The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1912-07-26
NOTE BOOK SKETCHES

able binder stock for cigar manufacture
ing is in measure confirmed by recent
sales of large blocks of Wisconsin leaf.
Just how acute the situation is is hard
to determine, but one thing every well
posted tobacco man does know is that
there is less Wisconsin leaf to be offer
ed the trade than any previous time in
the last twenty-five years. The 1911
crop is almost exclusively owned by the
big manufacturers, and local packers
have smaller holdings than ever before
since this state became an important
factor in cigar leaf growing. Already
nearly all of the northern packings ex-
pecting to come upon the market have
been sold, the last one being taken
over by New York house during the
week. Of southern grown goods there
might be picked up possibly 10000
boxes of the II packings of local deal
ers, but just how long they would last
if the manufacturers awoke to the real
situation and attempted to lay aside
binder stock for future needs, tits hard
to predict. Times have been known
when single firm would gather up all
the loose ends in the state in weeks
time. 1t might happen again.
-
Two recent heavy rainfalls with a
total precipitation Of more than six
inches, nearly all of which was absorb
ed by the soil, have furnished sufficient
moisture to carry the early tobacco
fields to maturity even if no other
rains should follow until the harvest,
thus assuring satisfactory growth for
the early set portion of the crop. 1t is
a rare occurrence for the soil to be sat-
urated to such depth in summer,
but it removes all possibility of drought
that might pinch the development OF
the earlier tobacco fields, which will
soon be ready for topping. With the
coming of warm days the later set to-
bacco will be coming forward in great
strides that will soon overcome the de-
lays of transplanting, SO that the out
look for the growing cropsat the pres
ent writing is very encouraging one.
The grasshoppers, which a year ago
were proving very troublesome to the
growers, are nowhere in evidence this
season and with an abundance of green
material everywhere to feed upon there
seems to be little danger from this
source the present year. 1t is only in
dry seasons do these pests hatch out in
such quantities as to work much dam
age to the tobacco fields and the same
is equally true regarding the ravages
of the green worm which seldom cut
much of figure in wet seasons.
*.*
According to reports received from
New England Homestead, the acreage
in New England is slightly larger than
that of year ago, the increase being
due largely to the excellent prices OBJ
tanned by farmers for their crop of
1911, also the feeling that prices will
be remunerative the coming fall, be-
cause of the condition Of the market.
The weather has had but very little un-
favorable influence apon the shade
grown crop in New England, as the
cloth retarded evaporation of the ex-
cessive moisture in the ground last
spring and the tobacco continues to
grow rapidly.
The tobacco crop of Wisconsin is
progressing under fairly good condi-
tions; recent rains covering large
part of the acreage helped out Won
derfully. The crop was two weeks late
in being set in the field and did not
make much progress for some time due
to lack of rain. Conditions now are
promising on an acreage slightly above
that of year ago. The situation as
regards acreage is summed up about as
follows: In Vernon county there is an
increase of about 10 per cent over that
of last year.
New York tobacco fields have suffer
ed for several weeks through lack OF
rain to start the young plants after
they were set in the fields. There is
plenty of moisture in all cigar leaf sec
tions this year to grow the crop, II
there is rainfall sufficient to start the
plants off so the roots can get down to
the water in the subsoil.
AS whole the Pennsylvania acreage
was increased this year. Good prices
for the 1911 crop, together with good
outlook for obtaining profitable figure
for the 1912 tobacco, worked for larger
acreage. The increases are reported
mostly in the vicinities of Oxford, Col
umbia, Clinton, Lock Haven and Elk
land. One prominent grower states
that in Lycoming and Clinton counties
there will be an increase of 10 per cent.
In the vicinity of Landisville and Inter
course the acreage dropped off about 5
per cent. The outlook for good crop
in all parts of Pennsylvania is favor
able.
Ohio reduced its acreage of cigar leaf
again this year. Much difficulty has
been experienced in this state in dis
posing of tobacco at anywhere near
profitable prices. thinner Spanish,
which had been heretofore fairly popu-
lar, is being replaced rapidly by the
more productive seedleaf types. The
new hybrid variations in that state, de-
veloped by the experiment station, are
also gaining hold in the Miami valley.