The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1903-01-23
TFYE
Wisconsin Tobacco Reporter,
Edperton. Wisconsin.
NOTE BOOK SKETCHES.

NOTE BOOK SKETCHES.
The question is often asked, how long
can tobacco be grown on the same soil
without exhausting it's fertility? The
answer would depend somewhat upon
circumstances. Wisconsin has been
growing tobacco as an extensive crop
only about 25 years and yet there are
farms in the town of Fulton where the
same field has produced tobacco for 30
consecutive years. A 10 acre plot on the
Soverhill farm is one of these and the late
crops are as fine in every respect and
bring as remunerative prices as any dur
ing this series of years. The New Eng
land Tobacco Grower states that a South
Windsor grower, Mr.. Signor, has raised
tobacco every season for the last "a
years, or since he took charge of the
place, and also states that he was in
formed by neighbors that tobacco bad
been grown on that place for % years
before his arrival, making total of about
70 years that tobacco has been grown on
that same land, and from the appearance
of the crop that has been harvested dur
ing the past season, the land is still cap
able of producing fine grade of tobacco.
***
The Cuban tobacco crop which is now
being harvested is said to be much be-
low the expectations of the planters and
that the supply of Havana tobacco suit
able for American manufacturers will
not be equal to the requirements of the
trade for some years to come. This is
another misfortune upon a people al
ready suffering under an industrial de-
preston and looking to our congress for
relief through a reciprocity treaty. Leg
islation cannot supply the deficiency of
a crop failure however much the sympa-
thies of this country go out toward a
people in need of the necessities of life.
~
This Juggling with figures that runs
up into the millions is what makes ones
head dizzy. The Tobacco World is au-
thority for the statement that the total
capitalization of all the companies which
in one way or another have Mr.. James
B. Duke for their head is larger than
that of any other corporation save one,
the u. S. Steel Co., which has total
capitalization, bond issues included, OF
81, ,360,914,956. The Amalgamated Cop
per Co. has capitalization of S153, 1888,
900; the American Sugar Refining Co. is
capitalized at $90,C00,OCO; the American
Telephone and Telegraph Co. at STA,
eS3, 800; the International Harvester Co.
at S12O,OOOOOO; the Northern Securities
Co. at $3.50 100000, and the Standard Oil
Co. at S97, 100000. The aggregate of all
interests controlled by Mr.. Duke in the
tobacco trust is S480,00O,000.
*x*
While the National Cigar Leaf Tobac-
CO Association and the Havana cigar
manufacturers are appealing to the U. S.
senate to amend the pending reciprocity
treaty to provide for uniform duty of
25 cents on Cuban tobacco, the n. E.
Tobacco Growers Association are pass
ing resolutions asking that no change in
duties be made or even reciprocity be
granted. Here you have the interests of
two branches of the trade in direct con-
hict. The usual course when interests
of kindred nature cannot materialize is
to refuse to favor either request, and if
we mistake not the present disposition
ton of congress, the wishes of neither
faction will be granted in the passage of
the pending treaty. There must be a
getting together of the tobacco interests
on some common ground before congress
is likely to grant any tariff concessions.
**~
The Goth annual meeting of the New
England Tobacco Growers Association
held at Hartford last week put them
selves souarely on record as opposed to
any reduction in existing tariff duties Or
the reciprocity treaty with Cuba.
The committee on resolutions, consist
ing of Thaddeus Graves, Ell. S. Frye, A.
R. Wadsworth, A. G. Sternberg and O.
E. Case, reported as follows:
Whereas, the tobacco schedule in the
Dingley tariff is so skillfully adjusted as
to be satisfactory to the grower, as well
as the dealer and cigar manufacturer:
Resolved, that the association is op-
posed to any change in The present to-
bacco schedule of the Dingley tariff,
either direct or indirect. We are there
fore opposed to the proposed reciprocity
treaty with Cuba, and we are also op-
posed to the proposed reduction of the
tariff on tobacco imported from the Phil
ippine islands.
Resolved, that we respectfully request
our representatives and senators in con-
gress to use every effort to protect inter
ests of tobacco growers along the lines
laid down in the foregoing resolutions.
Resolved, that we fully appreciate the
aid of the national government extend
ed through the department of agricul-
ture in fostering the growth and devel-
opment of shade growing tobacco.
The above resolutions were not signed
by the fifth member of the committee,
H. S. Frye. He at once took the floor
and spoke at length on the Cuban reci-
ba elf LOFT