The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1916-07-07
NOTE BOOK SKETCHES


With the 1916 tobacco crop now safe
ly planted and past the critical period
of transition from the beds to the
fields, growers can scarcely remember
a season where this work has been
done more expeditiously or under more
favorable weather conditions than the
present one. After the close of the
rainy season of the first week of the
planting the soil was so deeply satur-
ated that there has been little or no
difficulty to secure an almost perfect
stand in the fields, requiring but very
little resetting compared with other
years. The ground was in such fine
condition, too, that the young plants
lost but little time in getting rooted in
the fields. so that the crop is now well
started with an even growth. The
outlook therefore at the present writ
ing is as favorable as often seen at this
date in Wisconsin.
The crop has been planted under
such favorable conditions that it is al
most cirtain that full intended acre
age in most localities is out which will
probably not vary much from that of
last year which was slightly under that
of 1914. What the crop needs most
now is thorough and frequent cultiva-
ton to keep the fields steadily coming
on. If rains are not frequent enough
stirring of the soil will help to conserve
the loss of moisture beneath. If the
plants get good deep roofing now
they are in. better shape to stand
drouth later on. Growers need not
lose the advantage of an early start if
proper attention is given the crop.
~
The recent ruling of the treasury de-
partment requiring importers of tobac-
co to state in the invoice, which must
be verified upon oath, the kind, quality,
actual cost, market value of the tobac-
co, declaring also whether each bale is
filler, mixed or wrapper, is causing
considerable trouble to Havana import
ers, including the importing merchants
sad the manufacturers who buy their
tobacco in Cuba and import it. The
ruling on the face of it is innocent
enough and reasonable. Those who
know however, that it is impossible for
the importer to know so accurately the
contents of given bale, realize some
thing of the burden that the rigid en-
forcement of the ruling will place upon
the industry. The principal difficulty
comes, however, from the anomalous
clause in the law which has been con-
strued by the courts to mean that a
bale containing over fifteen per cent.
wrapper tobacco is wrapper bale and
must pay wrapper duty upon its entire
contents. Anyone familiar with the
practices that obtain in the packing
houses of Cuba knows how utterly i'm
possible it is for any one to speak as to
the contents of bale of tobacco, with
the degree of definiteness that is nee
essary to meet the above requirements.
The grower has everything to lose
and mighty little to gain by contract
ing his growing crop for future deliv-
cry. 1t always works out this way; if
prices are high at harvest, the buyer
insists upon having the whole crop con-
tracted for and at the price stated.
On the other hand if prices are off and
the market weak, the buyer finds
fault, says the crop is not as repre-
sented, that it is not up to grade, that
it is of inferior quality, and therefore
he will reject it entirely or accept it
only at his own price. We have never
seen any form Of contract, verbal,
written or printed, for the buying of
tobacco in the field weeks before har-
vest, that was 50 worded as to afford
the grower the protection such as any
sensible business man would insistupon.
Our advice to growers is not to commit
themselves or enter into any such con-
tracts. If you harvest good crop in
good condition, and cure it we'll so that
it goes into the bundle in good shape,
you certainly will get good price. On
the other hand, if it is off in quality in
any way by the time it is bundled or
sorted, the buyer who contracted for it
practically has you at his mercy
N. E. Homestead.
***
A great many honest men believe
that tobacco is not necessity, and
yet tobacco is one of the 'swar babies
and the governments at war are furn-
ishing their soldiers and sailors with
ample quantities of it. The largest to-
bacco transportation contract in history
has recently been closed, and it pro-
vides for carrying $4,000, 900 pounds
from this country to France during the
months of July and August. The to-
bacco comes from Kentucky, and it |
will be shipped in hogsheads, of which |
there will be 1000 the total shipment |
weighing IL, 700 tons. The tobacco is