The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1914-03-13
NOTE BOOK SKETCHES

The question of selection of seed for
the coming tobacco crop should be up
permost in the minds of the growers
at this season of the year, and again
we desire to urge that only the best
strains of binder type be obtained for
the plant beds. Too many growers
continue to plant runout seed that the
reputation of our state is endangered.
When there is so much guaranteed
seed to be obtained from reliable deal
ers. there can be but little excuse for
the grower to be careless in this mat
ter. An investment of dollar or SO
for good seed may mean several hun
dred dollars in returns for the crop at
the other end of the season. The ad-
vertising columns of this paper tell
you where you can secure good seed.
~
In a communication direct to the
United States Tobacco Journal from
the Wisconsin tobacco district, veter-
an Wisconsin leaf packer who is expert
in his line has the following to say:
"'rhe 1913 crop of Wisconsin as a
whole, in my opinion, is good crop of
binder tobacco, one of the best grown
in the state for many years. 1t is un-
usually sound in leaf, free of holes and
ragged tobacco. The percentage of
good, clean binders much larger than IN
many years, but will average about
two inches shorter than in 1912; still it
is thinner and more sound in leaf. The
greatest fault is it has its high case
or wet tobacco, which has caused the
packers a great deal of extra expense
to get it in good packing condition.
This fault is general throughout the
state but more so in the southern end.
Prices paid to farmers will average
about one cent to one and eOne-halt
| cents per pound higher than the 1912
CROP and the yield somewhat less per
acre. From present indications, this
tobacco, when through the sweat, will
be the soundest crop that Wisconsin
| has had in many years. There are no
signs of damage of any kind up to this
| writing, while year ago, at this same
time, the 1912 crop showed signs OF
damage-in fact, the tobacco is in un-
usually good packing condition. The
| greatest fault, however, is high prices
paid to the growers who admit they are
getting higher prices than they ex-
pected. AS long as packers will be so
foolish as to buy before the tobacco is
harvested, there will be. little or no
profit in packing. :"
Owing to the difficulty which cigar
manufacturers have met with on ac-
count of the internal revenue ruling
which requires them to account for
thousand cigars for every fifteen
pounds of stripped tobacco used IN the
| factory, an effort will be made to have
! the commissioner of internal revenue
| revoke that ruling and grant more
| liberal allowance of tobacco per thou
sand cigars. The Cigar Manufacturers
| Association of America is planning to
plant whatever with regard to the al
| lowance of twenty-five pounds of un-
| stripped tobacco which the internal
revenue department allows per thou
| sand cigars, and it seems that this is
sufficient allowance, so far as the ex-
| perience of a majority of the cigar
manufacturers interviewed on the sub
| ject is concerned. But the complaint
is made that fifteen pounds of stripped
tobacco is not the equivalent of twenty
| five pounds of unstripped. The theory
| that it is depends upon the belief that
tobacco loses 40 per cent in stripping,
when as matter of actual fact it does
not lose on an average more than 25
per cent or 80 per cent at the outside.
| -
| Of the 6,80O,000 pounds of wrapper
| tobacco imported into this country in
the year 1913 all except 200, 900 pounds
| came from the Netherlands. The value
of the Sumatra imports for the year is
| given in the report of the Department
of Commerce as So, 592, 900, an increase
of nearly S1,000,000 over 1912. The
| Sumatra imports for 1912 in quantity
were 5000, 600 pounds, or about 700, 900
| pounds smaller than the imports of
1913. Cuba, as usual, figured slightly
in the returns of tobacco invoiced as
wrapper, contributing only 1890
pounds to last years total. She con-
tributed %, $40, 900 pounds of filler, val
ued at $14, 500, 900. Turkey in Europe
and Turkey in Asia contributed togeth-
er 81, 900, 900 pounds of filler, valued at
slightly over $11 1000, 600. In the pre-
ceding year these countries exported to
| TIE ON1CoQ OCdCoS dDOuC 20, ,UUU,OOO
| pounds of tobacco, worth So, 500, 900.
Our 1913 importations of Turkish to-
bacco exceeded those of 1912 by 8,OOO,-
900 pounds, and the value is greater by
81, 500, 900. Our exports of leaf tobac-
CO showed a gratifying increase, jump
ing from SAG, 900, 900 in value in 1912 to
| $52, 900, 900 last year, an increase of
| $4,000, 900. AS usual the United King
dom is our best customer in the matter
of leaf tobacco, taking leaf valued at
at 500, ,60O,0 900. Italy, France and Ger
many followed in the order named.
At meeting of thousand tobacco
growers of Lancaster county, Pa, last
week, they decided to pool their inter-
ests in the marketing of their crops
under methods similar to those pursued
by the growers of Burley tobacco in
Kentucky. A board of As directors,
representing all sections of the county,
was chosen and they will conduct the
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