The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-03-20
MUNsEY IMPOSED UPON.
The Pictures Were From Col Cunningham
Fam and Not Connecticut

A short while ago an article appeared
in one of the Northern magazines on the
tobacco culture. 1t was read with great
interest, especially in this State.
Mr.. T. K. Bruner, the well informed
Secretary of the Agricultural Department,
thinks that the article does injustice to
this State, and in the following letter
which he sent the publisher of the maya
zine seems to make his point. Mr..
Burners letter was addressed to Mr..
Frank A. Munsey and is as follows
Dear Sir:-I have read with great in
terest From Sir Walter Raleigh to the
Tobacco Trust, by George B. Waldron, in
your Junior Munsey for April Of this
year On page seventy nine (79) are found
reproductions from two photographs, in
scribed as follows "A tobacco field in
the Connecticut Valley, with the plants
nearly full grown. The upper engraving
shows the full grown plants ready for
cutting.
MIR. Waldron has, perhaps unintention-
ally imposed upon you to the extent of
the inscription. The views reproduced,
S. Cunningham, Of Person county, North
Carolina, and I have in my possession
copies of each presented by him. In the
middle left of the larger picture, Col.
Cunningham may be seen standing uncov-
cred. He is the largest grower of leaf
in this State and his crop for the year
| 1880, when these photographs were
made, was 100000 hills.
l.
| ing too much on your time and patience
| to refer to one statement Of Mr., Waldron
to-wit: but Kcntucky produces nearly
half the tobacco crop of the nation This
may have been true at one time, but it
has not been true in recent years. The
United States Department of Agriculture
gave in 1895. the following figures for the
tobacco crops Of Connecticut, North Caro-
lima and Kentucky:
Pounds Value
| Connecticut ....... 9.92S,OOO l'o5S' lzo
| North Carolina ia, $4,000 l0,536,30O
Kentucky .... 179, $4,000 9,526,9O9
This shows North Carolina next to Ken
lucky in pounds of tobacco produced and
! first of all the States in the money value
Of the crop.
The average production as reported by
the same authority for the succeeding
year. changes very materially the figures
as they relate to North Carolina, to-wit:
Pounds Value.
Connecticut ...... 10,197, $50 S1,325, 66S
North Carolina ...... 6S,62917O 5,490,334
Kentucky ..........143, 623,S5O 6,032,202
But without question, these figures are
inaccurate as they relate to North Caro-
lima The North Carolina Department OF
Agriculture has fer a number of years
kept up system Of crop reports from an
| average of one thousand correspondents,
practically one in each township in the
| State In 1895 the average condition OF
| the tobacco crop in the State was, in
! July (when the cutting begins), SO out of
| a possible 100. The following year, 1896,
the returns from, this large corps OF crop
| reporters, show for the same month an
average condition for the State of 81. 1t
| is therefore conclusive that the last
| figures from the United States Depart
ment are defective, in that they reduce
| both the crop and its value by nearly
| one-half While the local evidence shows
| that the actual condition of the crop was
| five per cent better. The records of the
| growth of the crops and the manufacture
| Of the product show a gradual increase
in production from year to year"