The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1915-07-30
NOTE BOOK SKETCHES

& NOTE BOOK SKETCHES !:
The first hail storm of the season
likely to work any damage to the grow
ing tobacco crop covered small sec
tion of Dane and Rock counties We'd
nesday evening. There was such
variation in the severity of the storm
and so much Of the crop of small plants
that the aggregate damage cannot fig
ure much in the total of the crop in
general. Hail insurance, which is be-
ing written in this state for the first
time in some years, furnished quite a
few growers in the track of the storm
the protection they were fortunate in
having and it enabled an opportunity
for the farmers to learn what kind of
adjustments they were likely to receive
from the company when they were
called upon to pay losses.
-
On at least three instances the grow
ers got quick returns on their money
invested in such insurance. These pol
icies were written on July 20. On the
evening of the 21st the hail occurred
and the day following satisfactory ad-
justments were made and the farmers
given drafts for their money. Such
prompt action on the part of the lnsur-
ance company will go good ways to-
wards inducing other growers to take
out indemnity against hail, for the sea-
son is Just at hand now when the to-
bacco stands most in need of such pro-
lection, for the schedule of losses in
creases as the crop nears the harvest
time. Nothing will make this indem-
nifty popular so much as prompt and
satisfactory adjustments of losses sus-
tanned, which the Hartford Insurance
Co. soliciting the insurance claim will
be done.
Reports are published of the terrific
hail storm which swept the COnnectl-
cut valley tobacco belt July 13, damag-
ing the crop from $500, 600 to $3.50, 600.
In Suffield alone more than one thou
sand acres are affected, of which fully
five hundred acres are total loss and
will be plowed under Not more than
one-fourth or one-fifth of the loss is
covered by hail insurance. AS it is,
however, several of the hail insurance
companies have already paid out in set
tlement of claims arising from the
storm an amount in excess of the
premiums received this season. The
hail storm of June rs caused loss of
$40, 900 to $50, 900 and hail insurance
will be proftless business this year,
albeit the growers are loud in their
praises of hail insurance. A decided
increase in hail insurance rates next
season is forecasted by more than
quarter of million hail damage in two
storms before the season is half over.
A shortage and an advance in price
of Turkish tobacco is predicted by those
familiar with conditions in southern
Europe. Owing to the war it is diff
cult to make shipments even when pur-
chases are made. Unless the war ends
soon or unless the Dardanelles are
taken by the Allies, the situation in the
tobacco leaf market will be extremely
interesting before long. Turkish to-
bacco, so called, is that raised in Mace
donia and adjacent places, most of
which are now parts of Greece. To-
baccos used in connection with Mace
donia leaf are raised on the southern
shore of the Black Sea in Asia Minor
from Samsun east and on the north
shore of that sea, in Russia, from Sc
bastopol east. Egypt gets three-fourths
of it's supply normally from the Black
Sea, and owing to the war not pound
can be had from that section, although
the 1914 crop was ample. Farmers
along the Black Sea have their whole
crop on hand, and whereas they got 70
cents pound for it in the field year
ago, they cannot get 5 cents pound
now. In Bulgaria the same condition
of market blockade prevails. Tobacco
manufacturers are facing the peculiar
condition that they are liable at any
time to have sudden collapse In the
price of leaf tobacco or an equally sud-
den advance. The fall Of the Darden-
elles would bring the Black Sea supply
in, whereas peace would cause a sharp
advance by making it possible for Aus
tria and Germany to replenish stocks.
In few months certain brands or cl-
garettes cannot be manufactured unless
the situation is relieved, because the
leaf cannot be obtained at any price.
It is pleasure to note that move
ment is now we'll under way that prom
ises to lead to complete revolution in
the manner of handling tobacco stats
tics and not only the more speedy COM
pilation of returns, but the presenta-
tion of all statistics through one cen
trail authority, so that in order to OBJ
tain such information it will no longer
be necessary to communicate with hall
a dozen bureaus scattered through sew
eral departments. Just how the plans