The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1915-01-08
Tobacco in Big Demand

Deep gloom HAS given way w q AeSi
ing of optimism in Southern Maryland.
The 1918 tobacco crop has been mark
eted at remunerative prices, and the
outlook is for ready sale of the 1914
crop, which will begin to come on the
market in June.
For a time soon after the war in Eu-
rope broke out the tobacco piled up
in the warehouses in Baltimore until
they were full to overlooking and there
was no market. The employees at the
State tobacco warehouses were IN as
Dad way as the planters. for they did
not get any money until the tobacco
had been sold. Finally, the warehouses
became so crowded that there was no
room for even single hogshead more,
and the tobacco growers who had pre-
pared their tobacco for market stored
it in their barns as best they could,
while a great deal more still hung in
the tobacco barns unpacked.
All this has now been changed. Prac-
tically all the Maryland tobacco now on
the market has been bought, largely
for foreign account, and buyers are now
here coming the market for offerings.
The first glimpse of sunshine for the
tobacco growers of the State was the
fairly good demand for domestic uses
that set in about September, and in
October when the embargo against
shipments to Holland was raised the
Dutch came into the market, and they
have since taken a total of 5,202 hogs
heads. The French demand set in
early in November, and they have since
practically cleaned up the market.
There is now ready demand for
Maryland tobacco. Charles Grouzelle,
engineer of the Government manufac-
tories and chief of the bureau of for
eign crops of the French Government,
and Emile Deletraz, chief of the
bureau of domestic crops of France,
are still here and will probably remain
month longer. They are endeavoring
to secure total of 6, 100000 pounds Of
MARYLAND tobacco for their govern
ment but it is hardly likely they will
get the full amount. They are taking
it as rapidly as it comes in, however.
The 1918 crop of Maryland tobacco
marketed in 1914 consisted of 24,82s
hogsheads, including 528 hogsheads OF
bay or Western Maryland tobacco anc
1896 hogsheads of new ground leaves OF
1914 growth. The 1914 crop is estimat
ed at about $4,000 hogsheods.
The Maryland crop of 1913 showed
much ripe leaf of average length and &
good assortment of brown and red, with
some very colory grades. The home
market opened with good demand at
satisfactory prices up to the beginning
of the European War, when all buying
| for the Continent ceased.
A fairly good home demand develop
ed during August and September, which
relieved the market of congestion. IL
October the embargo against ship
ments to Holland was raised, when al
light handling grades were freely taker
by our buyers at somewhat lowe
prices than had prevailed prior to th'
war. In November the agents of thu
French Government entered the mar
ket and bought freely of the grade
suitable for their use, relieving tn
market of all accumulated stock, leav
ing in sellers hands only 1923 hogshead
of Maryland tobacco, of which IS
hogsheads are old ground leaves.
The new 1914 crop came to maturit
under severe drought conditions, bu
thanks to rains during September, de
veloped long broad leaf and with a
exceptional curing season shows su
perior grade of fine yellow and re
leaf, with only minimum quantity o