The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1909-12-10
NOTE BOOK SKETCHES


hanging tobacco in very fair condition
| for removing from the curing sheds
during the week, and the writer is
creditably informed that quite a con-
siderable per cent of the '09 crop has
been taken down. In some instances
the top tiers did not reach the desired
case but some portions of almost every
shed were cased up and could have
come down if growers desired. The
damp prevailed very generally over all
growing sections of the state. Farmers
can now turn their attention to strip
ping and between now and the first of
the year a good many crops will be pre-
pared for delivery. It is hardly prob
able, however, that many of the pack
ers will set receiving days until after
the holiday season. Winter weather
| now having arrived there is little dam
ger in putting the crop into bundles.
So much of the crop is under contract
| it is fair to presume that growers will
exercise care in stripping and prepar-
| ing their tobacco for market in order
to avoid trouble on delivery.
|
A tobacco suit of long standing was
settled at New Milford, Conn.,, last
week on a so per cent basis of the
amount claimed. In 1901, William
Schoverling, a well-known tobacco
| dealer of New Milford, bought twenty
one growing crops in that vicinity, in
tending to spray them. One of these
was crop of ohm Morrow, at Norton
vile. Testimony showed that John d.
Clark, Mr.. Schoverling's tobacco buy
| er, purchased the crop July %, 1901.
Mr.. Clark testified that the crop was
sold at sixteen cents per pound, that it
was to be sprayed by Mr.. Schoverling's
men, and that Mr.. Morrow was to cut
| it, strip it and deliver it, the buyer as
Stunning all the responsibility. The
spraying fluid was too strong, aud in
stead of putting spots on the leaves
like the Sumatra leaf it cut holes in
the leaves. When this fact was re-
ported to Mr. Schoverling, testimony
showed that he gave directions to have
the crop cut and cured, and delivered
to him. Before the tobacco was deliv-
cred Mr. Schoverling died, and his ex-
ecutor notified Mr. Morrow that the
estate would not carry out the agree
ment and take the tobacco. Mr.. Nor
row gave notice that he would sell the
crop for the best price he could, and
hold the estate responsible for the diff
ference between the amount received
by him and sixteen cents per pound.
Mr.. Morrow testified that the crop
weighed 1868 pounds. He sold the crop
to j. Stuart Halpine for $75 and brought
suit against the estate for the sum OF
1863. All Of which goes to show that
experiments in the tobacco field are
somewhat costly.
Tobacco is now marketed under cir
| cumstances that secure higher price
per pound than farmers have received
since 1866, except in two or three
years." says Secretary of Agriculture
Wilson in his thirteenth annual report
as head of that department to the pres
| dent ''Since 1906" continues Mr..
Wilson, the farm price has been ten
cents or better. The farm value Of
this years crop is little under $780,,
| 000, 900, and has not been equaled. 1t
| is nearly so per cent above the five
year average. This great value is
principally due to the fact that the crop
is the largest ever raised, with about
900, 900, 600 pounds, or one-third greater
than the average of five years. Mr..
Wilson briefly reviews the tobacco in
vestigations during the past year in
Massachusetts. Connecticut, New York,
Ohio, Kentucky, Maryland, Virginia,
North Carolina, Florida, Georgia, Ala
bama and Texas by the Bureau of Plant
Industry. He says the work has been
principally with improved methods of
| growing, curing and handling the crop,
| including fertilizer and crop-rota$io
tests, breeding and seed selection, lab
oratory studies on the quality as affect
| ed by composition, and methods of
combating important diseases. After
several years of laboratory and field
experiment, simple and comparative
| ly inexpensive method of introducing
heat into the curing shed has been de-
vised, and he believes that this, with
some further notifications, twill prove
an effective means of combating pole
sweat and other troubles during the
| curing" The fertilizer tests in New
York, he says, have demonstrated to
both the grower and buyer that the
| yield and quality of tobacco can be
economically improved by the use OF
the formulas recommended. ''The
growers are also being taught the value
| of winter cover crops for their tobacco
lands" continues Mr.. Wilson. The
bureau has found in Florida and Geor-
| gia that the most effective method OF
controlling the troublesome nematode
or root knot of tobacco, and thereby
mitigating the damage from the Gran
vile wilt, consists in thoroughly clean
cultivation in the late summer and
early fall, keeping the grass and weeds
down and occasionally stirring the soil
through the winter. Secretary Wilson
says: the work in export, manufacture
ing and bright tobacco districts has
been continued on the same lines as in
the past, the object being to develop
by experiments and to illustrate by
demonstrations the best all-around
practice for the tobacco farmer to fol-
low in the use of fertilizers and the ro-
tation of crops to secure the maximum
results of crop yield and to maintain or
build up the general fertility OF the
soil. The systematic introduction into
/ tho rotation of grass and lep11minOuS