The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1903-10-09
NCTH BOOB. SKETCHES.

Since the harvest was completed, the
weather conditions have seldom been
more perfect for securing a more salts
factory curing of the tobacco crop. A
warm September interspersed with occa-
sional rains, served to bring about fire.
quent casing of the leaf, and assist in
the rapid curing in the sheds. The indi-
cations now are that the late harvested
portions of the crop will cure out with
as desirable colors as the earlier portion,
in which event it will form the better
part of the crop, being both larger in
growth and sounder leaf and free from
shed damage as we'll. There will be but
little danger from fat stems this year,
whatever weather occurs from this time
on. Growers can scarcely recall more
perfectsautumn for the curing of tobac-
co, despite the long season Of bad wealth
er and frequent delays during the har
vest of the crop.
***
Ia an effort to arrive at satisfactory
solution for the cause of the must dam
age that is proving such a serious loss to
packers, some light is thrown upon the
subject by the results obtained through
the employment of forced sweating or
the use of artificial heat in the cure. 1t
has been found that where packers did
not allow their bulks to cool after fer
mentation had started, the must dam
age is almost entirely eliminated. In
some cases this was accomplished by
keeping moderate amount OF heat in
the warehouses during the damp, cool
weather of the early summer All this
seems to indicate that if the checking of
thesfermenting process can be prevented
during changeable weather, better re-
suits can be obtained. This is especially
necessary in cool seasons where the nat
ural sweat is light. In view of the facts
above recited, packers will arrange to
have heating appliances placed in more
of their ware houses in the future and
thus be able to guard against the con
tingencies OF loss from damage cure.
*xx
+ A New England authority on curing
writes as follows regarding the care of
the sheds: The chemistry of curing, the
nature of the changes that take place in
the hanging leaf, has not received much
atoention from the scientists-so there is
no system of scientific names Or elabor-
ate theory attached to this phase of to-
bacco culture; but the grower finds
much to guide him in common sense and
the experience of years. AS a general
thing, the conditions which govern this
stage of the development of cigar leaf
are not within the control of the grower;
yet much can be done on his part to
avoid impending danger, both in the
preparation of proper curing shed, and
in the handling of the crop as it goes on
the poles, as we'll as in the manipulation
of the curing shed, especially in the
early part of curing time. There can
not be too many doors in shed, and
these should be kept open all day when
the weather is good, unless there is too
much wind, when the windWard doors
should be closed. Close attention to the
opening and closing of the doors as the
conditions require, is one of the most i'm
portant features of tobacco culture, and
nothing pays better for the little labor
involved than constant watchfulness and
care with regard to this detail.
~
The tobacco trade in Louisville and
Richmond feels considerable apprehen-
sion regarding the reported latest move
of the American Tobacco Company. The
report emenates from both cities and is
to the effect that the company proposes,
in short, to go into the leaf tobacco bust
ness. If this were carried out it would
have far-reaching effect on every indie
pendent leaf dealer, and also every indie
pendent manufacturer in the world. It
would mean control of the source of
supply. Heretofore the efforts of the
Continental and American Tobacco com
panies have been directed only toward
the manufacturing side of the tobacco
business, and in this field the companies
have been, generally speaking success
full. But thorough control of the man
ufacturing business necessarily presup-
poses control of the raw leaf trade,
and it is to the European market that
the company addresses itself. 1t is in the
open markets of the world that the con-
test must be waged. Germany, Holland,
Belgium, Denmark, Norway and Sweden
and Russia are all heavy consumers of
leaf tobacco, and their supplies are fur
nished either by American or European
leaf dealers. Special types are always
required, and the American Tobacco
Company, with its enormous purchases,
could more easily obtain the desired
types than the average dealer.
*.*
A ruling which will be to the advant-
age and convenience of leaf dealers as
we'll as of deputy collectors was brought
out by communication of collector.
tits as follows: transactions in the
form of entry in a leaf dealers book
should not be made until it is absolutely
fact that the leaf tobacco has been
sold and delivered to the purchaser; that
the manufacturer should not enter such
tobacco in his revenue book as purchas-
ed until it actually enters the factory,
and he will follow the same course in re-
porting the purchase on his monthly re-
turn; that when the books of the leaf
70 +rop