The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1913-11-14

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mess does not receive new impulse in
the accession of that amount of clean,
cold cash, we shall feel greatly disap-
pointed. AS sure ready-noney crop
tobacco is certainly maintaining it's
popularity, and much new acreage
might be expected the coming season
were it not for the difficulty experienc-
ed in securing the necessary amount OF
help at certain stages in it's culture.
s.When this years tobacco crop is
packed it will have been affected by a
greater variety of conditions, on the
whole, than any crop harvested in Wis
consin in recent years., says James
johnson, tobacco specialist of the Col
lege of Agriculture of the University
of Wisconsin,. ''To begin with, the
outlook during and directly after plant
ing was the best ever seen, in this state.
But in the course of month the pros
pect dropped about so per cent through
out the state, although this drop was
variously attributed to such causes as
poor land, compactness of soil, drought,
ETC., the real trouble was the develop
ment of root rot disease which in a
greater or less degree now affects a
large proportion of Wisconsin's tobac-
60 fields. With better Weabher coRdi-
tions in succeeding years, and with the
propagation of more disease resisting
strains the loss from root rot, it is be-
lieved, will be materially diminished If
not entirely eliminated. Much gof the
tobacco of the state is still in need of a
period of good curing weather, and it
is possible that more or less shed dam
age was done during the periods of
warm, moist weather of the fall, while
on the other hand, the sudden drop in
temperature last week injured much of
the uncured stock The recent enact
ment of the Paul bill, which prohibited
the contracting of tobacco before it is
ready for delivery and which practic-
ally provides that the leaf shall only
this law has many merits, Mr.. Johnson
thinks that until the new system be-
comes established it will result in de-
creased price to the growers. The fu-
ture of the present crop will soon rest
with the packers, who in spite of the
prevalence of must and black rot, will
do all in their power to prevent repe-
tition of such damage as occurred in
the 1912 crop. Recent events, how
ever, in the buying movement will
cause Mr.. johnson to revise his Opin-
ions somewhat, we imagine. Instead
Of the Paul law proving detriment to
the growers, the turn of affairs has
helped them secure the very top prices
for their tobacco. At least that is the
way it has worked this year, whatever
might be the result hereafter. We
shall doubtless have less opposition
from farmers to the law in the future.
A packer of Wisconsin tobacco who
was asked this week in regard to the
quantity of damaged tobacco that is
showing up in the 1912 crop, says that
the amount of tobacco that is actually
damaged is much slighter than reports
indicated. The discrepancy comes from
the fact that many people are not ac-
curate in speaking of such matters.
For instance, a man with packing OF
1000 cases, who samples and finds
damage in 100 cases, will ordinarily say
he found 10 per cent damage, meaning
that 10 per cent of his cases contained
damaged tobacco. However, it is often
the fact that only small portion of
the tobacco in a case has been dam
aged In the illustration given above,
if half of the tobacco in each of the
cases reported as damaged was actual
ly damaged tobacco, then the owner
should have reported per cent damage
instead of 10. In some instances,
where the greater portion of the to-
bacco in a case is damaged, the entire
case is sold as damaged tobacco, but
where there is a chance of salvage, the
tobacco is recased, and the damaged
tobacco has been thrown out. A good
deal of cleaning" has been going on
in Wisconsin recently.
During the past season the manufac-
turers of Bull Durham distributed $11,-
400 in cash and tobacco valued at S11,-
so among the ball players of the
National and American leagues, total
of S23, ,146. 80, for lamming the Bull
for home run. Every time the big
sign was struck by a batted ball a
check for $50 was sent to the fortunate
batsman making the hit, and for every
home run poled out the tobacco people
separated themselves from consider
IL Al-. IL 10
mixture, total of 234, 936 fve-cent