The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1911-12-29
NOTE BOOK SKETCHES

1 III viii US d SlIlS uldI CIRCUMSTANCE IL
the early casing season proves mis-
| fortune rather than benefit to the to-
bacco growers of this state, and it be-
gins to look as if such was the fact.
Since the crop was stripped and deliv-
| erv commenced it has been discovered
that scarcely more than 80 per cent of
| the tobacco is in the usual condition for
| delivery, containing more or less high
| case, wet butts or fat stems which
buyers object to receiving at contract
| price. 1t means that if deliveries are
crowded now an endless amount of vex-
alton and trouble in arriving at salts
factory settlements. If the crop had
been permitted to stay in the sheds
month or six weeks longer freezing
weather would have gradually taken
| the excess moisture out of the stems
and the tobacco would have come much
nearer the requirements of proper
packing condition. The situation could
| be remedied somewhat If growers
would consent to hold their crops back
until the heavy stems have dried out.
This can be accomplished by spreading
the bundles one tier high in the curing
sheds, permitting the air to circulate
the bundles are tied we'll back. 1t is
not so much to be wondered at that the
crop contains so many heavy stems
when it is remembered that October
contained but few good curing days and
the whole month nearly was lost in
curing the crop-the month, too, which
usually brings the finest fall weather.
***
When the receiving shows an average
weight of from 1400 to 1900 pounds to
the acre, as it has done so far this sea-
son, it can be safely set down that
there is too much high case tobacco be-
ing delivered and percentage of mois-
ture that dealers will not stand for.
Tobacco received under such conditions
must be figured on basis of z5 per
cent shrinkage year hence, which is
TAR above the normal We understand
that so acres first received at Morrison
vile weighed in $4,000 pounds which is
an indication of the conditions we are
alluding to. About the only way open
to the dealers who want tobacco and
are willing to pay the contract price
when delivery can be made under the
usual packing conditions is to visit the
farms, examine the condition of the to-
bacco and agree upon the best method
of saving the crop by rehandling or
| drying out the heavy stems. AS one
packer explained to the farmers visited:
Il want your tobacco, but if | receive
| it today | would have to dock you. Fol-
| low my advice about how to care for it
and later we will accept it and pay the
contract price, And the growers al
most invariably accepted the latter
proposition which appeals to most peo-
pie as an entirely fair one.
| -
In it's review of the year the N. Y.
| tions: Taken as a whole, the year 1911,
posed of, has not been satisfactory as
I
| therefore not for the manufacturer.
Prices for raw material have been too
high, with the exception of a single
| state, Ohio. which, through special
causes (the substitution of other to-
baccos and similar methods of packing)
has found the demand for its principal
product, Zimmer Spanish, interfered
with. Certainly the tobacco growers
in Connecticut, Pennsylvania and Wis
consin can afford to look back with sat-
isfaction upon the 1910 crops, which
they delivered in the early part of this
year. A similar situation prevails in
| Cuba, and, of course, everyone knows
| that Sumatra brought prices no one
ever dreamed it would reach. 1t is i'm
portant for the manufacturer to know
whether these conditions will again
prevail and whether he must look for
ward to another year of curtailed
profits Connecticut has been through
year of storm and misfortune, which
| will greatly curtail the amount of to-
| bacco to be had from New England.
| What there is is understood to be good.
! The crop has been virtually bought up
at high prices, and no relief as to price
| is to be looked for from that market.
The most interesting problem that New
England presents is the. fate Of the
| shade-grown tobacco, of which about
1900 bales will have to be marketed.
| There seems to be no doubt that this
tobacco has found favor with the man
ufacturers, and consequently the choice
| tobacco and that properly handled will
sell at a good figure, but there will be
more opportunity for discrimination
than last year and wider range in price.
In Wisconsin, roughly speaking, two
thirds of the state had a most defective
crop, and the other third good one.
This situation was clear while the to-
bacco was still on the field, and it in
duced the most exciting buying ever
| witnessed in that state. Prices in the
| favored section have been equaled only
by those paid in 1906, but with this diff
ference: The tobacco so highly paid for
this year is largely in the hands of the
large manufacturers, while IN 1906 it
was in the hands of the leaf dealers,
whose enthusiasm cost them pretty
penny. The poorer end of the crop
was lifted bv smoking tobacco con-