The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1909-04-09
NOTE BOOK SKETCHES

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The 1908 crop is now so we'll moved
out OF first hands that fairly good es-
innate can be made of the average
price realized by growers, as well as
the influence of returns obtained may
have upon the probable acreage to be
planted the coming season. AS is well
known the early buying brought quite
remunerative prices so that by the time
half the crop was taken over the great
bulk of it had brought the growers
from to IL cents for the grades.
After the first rush of buying had sub
sided the American Tobacco Co. came
into the field and began taking over
the lower grade crops at reduced prices
ranging from to p cents. At the
latter figures probably close to one
third of the crop has been moved. If
one were to attempt to strike an aver
age they would arrive at something like
|83 cents, possibly trifle more. Of
course this is not very fat profit to
the grower, but at this figure tobacco
growing yields fair returns. However,
it is hardly enough to encourage farm
ers to increase their acreage and on the
other hand is not lean enough to curtail
the acreage in the older growing Sec
tions. On the whole, the results from
crop that at no time was considered
hardly up to the average of Wisconsin
tobacco ought not to be determining
factor in influencing the acreage to be
planted the coming season. If it reaches
35, 600 to 10000 acres it will be ample
for the needs of the market.
One thing should be borne in mind,
there is no visible surplus of old stock
on hand to disturb market conditions.
But for the remnants of the high
priced '06 leaf yet unsold there is very
little stock in country packers hands
to draw from to meet the needs Of
manufacturers if business should re-
gain it's normal proportions. This get
ting back to lower levels of prices has
been long, tedious process. Manu-
facturers have been living on hand
to-anouth policy for a year now, all the
time hoping the bottom had been reach
ed before laying in their usual surplus
of stock. They can hardly continue
along this line indefinitely, some time
they must replenish their stores and
then the real condition of the binder
market will be apparent. Then we
may see return of such revival of
the leaf market as has been witnessed
often in this state. Unless all signs
fail it cannot be such a long time COM
ing, either. Continued business de-
preston alone can delay it, and the
sooner congress disposes of the present
tariff agitation the sooner business will
get back to nearer normal conditions.
| The internal revenue returns for the
month OF February contain gram OF
comfort for the cigar manufacturers or
! the country, as that branch of manu-
facture shows gain of 7,724, 873, over
| the same month of 1908. The prOduc-
| ton of snuff also increased by over a
half million pounds, but little cigars
fell off over twelve million, and the
doughty cigarette, which has made such
good showing during the period of
hard times, succumbed during Febru-
| ary, and shows decline of 21, 600, 900.
Manufactured tobacco also fell off over
half million pounds. In this connec-
| ton it may be interesting to compare
the February figures with those of the
same month two years ago, before the
panic of 1907. We find that in the same
| month of that year there were pro-
| duced 70, 832, 153 more cigars than IN
February of this year, and that in lit
tie cigars there were produced II, l12, :
| 1877 more than in the same month OF
| this year. In cigarettes, tobacco and
snuff, however, the 1909 figures show
marked increases over those of 1907.
| ~
| In report on the tobacco industry
of Brazil, the Bureau of American Re-
publics says the exports of leaf tobacco
in 1907 exceeded those Of 1906 by about
so per cent, which indicates that there
is considerable life in the tobacco pro-
ducing industry of Brazil in spite of its
methods and the poor quality OF the
product The possibilities of growing
fine tobacco in Para and probably In
certain other portions of Brazil have
been discussed by Brazilian agricultur-
lists for years and several times have
attracted the attention of foreigners.
Lately some of the foremost men OF the
State of Para, including the governor,
have made special trips of investigation
| through the tobacco districts OF Cuba
with a view of comparing the best to-
bacco country of that island with the
/ country in Para known to be suitable