The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1904-03-11
NOTE BOOK SKETCHES.

.he amount of help employed is nowhere |
Up to the limit of other years. This
work is fully two months late IN start
ng and even though it continues unus
lally late in the spring the amount of
she crop that seems destined to be as
sorted through the warehouses will be
under that of former years.
The growers, therefore, must arrange to
handle quite large portion upon the
farms or carry it through the sweat in
the bundle, for it will be impossible for
the warehouse points to take care OF SO
large a crop before it goes into the
sweat. Some growers will undoubtedly
be willing to accept small prices for their
tobacco rather than attempt to case it
themselves, but this is poor policy if the
crop is really worth the effort. 1t is
surely misfortune that the crop is not
turning out better one of those misfor-
tunes that the grower must make the
best Of He can hardly expect the to-
bacco dealers to buy his product in the
bundle or divide the loss by paying him
more than they think the goods are
worth, simply to mitigate his misfortune.
It is purely business proposition sub
iect to the same rules of trade that other
business is conducted under.
***
The right philosophy is aptly put by
correspondent as follows:
Disappointment and discouraglng
conditions come to us ali end 1T seems
that this was one of the years when our
cup of bitterness was full. A crop raised
under difficulties and shielded between
showers, no, oftentimes in showers; then
frozen and dried out through a long and
extreme winter, now to be weighed in
the balance and found wanting. Surely
this is enough to discourage anyone.
But we must not only look on the bright
side but from all sides, from the buyers
as we'll as the sellers point of view. And
while there may be and often is dispo-
sition to follow David Harum's advice
by grower and dealer alike to DO unto
others as they would do you, but
do it fust,n still, after all, there is small
grain of fairness in every man, which, if
approached in the right manner will
oftentimes prevent and avoid trouble.
xESo do nothing hastily, but with an all
abiding trust in your fellow men and in
his fairness. And when discussion
CONES, arbitrate, and always skip the
hard words until all else has failed.
The annual report of the American
Cigar Co. has been made public for the
year ending Dec. 3lst last. There has
been no change in either the capital
stock or the per cent. gold notes dur
ing the year, the total amount now out
standing being $9,925, 600 capital stock
and 100000 gold notes. The net
earning of the year from the operation
of business after deducting all charges
and expenses for management are $8O7,-
|Ol244. There have been no dividends
declared or paid, aad the whole of said
net earnings have been added to the sur
plus of $l ,495 05SO3 existing on January
1, 1908, making total surplus on De-
cember 81, 1903, of s2,302,O70.47.
Fx*
It is q wise act to test the germinative
qualities of seed every spring and to do
it early, so there will be no delay in Sc
curing a new supply when necessary.
Seed testing is simple matter and it
affords great satisfaction to the planter.
Seeds placed between pieces of WOODEN
cloth kept moist and warm will sprout in
due time, and the percentage of good
seed can thus be easily obtained.
*xx
The New York World has the follow
ing interesting item of news concerning
the Connecticut shade-grown Sumatra:
The experiment of growing Sumatra
tobacco under cloth in the Connecticut
Valley is failure in the opinion of those
we'll qualified to judge Notwithstand-
ing the contention of the Sumatra en-
thusiasts that leaf in every way equal
to imported Sumatra is grown in the
Connecticut Valley, the fact is indisput-
able that manufacturers will not buy
the leaf in large quantities, that the bulk
of the 1902 crop is still unsold, and that
when the 1903 acreage has been assorted
and baled growers will have two crops
on their hands, with few purchasers IN
sight. It is estimated that the Connec-
ticut Valley shade grown tobacco indus
try represents an actual investment of
approximately S1,a00,00O. Those inter
ested in the venture have naturally been
loath to admit that the situation is criti-
cal and that the present outlook is that
the 1904 Sumatra acreage will hardly ex-
ceed third of the acreage set to this
strain of tobacco last year. Glowing re-
ports from the Department of Agricul-
ture at Washington were to the effect
that Sunaatra tobacco could be grown in
the Connecticut Valley and sold at
profit of $I pound. Estimating the
yield at LOCO pounds per acre, the stats
tieians' tables indicated profit of 81 900
an acre for growers with sufficient nerve
and capital to embark in the venture.
The manufacturers verdict was disap
pointment. The colors were not uni
formly good and the leaf was papery, the
trade complained. In 1902 growers said
that these defects had been largely over
come. Manufacturers were skeptical
and still retain their skepticism.
Ten years ago the United States i'm
ported 81, 100000 worth of hosiery from