The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1913-10-03
NOTE BOOK SKETCHES

) !.
1t looks very much as if the big op-
orators would not be stampeded into
early buying of the tobacco crop this
year, whatever the little fellows might
do IN the meantime There may not be
any mutual understanding among the
''big four" to keep out of the market
until the crop is in the bundle, but rep
resentatives of some of them will tell
you they will not buy a pound until the
tobacco is stripped and fair estimate
of it's value gained. Their decision,
however, will not prevent moderate
movement by local dealers when con-
tracts can be made at present quota
tions. Though their total sales will not
figure much towards the absorption of
the crop.
A good deal of the tobacco standing
in the fields when the frosts of week
ago came has since been harvested. In
some fields On rather high elevations
the crops were scarcely marked by the
frost, though thermometers marked
several degrees below the freezing
point, and the corn fields plainly showed
its effects. Experienced growers pre-
ferred to take their chances on the
frost rather than harvest green tobacco
and they were probably wise in doing
SO for the weather since has been suit
able for the ripening and the leaf,
though slightly SCARED, it is believed
will at least make good stemming
stock. That portion of the crop slashed
down and rushed into the sheds while
green, to escape the frost, is not likely
to meet any better fate for it will be
surprising if it cures out before the
first hard freeze sufficient to produce
fat stems occurs. 1t is we'll known
that it takes about twice as long to
cure immature tobacco as it does that
which is allowed to fully ripen in the
fields, under the same weather condi-
tions, so at best quite portion of the
present crop is likely to be classed as
stemming stock when it finally reaches
a market.
"A few weeks ago New York trade.
paper gave Senator Knute Nelson of
Minnesota calling down for state
ment made by him during the debate
on the tariff bill that "cigars were
luxury and not consumed by the ordin-
ary workmen,' and quotes statistics to
show that of the seven billion cigars
produced annually in this country all
but about half billion are being con-
sumed by the middle classes, clerks,
artisans and ordinary workmen. We
judge that Senator Nelson must have
seen this criticism for The Reporter
has received subscription order from
the senator in which he says he is in
terested in tobacco questions and de-
sires to keep posted.
The tobacco growing season just
closed has been beset with many trials
for the farmer and the result is
smaller acreage and an unusually light
yield in all the cigar leaf states, Wis
consin, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York,
Florida, Georgia, Texas and New Eng
land The total acroaUe this wear an
proximates 159, 800 acres, against 167,-
900 last year. The total yield, as indi-
Gated by the Orange Judd Farmers
correspondents, is about 491, 400 bales
of $50 pounds each. This reduced out
put has two causes, viz: Smaller acre.
age and lighter yield, due to drouth the
past summer. In Wisconsin the out
look early was for an increased acre
age, this because of the excellent prices
paid for the 1912 crop. But the cold,
wet weather of the early spring and a
shortage of plants resulted in a very
slight reduction in area, compared with
a year ago. AS seen by accompanying
tables, returns from correspondents in
Wisconsin tobacco fields justify the es
innate of yield of cigar leaf in the
state as a whole of 125, 700 cases Of $50
pounds each, or approximately 100
pounds to the acre. Following is the
estimated yield of the cigar leaf crop,
in round thousands and tenths of thou
sands of cases of $50 pounds each:
Ohio ..llsio isi5 1879 ssi5 1873 5si5 lsI syOS Q
Wisconsin ........ ..125.7 1877 1850 138
Pennsy lvania. -. ....1l9.7 1708 1923 10l 8
New England. 1851 1928 1858 90-7
New York ..... 14.4 172 1914 "a 2