The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1915-11-19
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(Coneluaed from last q0eek.)
While the risk attending the growing
of the tobacco crop is greater than
most others, protection is now being
offered the grower against the most
danger that of hail. The past season
345 losses on growing tobacco have been
adjusted and $4,000 paid to the farm
ers of Wisconsin. Whatever salvage
they may be able to obtain in addition
will very nearly compensate them for.
losses sustained where the insurance
had been written. The tobacco crop is
also subject to early frosts, but only
twice before the present season since
tobacco growing has become general
crop in the state has an August frost
appeared to damage it, and in each in
stance corn has equally suffered. In
fact both crops grow under very SINH
lar conditions and their fate stands up
on about an equal basis. Both are
warm weather crops and the seasons
vagaries effect each alike.
The question frequently asked is
whether tobacco does not impoverish
the soil? which can be answered affirm
atively if grown unscientifically. But
continued cropping of any other farm
product without replenishing the con-
stituents removed will accomplish the
same result soil robbery abounds ev-
erywhere. The amount of potash, nj
trogen and phosphorus taken from the
soil by tobacco culture is we'll known,
and the intelligent grower today is able
to supply the deficiency and maintain
the fertility of his fields if he practices
rotation of crops the same as in other
farm management. After some years
of experimentation, Connecticut valley
tobacco growers have devised a bal
anced fertilizer for tobacco that per-
mits continual cropping on soil orig
inally barren sand plain, not consid-
cred suitable to any branch of agricul-
ture. A large New York firm of man
ufacturers have undertaken similar
series of experiments in this state.
The one thing that has impressed
itself upon the trade in recent years is
that Wisconsin growers must improve
the quality of their product If they ex-
pect to maintain the prestige we have
already enjoyed as producer of desir-
able binder leaf, which can be largely
accomplished by employing better
pc of seed and giving more careful
attention to the growing and handling
of the crop. The careless and slipshod
farmer has no place among the tobacco
growers of this state. All such can
scarcely make it paying proposition.
Peculiar to most farm products, to-
bacco does not enter into consumption
through the manufacturers until the
second year after its growth 1t re-
quires the second summer to properly
ferment and perfect the quality of the
crop. Hence large storehouses are re-
quired at the packing points to carry
the crop until needed in consumption.
The investments of packers therefore
are generally for long time, seldom less
than year, and often times longer.
Commercially tobacco, therefore, might
not be considered first-class security
for loans and yet bankers are always
willing TO. accept warehouse receipts as
security for reasonable amount of the
valuation for loans.
On October 1st, last, there were, ac-
cording to statistics gathered by the
internal revenue department, over 78
million pounds of tobacco held in store
houses of packers and manufacturers.
This is very nearly two normal crops,
not owned by growers, mind you, but
by manufacturers and dealers. Based
on a conservative value of 10 cents per
pound, it represents an investment of
about eight million dollars in old stock
piled up for the future needs of the
manufacturers while a new crop of
1915, which the government scales
down to 35 million pounds, will soon be
ready for the market. The larger
manufacturers do not consider ther,
selves safe without having at least one
and often two full years supply of
stock on hand to guard against crop
failures liable to occur at any time or
loss by fire or other causes where re-
placement might be hard to find.
The element of speculation enters
more largely into the purchase or to-
bacco than almost any other farm pro-
duct. 1t has no fixed market value as
a bushel of wheat or potatoes is gener-
ally known. 1t might be six or it
might be so cents. 1t is rather the
quality of the leaf that determines its
value in the better grades. AS the
crop is almost invariably taken over
from the growers nearly year before
it can be realized on, the dealer must
assume chances of damage in the fer
mentation process in the meantime and
he seldom knows until the cure is COM
pleted whether the speculation yields
profit or loss.
In no line of trade have absorption
and consolidation into big businesses
been carried on more extensively in
late years than in the tobacco trade.
Revenue statistics show there is con-
tinual falling off in the number of cigar
while the larger con-
Germs abnormally increase their produc-
tion with each succeeding year. The
is in line with the later
day tendency of all business. Even the |
wooden Indian that has guarded the |
entrance and stood as symbol of the |
retail tobacco shop for century or !!
more is being Supplanted by the more |