The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1916-09-29

NOTE BOOK SKETCHES



There seems to be a general disposi-
tion among the tobacco dealers to deal
fairly with the growers who were un-
fortunate in having portion of their
crops damaged by the late freeze.
Buyers have visited the farms and
made such compromises as could be
agreed upon for the frosted portion,
with the understanding that the sound
portion of the leaf shall be kept sep
arate in the stripping, which is expect
ed to simplify the work of asserting
and packing the crop. Where the con-
tracts called for the delivery of sound
tobacco little difficulty is experienced
in arriving at a satisfactory price for
the frosted leaf, and the matter is a
closed book as far as the grower is con-
cerned and relieves him of any anxiety
over this subject in the future.
The most comforting thing that can
come to the Wisconsin tobacco growers
that were caught by the frost is that
the price Of low grade leaf promises to
be exceptionally good this year. When
the stemmers will offer up from to 10
cents for frosted leaf, figure never
before reached, the salvage helps Won
derfully in taking the sting out of the
disaster, for these figures promise to
net something over the cost of produc-
tion Growers were therefore justified
in harvesting the frozen portion of the
crop, and though the yield may not
come up to expectations the receipts
may equal those obtained from sound
tobacco in some recent years.
~
Hail insurance on tobacco expired by
limitation of policy on September 18th.
The record of the Hartford ms. Co.,
which carried the risks on the 1916
crop in Wisconsin this season, show it
has settled 145 claims covering Oil
acres, through Henry Johnson S agency.
While the losses were considerably less
than year ago, the balance sheet will
show that the company has barely
played even this season on this class of
RISKS, to say nothing about making up
portion Of the $4,000 loss of q year
ago. Whether the company will con-
tinue to write hail insurance on tobacco
in the future is somewhat of ques-
tion. 1t has been largely an expert
ment so far.
-
IF all this rush to secure the new
crop in the growing states is forecast
of short supply of cigar leaf, why is
it that the old stock in dealers hands
is not more eagerly sought after? The
eastern markets complain that old stock
is not selling and more leaf is disposed
of by country dealers than at the CEN
ters of trade. This may be true, but
holders of cured tobacco are not over
burdened with orders, is fact well
known. Heretofore whenever theer
was a shortage of leaf impending the
country districts have been thoroughly
combed before the news got fairly cir
cuated. There are some things about
the present market that are extremely
puzzling.
The freezing of our crops the latter
part of last week and Sunday night
was typical of all else pnrely mundane.
There is always the bitter with the
sweet. We have had summer of al
most ideal weather, crops were excel
lent and the prices exceptionally high.
The bubble of wealth was almost with
in our reach but fate interviewed and
the bubble burst. We will have to
start over again, but who knows but
there isn't as much satisfaction in seek
ing as in having. In the former we
have the ideal and in the latter the
real, and no real ever came up to the
ideal. -Deerfeld News.
Not so bad as that. The higher
prices which growers will be able to
get for their frosted tobacco, figure
as high as the average of the IA to-
bacco crop, protects the grower against
any great loss from the frost. While
the receipts may fall below expecta-
tions of growers whose tobacco was
frozen, the balance sheet of the year
will show no deficit on the tobacco ac-
count and doubtless an average profit
equal to other years. And go to 70 per
cent of the growers were not hit by
the frost at all, and these will partici-
pate in one of the fat years when to-
bacco was king.
***
Cigarettes sold by American manu-
facturers for the calendar year to Aug
ust 1st aggregated 13, 465, 600, ,0Oo, show
s.,a.--S--l Of 40 10 cont