The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1909-05-28
NOTE BOOK SKETCHES

NOIE BOOK SKETCHES -
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Field secretaries from different Sec
tions OF the state report prospect for
this seasons crop not encouraging for
the following reasons, which are sum-
married. by the state secretary:
/. Plant beds are backward and not
thrifty; many instances seed sprouted
weak, and plants are coming very thin
in beds. This situation is not only con-
fined to southern Wisconsin, but to all
tobacco sections in Wisconsin, northern
Illinois and Iowa.
2. Growers are discouraged with a
late, backward spring, and with the
rush of farm work now on and the
great scarcity of farm laborers, tobac
co in many instances will be g second
ary consideration. Some have already
cdcided to plant their tobacco ground
to corn.
8. Farmers realize at the high price
and scarcity of farm labor and the ad-
vancing price of grain and other farm
products that they can i'll afford to
spend their time and energy growing a
late crop of tobacco, which at best is a
hazardous crop.
A. Farmers who have grown tobacco
for many years realize that the old
fields are worn out and will not produce
quality and yield that will net as much
as other farm products at present
prices. Some of these growers are ex-
perimenting with new and smaller acre
age, and would not grow tobacco under
any consideration, only they have the
buildings and accommodations.
5. Growers realize that packers of
Wisconsin are in bad luck with their
past holdings, and with present indica-
tions of a late planting season many
will devote their tobacco fields to grain
and pasturage.
6. All things considered, it is safe
to, predict much smaller acreage this
season than we have had for twenty
years.
The report of the Agricultural Ex-
pertinent Station of the University of
Wisconsin, just issued, contains the fol-
lowing regarding tobacco experiments:
Selection of Tobacco Seed. For the
last four years special effort has been
given to the Improvement OF tobacco
by seed selection. When this work was
begun, there was found to be the great
est diversity in the character of the
tobacco grown in the state. Each
farmer raised his own seed by leaving
a fegN stalks in the field to ripen. Start
ing with the best types that could be
secured Connecticut Havana), Pro-
fessor Sandsten has grown these under
special conditions in different portions
Of the state for the past three years.
Only typical plants have been allowed
to mature and in this period over 1000
growers have received this improved
seed, which is superior in quality, yields
well, and the value of which is attested
by the fact that at the meeting of the
State Tobacco Growers Association,
this improved stock took the sweep
stakes, first and second prizes.
Tobacco Curing. By improper meth
DDS of curing, large sums of money are
now annually lost. Much of the deter
ioration in the quality of tobacco hap
pens after the crop is harvested and In
the shed, and studies have BEEN made
by Professor Sandsten of the Horticul-
tural Department to see 1t 1t is not
possible to control the conditions under
which tobacco is shed cured. A model
shed was erected several years ago,
sufficiently large to accommodate the
crop from about two acres. This shed
was equipped with steam pipes, and
traction engine was used for furnishing
the heat when needed By the appli
cation of this method a much more uni
form color was obtained, and the cur
ing of tobacco rendered independent OF
variations in weather conditions. In
the crop so treated practically no loss
resulted from the usual troubles which
occur in curing.
Fertilizers in Tobacco Culture. 1t is
customary in Wisconsin to use large
quantities of stable manure on tobacco
lands, and but little experimental work
has been done with the use of CONNER
cial fertilizers. Experiments carried
on in Columbia, Crawford and Rock
counties representing different types
of tobacco soils in the state) indicate
that under present conditions the use
of commercial fertilizers cannot be con-
sidered as advisable, for while there is
an increased yield from the liberal use
of such fertilizers, such increase is not
commensurate with the outlay incurred
1t is also of importance to note the re-
laLlOn OF CneSG cOnlmGTcldl I0rIIliZ0TS "
the quality of the tobacco, especially as
to its burning properties. Fertilizers
free from chlorine were found not to
exert any detrimental effect upon this
quality.
A report on Sumatra tobacco for 1908
has been made to the American gov
ernment by Consul Morgan at Amster-
dam. He says the arrivals of Sumatra
at Amsterdam of the 1908 production
amounted to 129, ,749 bales, of which
81 ,608 bales were sold at the last two
public sales, leaving balance of 81, 14l
bales on hand He was reliably in
formed that the crop turned out sur
perior in quality to that of 1907, attri-
butable to the fact that it received
much rain, the 1907 crop being planted
and grown in very dry season. The
wet season caused the tobacco to ripe
nicely, although some received too
much moisture, resulting in a too light
and red colored leaf, not suitable for