The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1906-06-15

NOTE BOOK SKETCHES


The officers Of the Wisconsin Tobacco
Growers and Dealers association are
sending out circulars to the township
secretaries asking for two reports on the
present tobacco crop, with view of ar
irving at accurate statistics to supple
ment those obtained from the usual
sources which are often defective. The
first report will be called for at the COM
pletion of the planting season, when the
probable acreage placed in the fields is
to be given as compared with other sea-
sons as we'll as the condition of the crop
at that date. The second report is to be
asked for at the close of the harvest and
will cover the item of damage resulting
from hail or other sewers storms and
their extent, if there be any. The con-
dition of the crop as it goes into the
sheds, the progress of curing and infor-
nation regarding buying, prices, etc. If
buying in the fields has commenced at
this time, the reports coming in from all
sections of the state, will at once be
recognized that the information gained
will be valuable alike to both growers
and buyers The association therefore
is in way to demonstrate its usefulness
as purveycr of correct statistics that
are important to this industry. In con-
clusion we need only to add that sum-
mary of these reports will be published
in this column in due time and will be
watched for with a great deal of interest.
*x*
Ground has been broken at Lodi dur
ing the week for one of the largest to-
bacco warehouses yet erected in this
state, which has been leased to the
United Cigar Manufacturers Co. of New
York for Il term of years. The plans call
for modern storehouse in every partic
ular, one that is entitled to the minimum
insurance rates and finished in the best
Of style. The dimensions are 80 feet
wide by 252 feet long, and walls % feet
high above the foundations. The capac-
ity will be about II 900 cases of tobacco.
The storage part of the warehouse will
be 5Ox25Z feet, divided into three com
partments of equal size, viz: 50x84 feet,
and separated by solid brick walls ex-
tending from the foundation up through
and above the roof. These walls will be
provided with iron doors, making it pos
sible for the contents of any one of these
rooms to burn without destroying the
others. The sorting room will be 40x
252 feet in size and supplied with the
necessary tables and fixtures to accom-
modate two hundred and sixty opera
tives. This room will be we'll lighted
and ventilated, and supplied with drink
ing fountains, steam heat and closets, all
with the view of making the work pleas
ant and convenient for the employees.
In addition to the above there will be an
Office 20x28 feet, making the total length
of the building 272 feet. The Office will
be up to date. having general Office and
private rooms, finished in hardwood,
with hardwood floors, plumbing, etc.
*
Generally the acreage devoted to cigar
leaf tobacco throughout the United
States this year shows some increase
over last season. The main incentive to
encourage farmers in more extensive pro-
duction is the satisfactory manner in
which the last crop was cleaned up by
cigar leaf tobacco in growers hands been
reduced to such meager proportions as
they are at present. Averaging the
country through, considerably less than
per cent of the 1905 crop remains in
producers hands and it is significant
that in many sections old tobacco of all
descriptions is absolutely sold out. With
transplanting still in progress through
out most of the leading cigar leaf tobac-
CO states, it is not possible at this time
to give definite figures regarding the in
crease in acreage. The enlargement is
most pronounced in Pennsylvania and
New York; to a somewhat lesser degree
in Wisconsin, the New England states
and Ohio. Operations in Georgia and
Florida this year are on a somewhat
greater scale than last season. Nominal
attention is being given the crop in
Texas. Many Wisconsin correspondents
report increases ranging from 10 to %
per cent; others report no Or smaller in-
creases In summing up the cigar leaf
tobacco acreage prospects for 1906, it
must be borne in mind that growers in
many instances will not be able to put
out the full acreage they had intended;
THE due in various localities to such de-
torrents as high priced lumber for in
creasing shed capacity, lateness of the
season, scarcity of plants, paucity of
labor, etc. The average price received
for the last crop in Wisconsin proved the
highest in years, ranging from s to IL
cents per pound throughout the state.
The season has closed with prices at the
high notch. In many instances farmers
received all the way from two to four
cents per pound more for their 1905 to-
bacco than they did for the preceding
year. In nearly all other cigar produc-
ing states with the exception, perhaps,
of New England, where pole sweat and a
weakening in the broad leaf market re-
suited in some losses, the 1905 cigar leaf
tobacco crop brought growers consider
ably more money than did that of the
preceding year. 1t is interesting to note
that in many sections contracts for un
grown 'O6 tobacco are now being signed.
In Darke county, Ohio, many deals for
new leaf are being negotiated at and
10 cents per pound and there is some
contracting in parts of the Empire state
at to cents. IN Pennsylvania several
CrOwarS have turne1 down offarS Of I q