The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1905-07-21
NOTE BOOK SKETCHES


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The million members of the fair sex
who devote so much time, thought and
money to trading stamps will be up in
arms when they learn that the Commits
sioner of Internal Revenue has refused
permission to an enterprising cigar man
ufacturer to attach trading stamp to
the band of every cigar he sells. Worst
of all, the Commissioner says, diplomat
ically, that trading stamps are contrary
to public policy, which, in plain English,
means that they are an Internal nui-
sance. The ladies ought to be mad. If
the practice was legal, every husband
would have to bring home his cigar
bands and stamps and also those he
could beg, borrow and steal Ten stamps
day would buy silver-plated spoon;
seventy week would buy rattan stool;
three hundred month an artistic rock
ing chair; three thousand six hundred
and fifty,a year, a baby grand piano;
thirty six thousand in ten years an auto,
with life insurance policy thrown in.
These treasures, which would belong to
every smokers wife, have all been de-
stroyed, nipped in the bud, as it we're,
by cruel official functionary. Of course
the ruling is good thing for the smok-
er, dealer, jobber and manufacturer.
But it is merciless inhumanity to the
fair sex, or that division of it which col
lects trading stamps. Truly, the Com
missioner is brsve man.
*x*
Through the receipt of numerous COM
munications from the South and state
ments appearing in the press at various
times, that the statistics of the Dtpart-
ment of Agriculture on tobacco were be-
ing manipulated in the interests of the
so-called tobacco trust, Secretary Wilson
has begun an inquiry into the subject.
Pending the investigation the publica-
tion of the tobacco statistics of the sew
eral districts will be held up, although
the regular monthly figures by states
were given out on Monday.
*.*
FEW "DoNT's" FOR TOBACCO GROWERS.
Don't grow more than you can take
care of. One acre of we'll handled to-
bacco will bring more money than two
acres of "hogged tobacco"
Don't starve your tobacco give it
plenty to feed on and feed it on the
right kind of food. The extra weight
yielded will more than pay the differ
ence.
Don't put all your fertilizer on broad
cast before setting out your tobacco
crop; save one third of it to put on at
second hoeing, and cultivate it in. This
VIZ lrcarry the crop to finish at cutting
time.
Don't hang your poorest tobacco in
the peak of your shed. Put your best
tobacco up high and hang the poores5
on bottom tiers. The cure in the top of
a shed is safer and better.
Don't neglect the care when tobacco
is in shed. After growing good crop
there is no sense in letting it spoil by in
attention to sheds.
Don't take down your tobacco until it
is cured and ready to strip and in right
order. Should you have few fat stems
keep them out and tie up in small hands
by the tips using light dry leaf as a
tie, and hang these hands over a lath,
butts hanging down. They will soon
cure and be fit to take down at a later
damp.
Don't take down tobacco that is too
moist or too dry; wait until it IS just
right.
Don't put water on your tobacco; see
that your crop is in proper condition
when taken down and keep it SO. Water
on tobacco causes nine-t -tenths of the
trouble between buyer and grower.
Most of the canker and mold damage
1v, &nr h,1x, ho
good cause to reject or dock the price on
watered crops.
Don't take down tobacco that is drip
ping from frozen stalks. Let it drip out
and dry off and wait until next damp, in
order to avoid the damage of canker and
mold caused by drip.
Don't strip and pack into your bun
dies wet tobacco, rather hang it up
again to dry off and strip it next damp.
Don't strip the trash and weather
beaten leaf and put it in your bundles
with the good tobacco. Keep it sep
arate, and tie it up into hands and bale
it while it is in condition to handle; it
will bring more than if allowed to lie
around the sheds in piles to mold and
rot
Don't make too heavy bales; use 40 by
48 paper, and have box right size to get
a bale of about 35 pounds.
Don't use cheap heavy paper; it only
breaks and tobacco gets broken and
dried out. Use the best manila paper
125 pounds to the ream-40 by 48. This
is light and tough, and the strings will
not cut, and protects the tobacco and
costs less. Heavy cheap paper, 200
pounds to ream, at 81 per pound, costs
ST for 4S0 sheets. Best manila, 125
pounds to ream, at 81 cents per pound,
costs $6.15 for 480 sheets.
Don't handle your tobacco as though
it was worthless. Try to make even
bundles, keeping the leaves as straight
as possible, and have the butts even.
Make your bundles look as if they were
packed, not thrown into the bundling
box.
Don't pile your bundles in shed
where the snow can blow in on them and
melt and damage the tobacco. Pile all
your bundles on their sides, not over
three tiers high. They won't warm up
SO quickly, and tobacco will mat togeth-
er less, making it easier for the sizer or
b. Il, IL