The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-11-24

to 200 words. Such commune
Editor. will receive prompt atte'
Acv Fro. the Tobacco HiiiA
I samue, Hurt, OF Nottoway County
writes the Industrial Editor a. 'oi'
lows: .,
/ =, Won win allow me. ! VIII suon'''
the following for your earnest co"-
alteration, and will ask that 20" s'se
the subject that attention that the -
-.,,,u,a, people OF Southside VN-
.,,n;. solicit. The opportunity You nave
., nhtainine this Important fnfoFmA.
t,nn is heyond the average citi5shs NV
sho,,id YOU be able to accomplish % ~
sired a result you Will place tne ~.
erx under obligations TO you. 80
question is whether or not the tA
or Southsil>e Virginia snal STOP
ing sark-smoked tobacco? AZ the PC
.,on,,e of the season the prices OF
Sark-smoked tobacco were not In &C
corj with the farmers wishes unae'
the stimulus Of short crop. hence tne
farmers are considering the aoSasleN-
,ty of turning their attention 20 some
thing else. In comparison witn nue.
cured tobacco, the average price u
hardly a third. 1t looks to the hst"es
thar he is wasting both time anu
energy to continue to raise q pfoooo.
AT 40 low a price. when MS next ooo1
neiRhbor, with very little moro %.
fort is getting three times al much
The greater proportion " our JANUS ~
this section are as well eoapseo
,he fue-cured kind a. the oaA-
smoked. but the farmers for sene.e
tions have made smoked tobacco Anu
oh
ditions are such that they are COM
PEELED for self-preservation. a. 1t wouN
out them to a heavy expense In ouiio-
ing barns. buying fiues, learning o9e1
the art OF curing. etc The knowing
ones claim the reason why nu@o TO
bacco IL SO high Is on account pnn-
cipaliy OF the shortness OF the crop
and the increase Of the selling Terri
tory. II this IL the case, a.
far as the shortness OF inc
crop Is concerned. fuii
crop might satisfy the demand 81
much lower figure. unless the seihns
territory Is sufficiently Increased an
competition SO strong that prices VIII
hold I'D to the present figures.
The fertility OF the lands OF hen-
lucky and Tennessee places Eirsin'a
at a disadvantage In raising dark To-
tobacco is recognized with a m0cn
higher price we cannot compete. Our
lands are also well adapted to cotton
and peanuts, which some OF our farm
ers are paying attention and nnoihs
II profitable, but the majority Sun pre-
fer to make dark tobacco. and want 10
know whether 1t Is going out OF o0te.
hope you may give this important
question Of the farmers Jour earnest
consideration and advise them the way
they should go.
A Word Of Advice.
The trouble confronting the grower
of the dark S moked tobaccos. oePiofeo
by Mr.. Hunt in the above. comes tro"
two causes. The taste OF the tooacco
user has changed. and he no longer
likes the dark-smoksd variety. Out
prefers the flue-cured weed. In the
second place, this change OF taste has
had the effect Of combining the demand
for the dark-smoke6 tobaccos to the
European markets, which are con-
troIled by the governmental mono
polies The governments OF EUROPE
the only manufacturers who are In
the market for these tobaccos. nave
formed a sort OF combine. and are thus
enabled to name the prices they are
to pay. and the Virginia grower ana
curer Of this typo Of tobacco Is aosP-
lutely at the mercy Of the American
agents Of these monopolfes. Ao"
these troubles are to be cured ! can
not see. Therefore. In the absence OF
more specific information on tho sub
ject. / would advise the Southside
Virginia farmers to discard the IRE
or smoke curing and adopt the hues
The tobacco grower. like the NOR
chant, must supply the goods the taste.
or the whIms IL you wish. that his
customers call for. or he Will get left
But, IL the smoke curers are constitu-
tionally opposed to changing their