The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-07-18

| weeks more will see the end of the
| tobacco season so far as the growing
and curing of it is considered.
Two months ago the plants were
just being set, and at that time the
growers we're in a state of more or
less apprehension as to the seasons;
now there is an uneasiness for the
price.
Tobacco being of a rapid growth,
the suspense of the planter is of a
quicker and more acute kind than that
which haunts the husbandman of 9th
er crops. The cotton farmer plans in
the early spring, lays by his crop in
midsummer and begins harvesting in
the early fall. 1t is required that eight
or nine months of the year be cOnsum-
ed with the question of success or fail
ure hanging over the planter like that
blade of frequent reference which
threatens destruction always, but
which never fails.
In the cotton planting sections a
full crop has never been known-that
| is. according to the estimates of the
| forecasters and calamity hOWlers.
If the dry weather does not cut the
crop of, then the rain is certain to
cause rot and ruin it. The planters
have always concerned themselves so
much with the planting, tending and
harvesting that they have left the
matter of price to be fixed by the buy
ers. That is, until recently During
the past few years a well organized
movement of cotton planters has re-
suited to their material benefit in ad-
vanced prices.
At the present time it begins to
| look as if the tobacco planters will
have to get together, insist upon
grade and price Such a movement IL
| ii comes forth, will be of unmistaka-
BILE benefit to the planters and the
trade as well.
The seasons have been favorable to
| the crop in Leon county There were
some heavy wind and hail storms, re
sulting in considerable damage to
barns and shade, but the damage to
the plants was not of any consider
able extent; the injury to the crops
did not result in any appreciate re-
duction of the output or of the quail
| ity. The seasons upon the whole have
been favorable, and the tobacco this
year is of better grade than it was
last year, yet none of the planters are
expecting to realize the prices they
did last year. Some of the larger
packing houses are stocked with the
product of last year, and there is no
immediate demand for it. This being
| the case, the buyers, as becomes
| shrewd business men, will take advan-
| tage of those planters who want to
dispose of their holdings as quickly as
possible, and it is not likely that the
price will be above SIS cents, though
some of the growers are daring to
| hope that it will be above that figure.
| 1t is within the power of the grow
ers to regulate the price. There is
no good reason why tobacco that sold
twelve months ago for a dollar
pound should sell for little more than
half that figure now.
The growers are at the mercy of
what appears TO be united action on
the part of the buyers, and to meet
this sort of trade conspiracy they
should conspiTe among themselves.
An association of tobacco growers
viii undoubtedly be an organization
that this condition will bring about.
1t is not asserted that the growers
think that the buyers are acting with
one accord or control, but up until
this time there have been few buyers
about and no inquiries worthy of men,
ton. Some of the growers are under
stood to have contracts, but the most
of them are taking a chance with the
market, and the very lack of interest
on the part of the buyers has aroused
liable issue of the crop. Since the
spirit of man must at all times be per
turbed by something, it might as well
be this as something else, but the to-
bacco growers would rather it were
something else at this time.
There is also feeling with the
growers that the best grades will be
bought, and that there will be no mar
ket for the red and dark colorS-Only
the light kind being in demand. This
does not mean that a selection from
the individual crops will be made, and
the good in one crop selected from
the bad and the bad rejected, but 1t
is taken to indicate that unless the
pTeponderance is of light that the crop
will be rejected, and if on the con-
trary, there is preponderance of
lights that crop will be accepted at
the prices fixed by the buyer.
There was a large increase in Leon
County this year over last. from 150
to 400 acres Most of the growers are
expecting a yield of above one thOUs-
and pounds to the acre; some esti-
mate twelve hundred, none less than
la thousand. This will place 400, 600
pounds of tobacco, at the least .eSti-
mate, on the market from Leon COun-
w alone, The crop of Gadsden COun
" will be ten times greater. Some
of the growers in this county will DO
their own packing. but the majority
of them will sell the crop in the barns.
and the buyers will do the packing
There are now three packing houses
in Tallahassee, and these will handle
the product.
Because OF the great care in rails
ing it, the great risk of failing entire
ly with ii, the constant care neCeS-