The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1902-01-24
The Situation In New England.

EAST HARTFORD, Conn, Jan. l, 1902
EDITOR REPORTER:
Notwithstanding the lateness which
marked the beginning of the stripping
season, the growers have taken advant-
age of the recent damps and all tobacco
is down, stripped and the asserting we'll
under way. The crop (Broadleaf in par
ticular) has much fine tobacco, leaf that
will be very serviceable to the trade. The
weights will be fully 30 per cent short of
last year on same acreage. Perhaps lO
per cent of this shrinkage may be attri-
buted to pole sweat, but not entirely, as
that disease was confined to that portion
of the crop hung during a certain period
Parts of almost every crop and some en-
tire crops are entirely free from this evil
The proportion of wrappers is larger than
usual. owing to the fact that the sweat
affected the ground leaves mostly. The
growth was not quite as large on the
average as the 1900 crop, which, perhaps,
accounts for the shrinkage, but mainly
this must be attributed to peculiarities
of the past season. Tobacco grew more
or less under shaded conditions and a
superabundance of rain. The colors are
light and the thick top leaves are not
much in evidence. More than the usual
number of buyers are in the field and
buying is brisk. Probably the dealers
recognize the fact of the shortage in the
Conn. valley crop and hasten to secure
it. Certain it is that much larger pro-
portion of the crop is sold at this date
than there was last year. The Havana
in this section is all bought up. This
usually goes first, although this is not a
Havana district, Broadleaf largely pre-
dominating. Broadleaf is all assorted by
the growers, five, sometimes six kinds
being made, besides the rubbish which
is sold in loose (untied) condition at l q
cents per pound, the stuff being in great
demand by a certain class of buyers.
Some pay 215 cents for it. Broadleaf is
selling for Is, 10. 20 and q cents for all
but the short ends and filters. Some
have sold as high as Zoe through; at 1875
5 it amounts to about Is and l612 cents
through. Havana sold better than this
at first, but is not bringing as much as
Broadleaf now. This kind is all assort-
ed in the warehouses, which with few
exceptions are now opened, being fully
one month late in doing so. Those that
are opened among the East Hartford list
are w. L. Hunting Il Co., Suffer Bros,
p. Deunerlein and e. Rosenwald. Hart
| ford warehouses are all in operation.
| Sorting is being done by the pound at
lie, and the sorters complain they can
not make fair wages owing to the ex-
treme lghtness of the leaf. Sorters have
nothing to do with sizing, tying or pack
| ing. :,
Much attention will be given to tent"
growing in this section next season. Be
L. L 4,
one to six acres each, there are several
syndicates formed with capital stock
ranging from $4,000 to 100000, who
will grow grow from ten acres up toward
a hundred under cloth. One of the 1901
experiments in this line of 51a acres re-
| port close to 400 pounds per acre, which
they claim to be worth 50 per pound.
/ The annual meeting of the New Eng
land Tobacco Growers association will
be held Tuesday, Jan. 18th, at the "State
Capitol" in Hartford.