The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1907-03-01

sold in the Baltimore market in 1905 hav-
ing brought about $3.50, 900 more than tn g
same quantity brought in 1906. What is
more, the market is surely being broad
ened, the yield per acre is being in creas-
&c And the influence of organization
among the growers is being felt and APP
preciated.
The mere knowledge of the fact that
q perfect flood of light has been let in on
the whole situation by the joint efforts of
the Tobacco Growers Association, the
Legislature an6 She Governor of the
State of Mary md, and that these agen-
cies will continue to look after the in
terests of all the r engaged in the indus
try, nspires confidence and reaso nable
assurance that the market will be sustain
ed and not allowed to drop again to the
miserable condition it was in two years
ago, when commission merchant
would say:
e" Don't be too inquisitive, you will
annoy the Frenchman; he is the only
buyer we have left, and if he should be-
come offended we won't get three cents
a pound He will buy elsewhere. and We
have no other market
"The growers urged that there was no
real necessity for Maryland tobacco be-
ing given away at prices far below those
prevailing in other States ..produci-g to-
bacco of like character, and that the real
trouble lay in the fact that neither grow
ers nor sellers knew the actual facts aud
conditions existing in re gard to the crop
and its market.
"The commission merchants were earn
estly requested to take the initiative and
to put into motion the machinery that
would show up the actual value OF our
crop in comparison with similar ones and
would also enable them as sellers to act
in harmony, thereby putting stop to
the system of Jumping, then SO prevalent.
This the commission merchants failed to
do and the crop market in 1905 was sold
at prices on the average far below the
actual cost of production. A crisis was
at hand The growers, desperate, decided
to organize and do their own work. They
CROPPED blindly at first. Basic facts and
figures were not to be lad. Questions
ere asked and not answered, which, in
the light of present information On the
subject. seemed childishly simple.
AT conference between the growers
and commission merchants a question
was asked as to the proportion of French
A type an ordinary crop would yield and
the commission merchants guessed about
20 per cent. Later it was found to be
less than 5 per cent An invariable Mo-
was the answer to every inquiry as to the
possibility of stimulating the domestic
consumption of Maryland tobacco, the
commission merchants asserting it was
only good for export. How the Reggie
countries made their purchases in the
United States, what proportions of their
total requirements they bought in Mary
land and what prices they paid were
O ucstions that could not be answered at
that time, but on which there is now full
information.
1.-THE possibilities in tobacco culture
were unknown and undrea med Of. That
Kentucky and Tennessee produced about
one-third Of all the tobacco raised in the
United States at an average return to the
growers OF about $67 an acre, while
Maryland obtained an average Of only
about $41 an acre in 1906 and only about
$37. so an acre in 1905. That Pennsyl-
vania produced al average of 1875
pounds an acre, which sold in 1905 at an
average price OF 131 cents, or say, $1S8
an acre. That Ii s.ssa chusetts, New Hamp-
shire, Connecticut and Florida realized
all average sum of more than $500 an
acre for tobacco. That of the rs States
producing tobacco, Maryland not only
D produced the least number of pounds an
acre, but obtained the Lowest price per
pound.
"That Maryland is able to produce not
only the very best export types, but also
types suitable for cigar filters and binders,
and for pipe and cigarette tobacco. That
under the influence of careful and sys-
tematic seed selection and proper cultur-
al methods constantly increasing num-
Der of intelligent and progressive grow
ers are finding it possible to very mater
tally increase their yield in pounds per
acre, getting more leaf of better body
and better texture. All these facts, un'
known at that time, are matters of record
now and are highly encouraging.
"When the growers association was
being organized certain buyer for the
French Government was asked if some
thing could not be done to better the
market conditions. He replied: If you
don't like the prices we offer, why don''
you 60 into some other business? You
tried the experiment of exporting your
own crops and failed to get good results
because you did not understand the needs
of the several foreign markets. That il
our trade secret. That is where we make
our money
"He did not realize the sting Of his
words. That after generations of exper
fence in tobacco growing and tobacco.
mark citing these Maryland men should
have their ignorance of the fine points
of the game thus pointed out to them was
indeed. humiliating. The effect of this
sugges ton of incompetency, however