The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1897-01-15

leaves that do not correspond More
especially has this been the case in tie
last three years. We have had dry
summers and bad falls for curing. A
few years ago we could sell almost
anything in the shape of tobacco; we
had but little competition, certainly
not half we now have. Maryland was
the third tobacco-growing State; now
the seventh. Several States are now
growing it that few years ago knew
nothing about the cultivation of tobac-
co. Like everything else there is al
ways a demand for good article, but
the question is asked, how can we be
sure of getting a good crop? Under
certain circumstances it is almost i'm
possible to get one. In the first place
we depend upon getting early plants,
the next the seasons to grow it, and
last and most important, suitable
weather to cure it. In North Carroll
ma and other places where they cure
by artificial means, they are not so de-
pendent upon the seasons. Here with
our air curing we are wholly dependent
upon Divine Providence, but there are
many Improvements we can make. In
the first place, many acres Of land are
put in tobacco that are not suitable for
it; then the farmers do not take suffi-
cient care in making their crops; they
look more to the pounds than to the
quality. | think if farmers would
adopt low topping there would not be
so much mixed tobacco in stripping.
The leaves would be more uniform in
length and also in color. Now you
take plant of tobacco, 90 to 25 leaves,
you have several different lengths and
colors. 1t Is hard for ordinary hands
to properly assert such plant. Now
take a plant that was topped down to
IL to 16, and what difference. Any
man could strip and properly assert
that plant of tobacco. If we can af-
ford to spend the summer in making
and the fall in saving our crop, surely
we can afford to spend part of the
winter and spring in properly asserting
and packing. l was in barn yester-
day and picked up these three bundles
of tobacco. Now, we will see how
this farmer has assorted his tobacco.
Well. here Is &c., &C., 4c. and &c. tobac-
co, in this bundle. Now, you say, we
don't assert it in that way. Well, per-
haps you do not, but a great many do
not assert as well. was in Baltimore
last week and my attention was called,
by seller and buyer, to some samples
of new tobacco just opened. They
were terribly mixed, both in stripping
and packing. One sample had five
bundles of mixed crop and leaves
in them, ranging in value from one to
nine cents, and one bundle of second
leaves from cents to unsalcable. Ii
any farmer in this audience sent an Or
der to his commission merchant for
barrel of No. mackerel, and upon
opening it found it contained about
one-half herring, would he not return
it end try to find more reliable man
with whom to deal? The tobacco
growers of Maryland have treated
customers in a similar manner, and
they have borne with them until pa
tience has ceased to be virtue. |
was in sale room last spring and the
commission merchant was selling some
tobacco to buyer, and after he had
sold several samples at what | thought
was fair price, he picked up a sam
pie and said: Harry, let me sell you
this? l want to close it out" His
reply was, No; l told you yesterday
would not buy it," and threw it
down. l examined it and found it
badly mixed with tobacco in value
from to cents. | remarked to the
buyer, "If you have determined not to
buy mixed tobacco any more you
should issue circular to the farmers
His reply was, "We have talked and
begged them for ten years to stop mix
ing their tobacco and they pay no at
tention to us, now let them feel it. y
Now, the manufacturer of cigarettes
and smoking tobacco, which is princi-
) pally the use made of our tobacco, on
account of it's burning qualities, can
not use and lOc. tobacco in his fine
brands, therefore, being mixed, he can
only pay the price of the low grade.
The smoker who has accustomed him
self to good brand of tobacco can de-
tect the smallest mixture of common
tobacco. Such being a fact, shows the
Importance of the manufacturer hav
ing uniformity in his tobacco. | think
every farmer should try to give his
customer his crop as nearssthe way he
wants it as possible. I'VE have got to
stand on the merits ofour. tobacco, and
for that reason should do all we can to
satisfy the consumer. Has there been
any improvement in the growing,
handling and packing of our tobacco
in the last twenty years l fail to
see it. Now, do not hesitate to say
that no men have been so unfairly
treated as tie buyers of Maryland to-
bacco. Now, halt is demanded, and
the life of the weed depends upon
better handling and more uniform
stripping and packing.