The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1905-08-11
NOTE BOOK SKETCHES

NOTE BOOK SkE ICHES -
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:
The Wisconsin tobacco growing dis
tricts which have escaped the visitation
from hail up to the beginning of August
have since that date been covered with
several storms of varying extent that
have wrought nearly as much damage to
the growing fields as the average season.
At least four separate storms, accom-
panied by hail, have visited tobacco
growing sections during the week. Two
of these covered portions of Vernon and
Crawford counties, but were narrow in
outlines and the number of crops seri-
ously damaged is comparatively few.
The most severe storm of the season,
carrying hail, on Friday morning passed
over portion of Dane and Rock coun-
ties. The track of the hail varied from
a mile to four or more in width, but only
in few localities was the quantity suf-
fcient to ruin the tobacco. Not over a
dozen fields of early leaf were completely
riddled. Again on Saturday a narrow
bridge and Rockdale but the damage is
not so important. So much Of the to-
bacco is yet small that even in the track
OF these storms the actual damage sus-
tanned cannot be counted such a serious
loss, except to a few individual growers.
No tobacco crop has ever yet been grown
in Wisconsin without more or less hail
in some of the growing sections, and up
to date the present season has not re-
ceived more than the average visitations
from this injury. Two thirds of the crop
promises to have late harvest that will
outgrow any hail storms up to this time.
Since the above was written, the most
severe storm of the season swept south
ward from Sparta covering a good por
tion of Vernon county. More or less hail
accompanied this storm which pros
trated trees, farm buildings, etc. The
particulars as to the injury to growing
tobacco, some of which has already been
contracted for, has not reached us. Hail
is also reported from the tobacco sections
of Richland county.
**x
In discussing the reliability of higher
prices of all leaf enterin 70 20 the manu-
facture of cigars, the y. .. Tob. Journal
says: The effect of the higher prices of
leaf will therefore be return to a
sounder and more legitimate basis of
marketing the cigar output. Price cut
ting, gratis allowances, gift schemes, ex-
traFagant poster advertisements, will be-
come thing of the past and the whole
sale price of the nickel cigar will prob
ablssbe so equalized as to cut down the
wide divergence of S12 to possible S..
True, such a condition would tend to
somewhat diminish the consumption and
consequently also the output. But the
decrease is likely to strike most of
the cheaper grades while with the ad-
vance of the price, or rather cutting off
the excrescences of an artificial imitation,
manufacturers will as heretofore rival
with each other in improving their pro-
ducts. The public, therefore, will be a
gamer in quality what it may lose in
cheapness and quantity.
*x*
Prof. A. Shamel, of the plant industry
of the Agricultural Department, has for
some time been engaged in experiment.
dian Head farm in CRANKY, Conn. where
shade tobacco is grown on large scale.
Prof. Shamel is growing two acres of to-
bacco under shade, in order to discover,
if possible, why previous efforts in that
direction have not been altogether salts
factory. In all, there are twelve differ
ent types of tobacco being raised. The
main idea of the experiments is to i'm
prove the growth of Havana seed and
broad leaf in the Connecticut valley, ac-
cording to Mr.. Shamel. Much of the
imported seed has produced leaf
which is not strong enough to be used
for wrappers. 1t is a peculiar fact that
while the transportation of seed from
North to South has little apparent eff
feet upon it's efficiency, when Southern
seed is brought to Connecticut it Is
practically useless. According to Prof.
Shamel, experience has taught the ad-
visibility of encouraging self-fertiliza-
tion, by which means plants can be kept
to the same number of leaves and OF the
same size as those of the original plant.
Tobacco acts directly opposite from corn
in this particular, which runs out under
self fertilization. To prevent cross fer
tilization, q manila bag is tied around
the flower head of the plant, a protec-
ton from bees, who carry the pollen of
one variety to another. The seed OF each
is thus kept separated from any foreign
influence. Prof. Shamel regards "hy-
bridization" as the only method to be
used for satisfactory experiments. He
believes it to be the basis ct all breeding
in the future. He has endeavored to
improve the Havana and broad leaf
plants by crossing them with imported
varieties, which is accomplished by re-
moving the antlers from broad leaf
plants and inserting pollen from the
other plants. By this means the best
traits of each are generally preserved.
Hitherto it was possible to use only a
portion of the leaf near the tip, while
under this process the entire leaf may
be utilized. In the case of the lower
leaves, which are the largest, there is
sufficient space between each vein to
furnish material for. a wrapper. As uni
formity in the size and number OF leaves
when the original plant is Of good va
riety, under the system of self-fertiliza-
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