The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1915-04-23

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by one failure after a long series Of fat
years in tobacco. Oh no.
OPEN VS.. COVERED TOBACCO BEDS.
Which is the better, an open or a
covered tobacco bed? That is Ques-
ton upon which the opinions OF even
experienced growers differ. Some have
said that their plants do better when
grown in an open bed without the use
of any covering; others that their plants
do better when grown under canvas or
glass, the so-called closed bed method.
The open bed growers claim as their
advantage of their system that strong
er and healthier plants arc produced,
and that the cost and bother of making
the frames and coverings is avoided.
On the other hand, the advocates OF
closed beds contend that covering
shelters the weak young plants from
the beating rains and from frosts, that
the heat from the plants is kept under
the coverings thus forcing the plant,
and that the horde of small insects US
ually infesting the open beds are kept
out. The closed bed method, perhaps,
would be the better if growers would
remove the coverings soon enough so
that the plants could become accus-
toned to the light and weather condl-
tions, thus hardening the plants. A
combination of both systems is fol-
lowed by some Of the most successful
growers. They give the young plants
the protection of the cover until about
one month or six weeks before plant
ing, then remove it and keep it off un-
less the weather conditions should be
quite unfavOrable. The value Of steam
ing is apparent in this particular. AS
the steamed plants grow faster, they
need less protection. A steamed bed
can get along with considerably less
protection because of this increased
rapidity of growth. A good many cases
have been noted where with steanalng
the plants did just as we'll in an open
bed as those in closed one.
The following from the Springfield
Republican is of interest to the trade and
is printed for what it is worth: Note
worthy progress in the ShadegrOwn
tobacco industry in the Connecticut val
lev is observable this year. In 1871
1000 acres. Thirty-one growers will
this season put at least $3.50 acres into
shaded tobacco. This denotes an in
crease of so per cent, which is the
largest expansion that has taken place
in this important industry in any one
of the fifteen seasons since Marcus l..
F'loyd cultivated the first little patch
of tobacco under cloth at Poquonock in
~ of 40 10
the significance in this disposition of
capital to find larger employment IN
the new tobacco industry? 1t costs
nearly three-quarters Of million dol
lars to cultivate tobacco on 1900 acres
of land covered with 500 pounds of
cheese cloth to the acre. So much new
money is going into Shadegrown this
year that the cost per acre, if it is
reckoned at $500, the whole $500 acres
will require cash outlay of very near
ly $2,000,000. Much of this large
amount of money goes for wages, and
the Shadegrowers are therefore going
to benefit good many wage-earners
in the valley this year. Much Of the
money goes for fertilizer, which is
largely handled by Hartford dealers,
The cloth comes mostly from the Caro-
llnaS, although SOIAo VI IL 10 ulouC III
New England mills. A good deal of
money will have to be invested in new
drying barns for the 1900 acres to be
put uuder cloth for the first time this
year, and there will also have to be
some new warehouses for sorting and
packing the tobacco. Warehouses are
expensive to build. If there were no
"poor years" for the tobacco growers,
resulting from climatic conditions, it is
safe to say that the production of the
light wrapper leaf under cloth would
go on increasing year by year until
there would be at least 10000 acres
under cloth. Should 1915 prove as good
a season as was 1914 it would be a safe
prediction that the cloth-covered area
in 1916 would be not less than 5000
acres. Already there is talk of projects
involving the cultivation Of 1000 or
more acres by single corporation. In
deed, there are now companies IN ex-
istence that have the capital necessary
for carrying 1000 acres under shade
when the time comes to do 1t. Per-
haps there are more than two Of these
companies. The American Sumatra