The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1900-08-31
THE
Wisconsin Tobacco Reporter,
Edgerton. Wisconsin.
NOTE BOOK SKETCHES.
Edgerton,

Local dealers have ridden the tobacco
growing districts over pretty thorough
ly since the storms of week ago and
are able to give very intelligent reports
as to the extent of the injury to the un-
harvested crop, as we'll as to locate and
define the hail damaged sections. A
summary of these facts gathered by
these men 60 to show that the wild re-
ports first sent out were greatly exag-
gerated and over estimated. While in
some localities the losses of Individual
growers have been severe, the aggregate
damage sustained as compared to the
whole crop does not exceed or even equal
that of year ago. A territory extend
ing from Madison south to near the city
of GAINESVILLE and from Evansville, Ore
gon, Stoughton ON the west across to
Deerfield, Cambridge and Ft Atkinson
on the east, embracing section that
produces nearly IS per cent. of the crop
of the state, has escaped entirely unin-
jured by hail to date. Add to this the
Vernon and Crawford county sections,
all of which are practically uninjured,
and it can readily be seen that the dam
age sustained does not figure SO exten-
sively as the people have been led to
suppose from the erroneous reports that
have gone out.
=. *
Careful estimates extending through
aseries of years go to show that the av-
erage losses to growing tobacco from
hail and heavy storms reach close to %
per cent. "of the crop. During about
thirty years since Wisconsin has been
growing tobacco, the oldest farmers can
not remember a season when more or
less hail has rot damaged the growing
crop. The chances have been figured
out to be about 315 Or A to that the
the crop will escape such damage. The
hazard is recognized by the growers
generally and discounted in advance and
If by chance they escape through a series
of years it is accounted for as good luck.
a. is for the reason of these hazards
that every insurance company that ever
attempted to carry risks 'on growing to-
bacco have been forced 9nto bankruptcy
and retire from the field. The risk is so
great that the insured will never willing
ly pay premium large enough to make
good the aggregate losses sustained, even
though hail produces only a partial loss.
The difficulties attending upon a salts
factory adjustment are always present.
Xxx
We never could fully understand what
good could result to the reputation of
Wisconsin tobacco by sending out exag-
gerated and untruthfui reports of dam
age to growing crop and yet sensational
stories were telegraphed from GAINESVILLE
last week that told that the tobacco
crop of the state was ruIned. A cheer
full liar on the GAINESVILLE Recorder went |
so far as to the state that all the tobacco !
in the northern part of the county had !
been ruined by hail and quoted the edi- |
tor of the Reporter as confirming the |
sensation by telephone. The story was
an entire fabrication originated in the |
brains of person too lazy to find out |
the facts. The author of the lie could !
have found out, If he choose, that no |
hail had fallen within six miles of Ed
gerton, neither did he communicate by |
telephone or otherwise with the editor |
or the Reporter office in any way shape
OR manner. Such deliberate fabrica-
ton is deserving of the severest con-
demnation of every person who believes
in fair play or common decency. Send
ing broad cast exaggerated reports of
damage to such an important crop as
tobacco never helps to bring any dollars
to the producer, nor will it add anything
to the reputation of our state.
***
: The harvest is crowding the growers
faster this year than for many seasons
past. A stormy week together with a
scarcity of help in most localities, finds
the grower considerably behind in his
work. And the suckers have made alb
normal growth while the harvest is de-
layed until most fields have the appear
ance of neglect. We fear some growers
are shedding their tobacco without
suckering The plants, and if it
is SO it will be serious mistake. The
suckers will continue to grow in the
sheds and later feeze and stain much
good leaf. The farmers cannot afford to
permit such ship-shod work, else they
will suffer later. Early and late the
growers are working hard to catch up
out much over-ripe tobacco is standing
n the fields. A great many farmers,
90, are compelled to stop the harvest
while they build more shed room, the
,rop is yielding SO much heavier than
,ther wears