The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1916-03-31

NOTE BOOK SKETCHES

Inc I@IluciiCV Ol dll SeSU pldLtS ~
run out and deteriorate from continual
cropping seems to be well accepted
fact based on the law of nature. Es-
pecially is this true in greater meas
ure of tobacco. Experience demon
strates that the varieties of tobacco
lose their distinctive character by the
continual planting of the same seed
year after year. AS it costs no.more
to grow good variety of leaf than a
poor, farmers have come to recognize
the folly Of planting degenerate seed.
There are number of careful growers
in every, tobacco state who make it a
business of propagating pure varieties
Of tobacco seed which can be obtained
at convenient places of sale. The cost
Of seed for crop is so trifing that
most growers prefer to buy their sup
ply from reliable sources rather than
employ the care necessary to raise pure
seed. The Importance therefore of
pure, reliable seed cannot be overesti-
mated it is the first step to successful
tobacco growing, and to our notion
poor seed is one of the causes for the
production Of so much low grade leaf
in the state the past few years. Be
especially careful to start right and
sow your plant beds with the varieties
of seed the prospective buyers desire
you to use. Most growers will know
the character of leaf most sought after
when the buyers enter the field. They
are acquainted with the names of the
growers who invariably get the top
prices for their tobacco.
The German tobacco market of which
Hamburg is the center, had large sup
plies Of tobacco on hand when the war
began, but these were used up about a
year ago, and since then Germany has
been obliged to depend chiefly upon
such tobacco as came in from Holland.
In addition to the increase caused by
the rise in Dutch exchange, there may
be still further advances because there
is talk of a higher duty upon tobacco in
all forms.
81 Know there is prejudice against
using tobacco stalks as tobacco fer
tilizer, =. says. DR.. jenkins OF the. New
Haven experiment station. Ii the
stalks are put whole under the furrow
I can see they might decay too slowly
and soSforce the crop in growth when
it should be ripening off. If, however,
they can be cut and broadcast before
blowing under, / do not believe they
willTinjure the quality of the tobacco.
The stalks from an acre will ordinarily
supply 80 pounds nitrogen, z pounds
phosphoric acid and As to SO pounds
potash. AS noted, the stalks are rich
in potash, which is so scarce this
spring" DR.. Jenkins points out the
Importance, of getting the stalks de-
composed promptly. Possibly grinding
them to aid in rapid disintegration in
the soil would be worth while. Fer
tilizer experts generally are advising
farmers not to buy fertilizers with l
per cent potash.
The House of Representatives will
soon take up the agricultural approprl-
alton bill, which provides for contlnu-
ing the work of investigation relative
to the tobacco industry. Over $27, OOO
is appropriated in one item OF the Dill
for use in improving the methods OF
tobacco production and handling. The
report of the commissioner OF agrlcui-
ture says in part: Under this Item
are investigated the problems OF grow
ing, curing, fermentlng and handllng
tobacco. Important features OF the
work are the Improvement in yield and
quality of the crop through breeding
and selection, the development OF prop
er systems of rotation, studies OF the
special fertilizer requirements or the
various types, and the Improvement OF
methods of curing and fermentlng. The
Investigations also include laboratory
studies of the chemistry, physiology
and pathology of the tobacco plant. :"
The agricultural bill carries an appro-
priation of $64, 900 for Investigations OF
tobacco insects, including the cigarette
beetle.
Germany's new war taxation meas
ure has been announced, in which it in
dicates that the tax on tobacco can be
and will be materially increased with
out bringing the burden on tobacco
users up to the level prevailing either
in Great Britain or France. The to-
bacco imports in Germany during 1912
yielded 273 pfennigs per capita OF pop
ulation, as compared with 628 pfennigs
in England and 7768 pfennigs in France;
The tax on cheap inland tobaccos will
be light compared with that on import
ed tobacco, and there will be an IN
creased stamp tax on cigarettes.
Tobacco growing in Minnesota has
assumed sufficient proportions in recent
years as an industry, in the opinion of
experts at the agricultural college OF
the state university, to be the subject
of special bulletin. According to the
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