The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1905-08-25
NOTE BOOK SKETCHES


ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:
The buying movement has steadily ex-
panded until it has covered the entire
state. The past week has witnessed as
lively chase in the southern growing
sections as was enacted in Vernon coun.
ty few weeks ago. Never before was
such fast and furious effort made to
contract for green tobacco in Wisconsin
or any crop ever taken over SO rapidly.
A very general protest has gone up from
growers against this method of dispos-
ing of an option on the growing crop so
long in advance of delivery time. They
fully realize the unbusiness-li like trans
action, but the attractiveness of the
offers made, which are so much in ad-
vance of other years, and the persuasive
ness of the buyers invariably overcome
these scruples and the trading goes on
just the same. Not since the 1884 crop
have such prices been offered for bundle
delivery, and the hope of the farmer
that he will be able to harvest, cure and
deliver his crop at the figures named in
the contract is the great temptation to
accept the going prices and makes
smooth sailing for the buyers. A great
many growers have long since learned
by experience that the time to realize
the top price for the crop is when COM
petition is sharp and buyers anxious to
trade. An occasional grower has been
caught mapping by the swiftness of the
movement and sold for less than the
going figures, but he is himself to blame
for not keeping posted. Had he read
The Reporter and kept informed of the
conditions he would have saved the sub
scription price for lifetime. The present
rate of buying will see the early, sound
fields gathered in very shortly, while the
less desirable and hail-cu leaf will be
bought more leisurely.
Xxx
Growing tobacco seems to be the spec
ial target of damaging hail storms this
season to greater extent than for some
years past. Not one of the cigar leaf
states has escaped the ravages of unus-
ually vicious storms. During the week
past both Ohio and Pennsylvania tobac-
CO growing sections were visited by ex-
tensive hail storms. Heavy damage was
done to the tobacco crop of the Miami
valley by the severe rain and hail storms
of last Sunday night. 1t is estimated
that the loss in German township will
amount to 100000 The loss is felt
keenly by farmers who were confident
that the crop would have been the best
ever turned into the warehouses from
the Miami valley. Two distinct storms
in Lancaster, Pa, on the same date are
reported much more serious to standing
tobacco than frequently seen, the hail
being as large as cherries A we'll known
buyer, who has travelled extensively, as
sures us that he firmly believes hall
of all the tobacco fields in Wisconsin
show the effects of hail to some extent
this season. With short crop of cigar
leaf growing at best, the deductions
that must be made on account of the
hail losses is one of those things which
the packers do not desire to contem-
plate.
***
No thoughtful person who has read
the dispatches cabled to the American
press since Secretary Taft and his party
reached the Philippines can doubt that
the tobacco trade will be obliged to make
tremendous fight next winter to pre-
vent the passage of the Curtis bill or
an even more radical measure providing
for absolute free entry for Philippine to-
bacco and it's products. To one who is
at all familiar with the personnel of the
Secretary's party, the happenings of the
past ten days are nothing short of as
tonishing. The atmosphere of the Ori
ent seems to have exercised marvellous
effect upon imaginations otherwise slug
gish, and upon sympathies usually cold
and unresponsive. The shrewd Secre-
tary has played upon harp of thous
and strings. To the Democratic free
trader he has enlarged on the glories Of
free trade. To the beet-sugar man he
has shown the primitive mill, where q
buffalo grinds cane and produces mus
covado unfit for civilized kitchen. To
the representative of American tobacco
| interests he has given unsmokable Ma
| nila cigars and vile Manila cigarettes
with the query: "Will these ever cut a
igure in the home market?" To the
statistician he has said: These islands
grow one third as much tobacco as Porto
| Rico. Did Porto Rico injure American
trade in any way?" Round it all he has
woven questions of Imperialism and anti
imperialism, of colonial policy and con
troll of industrial and financial oppor-
tunity, of world politics and national
| destiny, until his auditors seem to have
become mesmerized by his music. The
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