The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1910-09-30
NOTE BOOK SKETCHES

The statistical agents for the agricul.
tural department now estimate the
Wisconsin tobacco crop at SO per cent
of the normal yield in pounds, without
any regard to quality. This seems high
in view of the early reports regarding
the acreage planted and subsequent
effects of the long drouth, but the de-
partment evidently wants to be on the
safe side and puts the figures high
enough to cover any chance for error.
Since the regulation of the internal
revenue department requiring dealers
in leaf tobacco to report purchases
from growers separate from that of
other. dealers went into effect, it has
been discovered that former statistics
regarding the tobacco crop of this state
have been very generally underestimate
ed. The revenue figures of the 1909
crop show yield of upwards of so mil
lion pounds, while the government sta
tistics indicated an acreage of less than
10000 acres, even after an early frost
had destroyed good many hundred
acres that weee never harvested in the
northern portion of the state. And
then, too, there is always portion of
the crop held back in growers hands
that does not get into the reckoning.
1t is gratifying to learn that we shall
have more accurate tobacco statistics
now that the regulations of the rev.
enue department are being enforced.
~
And the pesky grasshoppers continue
to chew the green tobacco, doing more
damage than ever before experienced
in this state. Even after the crop is
harvested it has been difficult to keep
them out of the sheds and away from
the green leaves. No hail storm ever
accomplished as much damage to a
Wisconsin tobacco crop as the grass
hoppers have done this season. The
long drouth seems especially suitable
for the Matching out of millions of
them which spread like a plague over
the tobacco fields.
About fifteen years ago A. G. Nixon
of Dayton, Ohio, conceived an idea that
tobacco might be worked over and a
fine cigar wrapper produced. In order
to carry out the execution of this he
enlisted the services of an expert paper
man, and considerable progress toward
the successful consummation of that
idea was made; however, innumerable
obstacles were encountered from time
to time, and finally the experiments
were discontinued indefinitely. Matters
rested thus until about eight months
ago, when Arthur Nixon, the son, IN
terested Mr.. Chauncey w. Young, an
other paper man, in the enterprise.
Mr.. Young was quick to see the possl-
bilities of the idea, and the far-reach-
ing influence it would have on the cigar
leaf tobacco wrapper market. So he
and Nixon began Immediately series
of successful experiments, which have
terminated in complete solution of the
original idea. The process, briefly de-
scribed, is as follows: Any grade or
variety of cigar leaf tobacco is put
through this process and reduced to a
pulp. The reduction being similar to
that used in the making of paper, the
stems being absorbed in the process.
In this condition the weed is passed
through an ordinary paper-making ma
chine, with some alterations to con-
form with the making, fewer dryers
being used than in the paper-making
process, in order to bring the wrapper
over in what tobacco packers term
''good case." The product comes out
in sheets, any shade or color being pro-
duced that may be desired. These
Sheets, by means of dies, are cut into
the shape and size of wrapper desired
by the manufacturer and then packed
into patent humidors, manufactured
specially for this purpose, from 100 to
1000 in each package. Enough moist
ure is retained in the humidors so that
the wrappers are always in condition to
roll around cigar filler stock. In this
process all of the valuable qualities are
preserved, such as fexibility and pill
ability, the burn and appearance of the
product being perfect. If the trade
should require it, spots and veins can
easily be produced. This method fur
ther preserves the leaf from mold or
must. Summed up in a few words, 1T
is merely improving the raw product.
By using cheaper grades of Sumatra or
Havana, either of these varieties can
be perfectly reproduced in the wrap
per. There will be no waste and the
product will be sold not by weight but
by quantity, much more satisfactory
proposition than buying the raw pro-
product, not knowing how many wrap
pers said product will yield. Repre-
sentatives of large interests in the East
have been at Dayton recently in con-
ference with Messrs. Young and Nixon
relative to securing control of the out
put, but nothing has yet been accom-
plished by them. 1t is reported that
Messrs. Young and Nixon will organize
a stock company and manufacture the
product themselves, as the Eastern
parties would not concede them a roy
atty. Tobacco men all over the United
States are much exercised over the
proposition, and the result has been
many letters inquiring into the details
of this invention, which is going to
prove such benefit to both manufac-
turer leaf packers, except those who
make q SnpciaItv 0f wrannnrS and the