The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1902-02-04
Farm Miscellany.

rsouohern Tobacco Journal ]

SefS0N'
You are to be congratulated on
the advanced prices which you have
for the past few months been getting
and are now receiving for your TO
bacco, and the plan or method
adopted or pursued by you that
caused prices TO advance is indeed to
be commended.
There should be no doubt in your
minds about the cause of the ad-
vanoed prices for leaf tobacco, and
you ought to, and I believe you do,
know just what will keep prices up.
The extra preparations which are
being made to increase the crop this
year prompts me to offer a few words
of warning and a little, what seems
TO me, timely advice.
The 1899 crop of tobacco averaged
less than seven cents per pound IN
fact, it did not net you six cents. The
acreage of the 1900 crop was less than
that of the 1899 crop by % per cent,
and the price advanced over 80 per
cent, which advance would, without
doubt, have been much greater had
it not been for the enormous circu-
lars which all manufacturers and
dealers accumulated from the 1899
crop. This surplus, however, was
partly consumed on account of the
decreased quantity of 1900. There
fore prices continued to advance as
the trade realized the scarcity of
stock. The 1901 crop is estimated to
be ten per cent. short of shat of 1900,
while prices have advanced over 40
per cent.
Rocky Mount, which handles as
fine, if not the finest bright tobacco
that is grown in the world, sold out
of the 1899 crop IL, $50, 900 pounds for
$713, 900. To January 1, 1902, she
has sold 1850, 900 pounds of the 1901
crop for 1913, 600, which shows that
since 1899 the pounds have been re-
duced about % per cent while prices
have advanced nearly 100 per cent.
These figures and facts should,
according TO my idea, prove conolu
sively and to the entire satisfaction
of every man, who has any brains in
his head, that the only safe and SEN
sible thing for him to do, is TO re-
duce his tobacco acreage this year
instead of increasing.it.
l am aware of the fact that this
advance does not coincide with the
narrow, biased, little, selfish views of
some warehousemen, leaf dealers,
manufacturers and guano trusts, who
say that seven cents per pound is
enough for you to get for your TO-
baooo and that more than that price
you an uncomfortable, ex-
fool. That gang of advis
ers and pretended good wishers are
your enemies, entirely igno:
rant of the leaf tobacco situation, or
belong to the ''big l and little you
clique, whose advice should not, and
I trust will not, be adhered to.
Warehousemen who advise an in
creased tobacco acreage can have no
other than selfish, individual gain
motives. The leaf dealer would have
you increase your crop in order that
he may run his steam plant TO it's
utmost capacity with low priced to
bacoO, thus increasing his profit at
your expense. The small manufao
turer and his sympathizers would
have you raise a surplus of tobacco
in order that he might supply his lit
tie wants without creating the Slight
est competition and thus carry prices
down to a three or four dollar level.
The big manufacturer, or trust,
would have you plant the face of the
earth in tobacco in order that he
may gObble it up at whatever price
he may see fit, while the guano trust
sits back with an air of full satisfso
tion laughing in their sleeve at the
long profits, and consequently big
money, they r going to make this
year out of the thousands of tons of
guano You are going to bury under
tobacco. And I might add that the
owners of printing presses are no
less jubilant over the prospects OF
extra profits for printing extra m IT.
90 cover your extra ind bt Il
ness, should you plant an extra larae
ornn of Enhanon Will unn do ~