The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1905-01-13
NOTE BOOK SKETCHES


ing IN many OF the growing sections and
enough has been marketed to base an
estimate on the general character of the
crop as we'll as the probable yield. The
tobacco has started coming to the ware
houses in very good packing condition.
There is occasionally a lot in rather high
case but scarcely enough so to cause
much complaint or dockage. The leaf
is unusually bright and thin with plenty
of gum and life enough to give promise
that it will 60 through the cure without
damage. Packers are very certain that
the crop stands no danger of becoming
moldy or gray, which has been the cause
of so much trouble the past few seasons.
Some disappointment is expressed at the
yield, for the average so far has not
much exceeded 1900 pounds per acre.
The tobacco is not running as leafy as
was expected when most of it was con
tracted for on the fields, there being
quite disparagement between the size
VI IuC SIeou duO CuIOu lCol. l. LIS COuu-
plant is not so much to be wondered at
for tobacco is said never to look so we'll
to the buyer again as the time when it
was purchased. If buyers will insist in
making contracts for green tobacco there
ought to be some penalty attached to
such unbusiness-like methods. Alto
gether the new crop is believed to be
we'll worth the price that is now being
paid growers for it. y
*x*
An exhaustive investigation of the to-
bacco industry of the country is contem-
plated by the Bureau O. Corporations of
the Department Of Co 90 nerce. Special
agents, under the direction of Commis-
sioner James r. Garfield, are TO visit the
tobacco growing sections of the country
and follow tine product of the tobacco
farmers from the field to the factory, and
from there to the consumer, These
agents will go to Ohio, Kentucky, West
Virginia and other tobacco raising states.
This investigation will be similar to the
one which the Bureau of Corporations is
lust about completing with respect to
beef industry, and like the inquiry into
the oil industry which was begun re-
Gently. The Bureaus investigation will
be independent of the inquiry begun
under the direction OF the Department
of Justice a couple of weeks ago. The
latter it will be remembered, was under
taken on the complaint Of the Kentucky
and Tennessee Tobacco Planters Asso-
citation, with a view of obtaining evidence
upon which to proceed against the
American Tobacco Company otherwise
known as the Tobacco Com bine, for al
legged violation of the Sherman law. The
Bureaus work will be principally for the
purpose of furnishing information to
Congress for use in future legislation in
regard to interstate corporations. How
ever, should any evidence be gathered
which would be of service to the Depart
ment of Justice it will be turned over to
the Attorney General for whatever use
he may be able to make of it.
***
New England growers Of leaf tobacco
are awake to the value of plant breed
ing. and the progress made in the devel-
opment of better strains of grains, fruits
and vegetables, has not gone unnoticed
in the tobacco producing sections of the
Connecticut and Housatonic valleys.
Where these previous Investigations
have had to do with the flower and the
fruit, the tobacco plant brings in the
probleun of the foliage. To persuade
plant to increase it's display of leaves, to
improve it's arrangement of them on the
stalk, and to modify for the better their
shape, texture, fermenting and burning
qualities is no small undertaking. Yet
plant breeding has successfully solved
harder problems than these, and no one
who has inspected the work of the Bu-.
reau of Plant Industry at CRANKY East
Hartford ana elsewhere, can remain un
convinced by the demonstrations made
of the transmission of good and bad
qualities from one plant generation to
another. To determine the lines OF
heredity, and develop strains of the reg
ularly recognized wrapper tobacco types,
vet including the good qualities of good
parent plants, is work we'll worth do
ing. A great deal has been accomplish
ed along these lines by observation and
selection by private growers, but it is
necessary to have the public work con-
tinued, so that better foundation for
such improvement of tobacco plants can
be obtained than that afforded by one
seasons work-no matter how convinc-
ing or successful that one seasons re-
suits may have been. IN. E. Grower.
~
The domestic consumption of tobacco
in the United States is increasing in a
manner gratifying to producers of this
important crop. According to figures
furnished by the commissioner of inter
nal revenue 443, ,354 600 pounds of tobac-
co were manufactured in this country
during the calendar year 1863. This is
an increas of about 40 per cent, compar-
ed with zen years ago. The average an
nual increase in the quantity OF tobacco
in the United States dur
ing the past decade has been about 30
per cent Doubtless no other form of
manufactured tobacco shows a bigger |
increase from year to year than does the
of cigars. For the fiscal year
ending June 30, '04, factories of the .. S. !
ont f0d 000 mn Copo |