The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1906-10-19
NOTE BOOK SKETCHES

SITUATION FOR THE COMING YEAR
IN THE UNITED STATES.
La 1906 there was practically no bind
ers available except the 1905 Wisconsin,
thereby forcing the manufacturers to
use this tobacco, and caused the packers
to buy freely and clean up the entire
growth of the 1905, together with rem
nants of the 1901, 1902 and 1903 lying
around This urged the growers to set
out large acreage of the 1906, and also
caused the packers to be on the alert to
secure liberal portion of the 1906, not
knowing what would follow regarding
the maturing growth of the Flat and
Onondaga in New York, and the Con-
necticut situation, and the maturing of
these crops. In consequence of the
great scramble for the 1905 binders it
put anxious ones to work and lots of
Wisconsin tobacco was contracted for as
soon as the plants were set, and fully
one-half was contracted by August 1st
The situation has changed. There was
one of the finest crops ever grown in the
Onondaga district in many years, at
prices from SC to 15c, mostly 10c to 12c.
The Big Flat district also had tre-
mendous growth which was purchased
from Sc to 15c. average about 1870.
In Connecticut they have one of the
finest crops raised in years, wrapper
crop, but owing to the trade branching
off to Florida and Georgia wrappers the
sale of Connecticut wrappers has fallen
off to such an extent that when you con-
suit dealers they say they do not sell
wrappers, nothing doing" Connecticut
farmers expect &c to 28c for their to-
bacco, but in the absence of takers
they are generally quick to change their
minds and are taking binder prices at
l3c to 17c. The packer who has remem-
brance of the 1904 and 1905 high figures,
with no outlet, have determined that
this crop must be bought and sold for
binders.
In Pennsylvania there is one section,
jersey Shore section and Tioga county
section, which produces very thin, SER
viceable tobacco in favorable season.
This year the season has been all that
could be expected, with the result of
tremendous binder output from both
sections. While the growth in Lancas-
ter county is generally used for filler
purposes, still the tobacco grew so rap
idly and such large proportion is too
large and thin to be used for filler pur-
poses, so much of it will be used for
binders, taking the place of headers of
Wisconsin used for machine work.
therefore predict that there will be
100000 cases binders in the market by
July 1st, 1907. Of course great many
binders will be ready by February 1st,
as Onondaga and Connecticut will be
stripped early and force sweat, SO as to
come to the market in competition with
the 1906 Wisconsin.
The tobacco situation in Cuba is very
much in chaotic state at the present
time. All the desirable goods have been
hunted up and prices have been ad-
vanced accordingly. The prospects for
the new crop are not bright. Part of the
seed beds were destroyed and whilst
peace is about to reign again, it will be
some time before the people will settle
down again, and little can be expected
for the next few months, at which time
it will be too late to make preparations
for the tobacco crop. Hence, the filler
market for the United States with all
the filler producing states is in tie up
per grade, and good Wisconsin BIS would
command better prices and be better
property than binders. It behooves
every citizen of every tobacco growing
district in the United States TO arise in
one accord and stand up and out against
the Curtiss bill, which favors the admis-
sion of Philippine tobacco Were Phil
ippine tobacco to be admitted free of
duty, as we'll as their cigars, it would
have a far more damaging effect than we
can conceive at the present time. 1t
their output were not to be Increased 1t
would not hurt US so much but the la Dor
situation is such in the Philippines that
tobacco packers in the United States, at
least all that can afford to, would mi
CRATE to the Philippines and secure
plantations for a small sum, and labor at
a smaller sum, to grow their tobacco
This tobacco can be improved in qrality
and would be a dangerous competitor
for tobacco grown in the United States.
It would cripple our filler industry and
compel US to turn our attention to bind
ers 1t would be disastrous to all Sec
tlons of the country. Besides having a
disastrous result on the tobacco situa-
tiop, know no better point to manu-
facture cigars than the Philippine Is
lands, and if they did this on large
scale there would be no scramble for
prices, kind, quality or amount, because
We would not need it, as the cigars would
come largely from our annexed islands.
It therefore behooves every citizen. in
terested directly or indirectly in the
CIGAR industry and the tobacco industry