The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1915-12-17

NOTE BOOK SKETCHES

OOIuG U6llVGfI6S Oh the new CIOp udVS
been made on contracts during the
week which in measure indicate what
the yield may be expected in the south
ern growing districts. These crops
have weighed in from 1900 to 1900
pounds to the acre, which is not far
from the average of other years, and
somewhat greater than was expected
from an unusually thin, light leaf such
as the bulk of the crop is yielding. De-
cember receiving is releasing some
Christmas money which is being very
generally welcomed by the growers
who were fortunate in having their to-
bacco out of the sheds and stripped.
The Lorillard Co. have fixed two re-
ceiving days for this week, one at
Janesville and the other at Edgerton
on Friday where about 100 acres will
be taken in. If more of the crop were
ready for delivery the returns from the
1915 crop would commence to get into
circulation Immediately, which would
go a long ways toward helping out at
tax paying time. Another season of
damp weather to bring the balance of
the crop into case is what the growers
stand most in need of at the present
time. Until stripping can be resumed
only a small portion of the crop can be
marketed. Winter is so well advanced
now it is possible growers may have to
wait until the January thaw before be-
ing able to get the balance of the crop
out of the sheds for stripping.
- -
+ The Kentucky Court Of Appeals re-
Gently handed down a decision to the
effect that the Crecelius law, passed
about four years ago, is unconstitu
tional. This law was passed with the
specific object of allowing tobacco
planters in Kentucky to combine to Sc
cure higher prices for the leaf. The
law followed a period of night riding in
that state, during which vast quanti-
ties of tobacco were destroyed. The
higher court of the state, soon after
the law was passed, declared the law
constitutional. In case carried to the
Supreme Court of the United States,
which by implication involved the Gre
celius law, the decision of that tribunal
was unfavorable. In the last decision
of the Kentucky court it was said that
the court was confronted with the al
tentative Of declaring all combinations
legal or declaring the Crecelius law un
constitutional and this latter was done.
At present there is not single tObac-
co pool in that state. There is no or
ganization In the state which is seeking
fo pool tobacco. The day of the tobac-
co pool in Kentucky, with its attendant
outrages, seems to be past.
When the first reports were publish
ed, by the Census Bureau, of the stocks
of tobaccos held in the hands Of manu-
facturers, packers and dealers, wide
spread surprise was expressed at the
enormous quantities of these holdings,
which indicated two and three years
supply for future consumption The
original object Of these official publica-
tions was to benefit the tobacco raisers.
But in the few years since the first re-
port was issued it does not seem that
the tobacco raiser has been the full
beneficiary of the publication as Con-
gress undoubtedly had in view. For a
tobacco raiser depends more for his
material welfare upon the favorable
outcome Of his crops, which on their
part are affected mostly by weather
conditions during the growing and ma
turing season, than on official informa-
tion of the supplies of his direct or in
direct customers most of whom regu-
late their supplies less by the necessity
of immediate wants than by a provi-
dent business policy. Large tobacco
manufacturers plan their purchases
years in advance. They do not permit
themselves to be dependent for their
yearly supply upon the crop just raised.
In their ever-wakeful foresight, not to
be caught short by deficiency of any
one crop, which happens more often in
tobacco than any other agricultural
product, they always stand ready to lay
in as much Of good crop as their cap
ital and credit will warrant, so as to.be
at ease when a crop happens to be in
one year or the other short in yield or
defective in quality But it is not only
this consideration of being caught short
in an unreliable crop which induces the
provident manufacturer and astute
business man to stock up far above his
needs in favorable crop year. Equal
ly important is the other consideration
of having seasoned tobacco constantly
on hand, to satisfy his trade with un-
changing quality of his goods. The ex-
pansion of our tobacco Industries has in
measure outstripped the yearly pro-
duction of the best available types.
The consequence, therefore, has been
to foresweat years new yield In or
der to meet the increased demand. This
particularly has been the case in our
cigar Industry. For years and years
have not only the wrapper types but
also binder and filler been advanced in
maturity by artificial sweating. Per-
feet maturity can hardly be obtained
before they pass through the natural
cure in their second year, after being
cased. Tobacco must pass through a
proper natural cure in order to be de-
vaporized of its nicotine rawness. Peo-
pie like sedate, mild and aromatic
smoke, free from the acerbity of the
raw nicotine. This desirable condition
in tobacco can only be obtained by age
ing. Those manufacturers who have
made such enormous successes of their
business have partly done so by not
hurrying their supply from the fields