The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1905-11-24

NOTE BOOK SKETCHES

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| The general opinion of the trade is
that the sharp advance that has taken
place the last few months in all classes
OF cigar leaf must eventually work a
hardship to the small manufacturers
throughout the country and in the end
must result in the decreased production
of cigars. The larger manufacturers
who buy their leaf from first hands, have
all the advantage of the condition of the
market. They must pay more for their
tobacco, to be sure, but they do not pay
the jobbers' profit, or if they do they buy
in large quantities and get the lowest
figures With the smaller men whose
stock is often of the cheaper grades, find
the market almost bare and prices near
ly double what they are accustomed to
pay These are the fellows who are se-
verely pinched and without being able
to realize much more fc- their manu-
factured goods, they fin heir profits
cut in two. The reasonable inference is
that many of this class will be crowded
tion, however, if even the larger manu-
facturers must not either raise the price
of their cigars or lower the standard of
their goods if the present prices of the
raw material continue. But the tendency
Of the times is all in favor of the larger
manufacturers over the smaller ones,
but the extraordinary advance in tobac-
cos makes it harder than ever for the
smaller ones to continue in business.
***
We are indebted to the New England
Grower for the following hints regarding
the care of tobacco seed: The tobacco
seed heads after cutting should be hung
up in dry place where there is free
circulation of air. 1t is important that
the seed be thoroughly dried out as
quickly as possible, and for this reason,
care should be taken to give the seed
heads the best possible opportunity for
drying. The best means for securing
this condition is by hanging them in an
attic where windows can be opened on
bright days to admit free circulation of
ai-5.7hich will carry off the moisture
contained in the pods. Much of the
seed which is not cared for properly at
this season of the year, moulds and the
vitality is destroyed or weakened to such
an extent that it terminates but slowly
when sowed in the seed bed in the
spring. This weak seed produces un-
healthy plants which are not able to
make satisfactory progress during the
growing season. AS soon as the seed
has thoroughly dried out it should be
shelled, all of the small, irres ular and
immature pods should be discarded and
only the large, healthy and we'll develop
ed pods saved for use. This care will
not take but short time and will be of
great service in getting rid of the poor
and undesirable seed. AS soon as the
selected pods have been shelled, the
small and light seed can be blown out
with seed separator, and the cleaned
seed stored in glass jars for the winter.
Ordinary mason jars are suitable for this
purpose and if they are stored in dry,
warm place the seed will keep for several
years. All sucker branches bearing seed
pods should be broken off and discarded.
The seed produced in these pods is not
as good as the seed produced in the
larger pods borne by the main branches
of the seed heads. The time to remove
such branches is when the seed plants
are selected in the field, but if it was not
done at that time, it should be attended
to before the seed heads are shelled.
***
Now that stripping has commenced,
the splendid New England crop seems to
have suffered some from damage in the
cure. A we'll known correspondent says
there is evidence of some pole sweat in
every crop, especially in certain stage
of cutting, mainly confined to the butt
or ground leaves on the lower tiers. 1t
seems to be more due to an over damp
ness from long continued spell of damp
weather in which the leaves did not