The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1905-07-07
NOTE BOOK SKETCHES


few delays as is often experienced in the
transplanting of tobacco crop. The
plants were in readiness by the time the
fields were prepared the rains have been
SO frequent and timely since the first
setting was started that there was
scarcely any checking of the growth Of
the plants while they have been trans
ferred from the beds to the fields. So
quickly have they obtained firm root
ing after transplanting that the young
plants have hardly halted in their
growth at all. 1t is so rare that such
favorable conditions prevail throughout
the season that growers feel particularly
we'll pleased over the prospect of the
crop up to this date. Drouth is about
the only thing to be- feared from this
time on, but the soil is now abundantly
charged with moisture and able to with
stand dry spell of more than ordinary
length. With the fine start the tobacco
crop has already made, there is reason to
predict an early harvest, and barring
hail and heavy winds there ought to be
a good crop; it's due us.
***
There is no work in all agriculture
which is more interesting than the pro-
duction of improved strains and varieties
of our farm crops by systematic breed
ing and seed selection In the case of
the tobacco plant, the growers recognize
the Importance of careful and systemat-
ic seed selection, and give more care to
selection of seed plants and saving of
the seed than is the rule with most farm
crops. The improved varieties of tobac-
co which are grown for special purposes
in different sections of the United States
is an evidence of the care taken in this
matter by the tobacco farmers. How
ever, most of the scientific experimental
Investigations with this crop have been
directed to the study of the soil and fer
tilizers in their relation to the nature
and character of the crop. No one doubts
the Importance of the effect of soil and
climate on the character and value of
the crop, and the great value of these in
vest.rations in the successful produc-
ton of profitable crops of tobacco in this
country. 1t is fact however, that the
great interest in this phase of tobacco
culture, has resulted in lack of atten-
tion of the necessity of most careful and
systematic seed selection. The running
out of some of our important varieties
of tobacco which have been grown in
particular sections for many years, the
results of importing tobacco seed into
this country from Cuba, Sumatra and
other foreign countries, has resulted in
calling the attention of the scientists
and farmers alike to the necessity of
more careful study of the questions of
seed selection and breeding in the to-
bacco crop-N. E. Tobacco Grower.
At La Crosse last week, was organized
the Western Tobacco Works, with cap
ital stock of $4,000. The new company
will manufacture smoking and chewing
tobaccos, and their product will be on
the market early in August The ca
pacity will be 10000 pounds daily. The
brands are: A scrap under the name of
Sweetobac; a long cut, under the name
of Red Feather, and granulated MKT
ure, under the name of Fond Hopes.
The officers of the new company are
Percy b. Wiggenhorn, president; S. Y.
Hyde, vice e-president and treasurer and
K. S. HYDE secretary and manager. An
expert manufacturer has been secured
to superintend the factory.
***
Says The Beginner in the n Y. Leaf:
Most people in the tobacco trade seem
to think that July and August will be
very dull months. They argue that as
prices for all good grades of tobacco,
both imported and domestic, are high,
there is nothing to induce buying on the
part of manufacturers. My uncle con-
tends that prices are not high, and that
lower quotations for desirable tobacco
will not be seen for many years to come.
He says that prices for many grades of
leaf have been too low for many years
past, and that an entire rearrangement
of the business in raw material, as we'll
as cigar manufacturing, is impending.
Consumers of almost every other COM
modify, my uncle says. are paying from
ten to forty per cent. more for them than
they did few years ago, and he thinks
it is about time that tobacco products
should have their inning.
***
Eight farmers in western Kentucky
hit upon the idea of forming a company
and selling their tobacco as one person
in order to avoid the payment of the
internal revenue tax of six cents per
pound. This information came to the
attention of the Commissioner of Inter
nal Revenue, and the commissioner has
held that such company would not be
brought within the exemption applying
to farmers and growers of tobacco, and
therefore the tobacco. they produced
would be subject to the regular tax.
The plan proposed by these farmers was
to form partnership for the raising and
selling OF tobacco as cured ON the farm
and not manufactured in any way. The
firm was to have an agent who would
solicit orders and send the tobacco in
separate packages to each customer.
One person was to be manager, and he,