The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1915-11-12
History of Tobacco Growing in Wis
cOnSin.

cOnsin.
bacco Reporter. before Wisconsin Bankers
convention held at Edgerton. Oct. 80 1915.
When accepting an invitation from
your committee of arrangements for
this convention for talk on the tobac-
co industry, believe l am fully con-
scious shall scarcely be able to tell
those bankers who have been loaning
their funds to facilitate the movement
of this crop for years past anything
about the business they were not al
ready familiar with. To those outside
the tobacco belt, however, might say
that your meeting today is convened
in one of the smaller cities of the state
that boasts of being the largest market
and storage point of cigar leaf tobacco
in the world. Wherever tobacco is
spoken of, whether in New York, Phil
adelphia or in London or Amsterdam,
Edgerton is we'll known, for shipments
from our storehouses eventually reach
these markets.
Tobacco growing is a legacy be-
queathed to US by the American Indian.
When Columbus landed on San Saliva
dor in 1892 he found the natives smok-
ing tobacco rolled in palm leaves. When
the Pilgrim Fathers reached the rock
bound shores of New England the ab-
orignes already possessed custom
Whereby their treaties with neighbor-
ing tribes were not sealed, signed and
delivered according to methods pructiced
by civilized nations, but by rite which
to them was more binding and sacred
the pipe of peace-a signal of their
most solemn promise. Early Virginian
history relates that the pioneers in the
absence of coin of the relm made to-
bacco their medium of exchange and
barter long years before national or pri-
vate banking was known or that check
kiting and overdrafts were discouraged.
Having established the antiquity of to-
bacco growing by the citation of his
torical facts, let us return to the sub
ject assigned = The Wisconsin Tobacco
Industry
For over sixty years tobacco has been
more or less an important farm product
| in Wisconsin until it has reached tine
sixth rank of the agricultural products
of the state. The name Of Pomeroy
has been intimately connected with the
introduction of tobacco growing in Wis
consin. Several brothers of that fam
iisy name left the Connecticut valley ir
the late 4O's, stopping first in the Mia
ma valley in Ohio for time, where
they introduced the culture of the weed
in that state from seed brought with
them. A few years later they came to
Wisconsin, settling on farms in the
town of Fulton, Rock county, near Ed
gerton. In 1854 Ralph Pomeroy raised
his first crop in Wisconsin near Syene
and three years later the Pomeroy
brothers began regularly to grow the
crop on their Fulton farms, from which
beginning it gradually spread each year
to larger areas until the present time
it is now extensively grown in fifteen
counties, though Dane and Rock coun-
ties yet produce nearly half the entire
crop of the state. 1t is estimated that
between eight and ten thousand farm
ers are now engaged in cultivating to-
bacco, giving an average of about four
acres to each grower. For the ten
year period from 1874 to 1884 the acre
age increased only from 1444 to 1866
acres. The next decade the area de-
voted to this crop increased to 80, 900
acres, and from 1894 the acreage has
shown but slight increase, ranging
from 35, 900 to AZ, 900 acres with an ap-
proximate yield ranging from As to So
million pounds annually which the mar
ket has readily absorbed whenever a
desirable binder crop has been produc-
ed. It is quite probable, however, that
the production has about reached the
market demands for Wisconsin leaf and
any material increase might bring
about unproductive prices. A growing
demand late years for the cheaper
grades for stemming purposes, which
previously found an outlet in an export
trade, has added much to the perman-
ency of tobacco growing, for under or
dinary conditions even if the farmer S
crop is damaged by hail he has been
able to secure at least the cost of pro-
ducing the crop.
Owing to the general depression of
business, the closing of our export mar
ket since the European war, coupled
with an inferior crop in 1914 and par
tial failure in 1915, due to wet, back
ward season, unusual hail damage,
early frost and other misfortunes, we
are inclined to exclude these crops in
arriving at a valuation for a ten year
period just previous Based on nor
NAL production ranging between 40 and
so million pounds, the farmers of Wis
consin have been paid from five to six
million dollars annually for this crop.
The money comes very largely from
the eastern centers to move the crop,
together with at least million dollars
more paid for warehouse labor in pack
ing, insurance, storage and taxes new
money that is constantly distributed in
the state for this one product alone
The average yield for this period, ac-
cording to the government estimates,
does not vary much from 1850 pounds
per acre, so we consider it safe state
ment to make that the tobacco growers