The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1915-04-09
MORE ABOUT THE SEED QUESTION.


In Justice to tobacco growers. buyers
of leaf tobacco, and cigar manufacture
ers, it behooves US to offer some reply
to an article appearing recently in the
columns of the Edgerton Eagle. With
all due respect to the author, Mr.. ii.
S. Pomeroy, some ideas advanced by
him are in no way compatible with ef-
ficient and practical methods OF grow
ing tobacco seed.
The fact that the Comstock Spanish
strain of tobacco ''Has Been" good
variety is true, and by the universal
opinion, expressed by the so-called
''buying fraternity" which includes
the buyeas, packers and manufacture
ers, the Comstock Spanish variety is
still by far the most popular when
style, quality and demand are taken
into consideration 1t is true that the
Comstock Spanish seed may produce
an undersized leaf when grown on poor
or diseased soil, but such land will not
grow any type of tobacco profitably.
The practical strain of tobacco to
grow is that variety of leaf which is
most desired by the buyers. The farm
er raises his crop to sell, should there
fore raise that variety for which there
is the greatest demand. From the re-
Gently published statement, signed by
practically all the buyers in the state,
as we'll as many of the leading eastern
buyers, together with the universal
opinion expressed by the large repre-
sentative cigar manufacturers, it is
self-evident that the Comstock Span
ish and Connecticut Havana strains of
tobacco are by far the most highly
recommended throughout the state. In
this statement great emphasis was laid
on the fact that the growing of hybrid,
Silverleaf, and the many other varle-
ties of so-called "big seed' should be
discouraged as much as possible. One
of the Oldest and most prominent buy
ers in Wisconsin is authority for the
statement ''that 80 per cent Of the to-
bacco sold this year at stemming prices
is hybrid seed
It is noticed that Mr.. H. S. Pomeroy
is opposed to the practice Of bagglng
seed plants, and we infer that he does
not conform to this method. While to-
bacco is a self fertile plant, the liabil-
ity of cross fertilization is great, as
much so as is possible for various
breeds of cattle, herded in the same
lot, to cross, and produce mixed types
of individuals. Eminent scientists have
demonstrated the fact that tobacco is a
plant that can be inbred indefinitely.
year after year, and still maintain the
standard type. During our many years
experience as seed growers We have
learned that to produce pare seed,
where more than one variety is grown,
the process of bagging must be re-
sorted to.
Tobacco is a crop that requires, per-
haps, less expenditure of money, per
acre, for seed than any other. There
fore, the best is the cheapest, and the
prudent grower will select the best,
cleanest, purest, and most genuine of
that strain most highly recommended
by the buyers and manufacturers. This
must be done if Wisconsin is to again
become standardized as cigar leaf
producing state Buyers want .e
Comstock Spanish because OF its quail
ity, certainty of standing the sweat,
and because of its demand by the man
ufacturers.
w. T. POMERoY & Co.,
Originators, Growers and Dlstrlbut-
ors of the Comstock Spanish Seed.