was single pile, owned BY
another man containing SOS pounds
The buyers didn't scan that closely
The seven lots in the barn" brough
from eight and one-half to fifty-thres
cents per pound. The 565-pound
lot brought two and one-half cent
per pound.
Here is what one of the buyers tolt
me about it: "That SOS pounds
simply raised itself. The farmer neg
lected it. He could have greatly i'm
proved the quality by giving his fele
the attention it deserved. The othe
is noted for the care and skill h.
exerts in growing and curing. He al
ways gets good price, and thoug|
he does not plant large area, h
gives as much attention to it as SOM
| men do to an acreage ten times a
| great Those two men have planta
| tions within four miles of each other
| and have the same facilities for grow
: ing good tobacco.
Then he began talking of the de
mand: awe are always in the marke
for good tobacco. 1t is all nonsens
to say there is no profit in tobacco
growing. Of course, you can no
grow poor stuff and expect to receiv
high prices-you can't in anything
The American Tobacco Co., kinne,
Bros, the Lorillards, in fact most Q
the large firms in the country, hav
men here daily who will take ever
pound of leaf that is of a fair qualit
for their purpose. They also hav
buyers at the other principal markets
| tell you there is just as much none.
in tobacco growing as there ever wa
if tie grower will only take pains t
raise and cure a good article. @
course the crop may be affected b
the weather one or two seasons, bu
the profit from good crop will NOR
than make up the loss. About so
t pounds is fair yield to the acre.
that man whose barn was sold cult
: waited only an acre, it yielded hin
$50 and over Ten acres at tha
rate would bring S1,5oo.'
And there is plenty of land in thi
and other sections of Carolina alon
the Seabard Air Line and Richmon,
> & Danville roads which can be bough
! -fact-for $40 to SIS per acre.
So much for tobacco growing.
When SO many people are taking an
/ deriving benefit from Hoods SarSaParlIla
1 4 k,y- = oil