The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1902-07-25
TIE
Wisconsin Tobacco Reporter,
Edgerton, Wisconsin.
NOTE BOOK SKETCHES.
Edgerton,

E Tobacco growers are beginning to re-
alize that phenomenal growth of the
fields under such conditions that have
prevailed in this state for the past few
weeks are not entirely desirable. The
abnormal rainfall hes caused an amazing
plant growth but the plants are extreme
ly tender and are not as deep rooted as
ordinarily so that heavy winds will cause
great havoc in the fields, blowing over
the stalks and breaking the tender
leaves. In some instances the long spell
of wet weather has caused the plants to
rot, especially on low ground, and
possibly some frenching as we'll. 1t is
generally believed that tobacco matur
ing in wet season will not prove up to
standard in quality. The tobacco crop
is Just in that condition now when a
heavy storm of wind or hail would do
untold damage. The rainfall SO far in
July has been excessive and season of
dry weather is most needed to give the
substance necessary for good quality
leaf. Topping has commenced and the
next few weeks will tell the story of the
present crop.
The hard luck stories of the tobacco
growers are commencing to be told. The
season of nail storms is at hand and the
hopes of the man who yields the hoe are
shattered in a trice. The particulars of
very disastrous storm in the New Eng
land tobacco districts is given in another
column. A long drouth was succeeded
by three weeks of almost continuous
rains climaxed with hail storm that
caused widespread destruction. Reports
also reach US that portions of the Wis
consin growing sections have also been
covered by hail during the week though
the particulars of the injury are not at
hand. But this is only the commence
ment of what is likely to follow unless
the experience of other years goes for
naught. The path of the tobacco grow
ers is strewn with many things not
pleasant to contemplate
r*.* ~
The competition of the big tobacco
trust in the cheap cigar field has at last
drove the stogie manufacturers to pre-
pare for struggle for existence. A dis
patch from Pittsburg to the daily press
says the stogie manufacturers of Penn
;sylvania, Ohio and West Virginia, with
but one exception, have formed COM
bination and have been granted chart
er by the state of Delaware It is capi-
talized at S7,50O,OO0 of which S2,5O0,O00
will be cumulative preferred stock. The
companies included in the merger are:
The Collins Cigar company and Zeug-
schmidt Bros. of Pittsburg, the Union
American Cigar company, NJ. Brilles and
company and w. w. Stewart of Allie
gheny, b. Swisher and company, Colum-
bus, Ohio, Swisher Bros, Newark, Ohio,
John Kidow, Tiffin, Ohio, Marsh & Sons,
Wheeling, w. Va. W. w. Blake COM
pany, Altoona, Pa, and John Slater, Ian
caster, Pa. These, with the r. and w.
jenkins company of Pittsburg, which is
not IN the new concern, manufacture all
of the stogies, cheroots and cheap cigars,
the production outside of them amount
ing to scarcely per cent.
~
The shade grown tobacco situation, as
viewed by many growers, is expressed by
William Glease, Hartford county (Ct.)
grower, in letter to The Homestead, as
follows: [ have not much confidence in
shade grown tobacco. Small farmers
cannot take hold Of it. [ made some
money growing tobacco 40 years ago, but
of late | have not made much. [ do not
think this expenditure by the govern
ment will ever do the small farmer, who
needs it most, very much good. If there
is any money made ia it, it will be by
capitalists. I do not think it best to
hold up to the small farmers that they
are: going to get rich by it. What the
future is to be we cannot tell The big
corporations will establish the price and
make the money and the small farmers
will have to get along as they can. [ do
not think We get our best tobacco from
the earliest growth. If we have to cut
it before the warm weather is over, it is
not apt to cure as well.
Xxx
IIe agricultural department has a |
new project on foot, says the N. Y. Leaf, |
which. if once fairly started, would be
highly appreciated by the trade at large. |
1t is nothing more or less than the Sc
curing of reliable statistics relating to |
leaf productions and it is intended that |
the scheme shall embrace the whole of |
the tobacco producing states. Already |
steps have been taken in this direction |
in the South, and the tobacco houses
there have promised to heartily cooper |
ate with the Department Recently Mr..
Thomas G. Holloway, of the Agricultural |
was engaged on personal |
Investigation of this matter, and while in |
New York expressed himself as sanguine |
of results when the right parties in the
trade had consented to give the neces-
sary aid. Statistics in the cigar-leaf pro- /
duclng states would be of special value |
to dealers and manufacturers, and the |
Inauguration of the system would be
hailed as great advance over the old /
than useless one in vogue some |
years back. The information that would |
come into the possession of the Depart
ment would be published periodically in