The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1916-06-09
NOTE BOOK SKETCHES

Inc planting or the new TOBACCO crop
has been started in limited way dur
ing the week, but cool temperatures
have held back the growth of the plant
beds so that growers have better op-
portunity to fit the fields for trans
planting. Tobacco planting seldom be-
comes general in this state much be-
fore the 10Th of June which is consid-
cred an early enough date for this lati-
tude, for early planting rarely produces
a heavy yield. A crop that occupies
the field only from Is to 80 days US
ually has ample time to mature it
planted any time before July |. There
fore growers prefer not to rush the
crop out unless the size of the plants
is croWding them to do so. Scarcely
any complaint of shortage of plants is
heard this year, and few days Of
warm weather are only needed to see
general movement toward getting the
crop pitched in the fields. It is yet too
early to predict the probable acreage
in the state. So far the season has
been favorable to getting out about
the usual areas devoted to tobacco. In
some localities slight decrease is cer-
tain to be made, while in others mar
ket conditions will prompt some in
crease, but much will depend on how
successful the growers are in getting
the crop into the fields between the
dates mentioned.
Tobacco merchants returning from
the Sumatra sales in Holland bring the
information that low grade Wisconsin
leaf, when it can evade embargoes, war
blockade and landed in neutral ports,
finds ready market at as high fig
ure as 20 cents. This in measure ac-
counts for the unusual activity here
and the reason for the transfer Of sew
eral large blocks of low grade tobacco
bought originally for stemming pur-
poses the past few months, amounting
to several million pounds. 1t also ex-
plains the extreme scarcity of tobacco
among the natious now engaged in war
who are willing to pay two or three
times the usual price for their supplies
olr solace for the soldiers in the trench
It was the exporters in touch with the
conditions at home who were able to
reach across the ocean and make these
deals that are sure to bring profit to
both the seller and merchant handling
them. The great draw back so far to
this export opening has been the ina
bility to get ocean freight carriage
from seaboard, where thousands of cases
are still stored awaiting movement. A
local firm only few days ago were ad-
vised of the forwarding of shipment
which has been lying at Baltimore
since early in December last.
***
Prosperity has hit the tobacco men
Of Porto Rico. What the growers and
dealers describe as the sscraziest" mar
ket they have ever known has almost
entirely cleaned up the islands tobacco
crop at prices which have been the
highest during the past ten years.
Shortage in production, together with
an unexpected demand, which the old
buyers in the market say they cannot
understand, are given as the causes of
| the high prices. Whatever the reason,
| it is estimated that these high prices
have netted the growers or the middle
| men something like three or four mil
lion dollars more than the crop was
| figured to be worth before the buying
commenced. Before harvest it was es-
| timated that this years crop would
amount to eighteen or twenty million
pounds. Instead it dropped down to
| twelve million, and as result, in order
| to provide for their usual requirements,
manufacturers of cigars in the island
have been compelled to go into the
| market and bid against outsiders for
the tobacco which ordinarily they
bought at pretty much their own fig
ures.
***
By a recent court decision handed
down by the United States District
court at New Haven, Conn.,, in the
case as to whether or not the wrapper
for little cigars made by the Tobacco
Production Co. was paper or tobacco,
| it was declared that the material was
| tobacco. Prior to the commissioner
agreeing upon said state of facts, he.
sent Mr.. Snyder, the head OF the to-
| baeco division, to the plant of the To-
bacco Production Co. at New Milford,
Conn.,, and thoroughly examined the
process by which it's product is made,
and reported to the Commissioners. The
| result of this report was that one of
! the agreed facts in the statement was
| that the product of the Tobacco Pro