The Washington herald., 1908-08-09

The Department Of Commerce and La
Dor has just made public some interesting
data upon the cultivation Of tobacco in
different countries. telling how the crop
IS handled with some reference to manu-
facture and the prospect for exporting
the American product into those eoua-
tries
The Business in Belgium.
Between 500 and 800 acres Of tobacco
are cultivated in Belgium. chiefly in East
and West Flanders and Hainaut The
number OF plants raised in 1895. 1906 and
1867 was 162 7s4100. 1E7 65s 6ss and 1ss.51S So.
respectively. and the yield was 23.5Ss 120.
2o.sz 55s. and Is. 1926 pounds. respective
" The average cost Of production is esti-
mated at from S14 20 SEQ per hectare
(2Eu acres. and the average yield 5.500 TO
5000 pounds Per hectare-
Sales generally take place in December
and January for middle-sized leaves. and
IN February and March for large leaves.
The industry receives no aid from the
government There is an excise tax Of 10
francs Cs2sO per 90 pounds on all to-
bacco except that which is raised for the
personal use Of the planter. which is free
from tax. On all tobacco exported the
tax is refunded. There are about 61s to-
bacco factories IN the kingdom. employ
ing from 500 to $500 persons.
Belgium imported 152s90 pounds OF
stemmed tobacco from the United States
last year and sos5.s74 pounds Of other
unmanUfactUred tobacco
The following are the average prices Of
the principal tobaccos in bond. per 20
pounds. Java. Sl15S; Hungarian. Sl254.
SantO Domingo, Sl25f: Turkish. 1881;
Argentine. Sl4g7. Brazilian. Sls-s0, Ameri-
can tobacco. for cigars. S56-S3 10 $3.50;
Belgian tobacco. SIAG7 TO S2122
The usual terms Of payment for Ameri-
can tobacco are at sixty days. and for the
other tobaccos. cash on delivery.
Status of American Leaf.
IN 1906 the United States was the largest
shipper Of tobacco 10 Belgium. but in 1867
the Dutch were the largest shippers. This
was caused by the high price OF American
tobacco. which has injured the product in
the Belgian market to a very great ex-
tent
Smoking tobacco Is q popular commodi-
ty in Belgium II retaiIs al 70 centimes
per 80 grams. which is somewhat less
than / cent per ounce Owing 70 the duty
on leaf tobacco. the Belgian manufacturer
cannot work tobacco that costs him from
S 20 10 cents in the United States The
immediate consequence Of the high prices
in the United States has therefore been
that Belgian manufacturers look 10 the
homegrown tobacco. which they mix with
low grades OF imported kinds. n this
way they produce a manufactured article
that makes a good appearance. is very
cheap, and TO which smokers and chevers
have become well accustomed
There was q time when the United
States also supplied the greater part Of
tobacco used for manufacturing purposes
in Belgium NoW il is being used less
and less. and for certain kinds OF manu-
featured tobacco it has been discarded en-
tirely- At the present time, for instance
not single hogshead Of -spinners" is
imported for consumption in Belgium. all
Of the spun tobacco being made from the
domestic leaf Less Khan ten years ago.
little or no homegrown tobacco was used
for that purpose. BelEians have now be-
come accustomed TO the change, and there
seems no chance that Belgian tobacco
spinners VIII again revert 70 American
tobacco.
Have a Hold in France.
The imports Of leaf tobacco into France
generally exceed the domestic production.
and the United States furnishes more
than half Of these Imports
The inquiry whether an increase Of %
20 50 per cent in the price OF American
tobacco would bring about a rapid in
crease in the substitution Of tobacco
grown IN other countries may safely be
answered il the negative. The quantity
Of tobacco purchased in the United States
varies somewhat with the prices ruling IN
the American market. and large stocks
are constituted when these prices are
relatively low; but on the whole the guam
1iJy consumed mas been constantly in
creasing- Il IS probable that even an in
crease Of 30 per cent would not materially
affect the imports OF American tobacco
into France
The French government pays S1Z4S for
100 kilos f22d45 pounds Of Kentucky. to
baccO. S29.a9 for the Maryland leaf S1s9S
for Ohio. S15-55 for Virginia. SO S. for
Brazilian. and Sl6.02 for Hungarian The
prices paid for Habana, Java, Sumatra-
and Levant tobeccn arc higher
As TO French tobacco, il can be pro-
duced sufficiently 10 supply the needs Of
The country. but its quality is not quite
what the consumers require. II contains
too large a percentage Of nicotine and
must be blended with milder products
This fact IS fully recognized by the gov
eminent. which limits the planting on
French soil TO four-6fths Of the probable
annual consumption The quality may be
considerably improved in time. but in
view Of the results already obtained it
is doubtful whether any tobacco rivaling
the American product viii ever be grown
in this country
Il is claimed that Algeria may become
serious competitor. and French officials
have pointed out that successful expert
ments have been made in that colony
with American seeds. such as the Caro-
lima yellow, yellow prior. and with South
American varieties. The officials contend
that a too high level Of prices in the
United States would certainly induce Al
experiments along those lines. and they
are convinced that. as a result. a large
proportion Of imports would eventually
be dispensed with But whether this con-
tention is well founded or not. It is clear
that the danger. If any. lies in the distant
future
The Italian Monopoly.
The tobacco business in Italy is a gov
eminent monopoly. and most Of the prod
Uct used n the government factories is
imported-to a very large extent from the
United States
The income of the italian tobacco mo-
nopoly. which in 1887 was about So. .0e5. .000,
reached in 19e4-5 a total Of over 81. .00o. 900,
against a total expense Of ST, ,0ss. 600, leav-
ing for that year a profit Of S3Ls14e0O TO