The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1916-03-03
NOTE BOOK SKETCHES


1t the tobacco growers OF tnlS SIdle
expect to obtain the full beneflt OF
what points to an excellent market for
the 1916 crop, they ought to begin right
by obtaining supply of the best seed
to be found, regardless of cost. Try
and find out the class of tobacco the
buyers are most eager for to supply the
binder trade and then try and procure
it. The seed has much to do In deter
mining the quality of the crop, so 1T is
highly important that only reliable va
rieties are used. There is plenty OF
good seed to be had from people who
make it practice Of propagating the
improved varieties, so there need be
little excuse for continuing the use OF
ssany old kind" farmers may have in
their possession. Conditions were never
better for securing remunerative prices
for the coming crop of Wisconsin to-
bacco, providing we produce a desir-
able binder leaf By the time another
cropis grown every bit of old leaf is
likely to be out of the market and the
manufacturers with smaller stocks on
hand than ever before known. Such a
prospect for revival of the growing
industry was seldom if ever before pre-
sented. We trust our growers will not
fail to take advantage of it.
With regard to the British proclama-
tion prohibiting the importation of leaf
tobacco and tobacco manufactures,
which has been confirmed in official re-
ports from London to the state depart
ment at Washington, the understand
ing there, based on unofficial reports,
is that the present British intention is
to reduce imports by about one-thlrd;
that there is now two years supply
of tobacco, 279, 900, 900 pounds, on hand
in the United Kingdom; that one rea-
son for checking imports is because to-
bacco is bulky article and the space
it might occupy aboard ships is needed
for other imports; that the Imperial
Tobacco Co. is not expected to stop
buying tobacco as yet, though this plan
may be upset by projected British
government prohibition against the
transfer of money to pay for articles
on the list of prohibited imports; that
the result may be slump in prices re-
allied by the American tobacco grow
erS.
It is not only the corn growers who
in6order to be sure of crop must test
their seed before, planting. According
to reports which are being received
from farmers and experiment station
workers, it will be just as necessary to
take great care in testing the tobacco
seed which is to be sown this spring.
Investigations into the termination
power Of the tobacco seed on hand in
Wisconsin at the present time will be
under way in short time. Farmers
who do not have the proper facilities
to make thorough test of their seed
may secure help by applying to the
horticultural department of the Agri-
cultural Experiment Station, Madison.
Studies in tobacco diseases will be car
ried on again this summer by James
Johnson Of the College of Agriculture.
He will cooperate with growers in
some of the southern counties. Mr..
Johnson has just returned from Wash.
ington, D.. c., where for several months
he has been engaged in special research
work in this line.
-.
In an address before the recent
meeting of the New England Tobacco
Growers association, Director Brooks
of the Massachusetts Experiment Sta
tion gave an interesting talk on fer
tilizers. Mr.. Brooks touched upon the
1915 crop and said that his staff had
delved deeply into the causes of the
poor tobacco crops last year. His as
sistants. he said, had found that on old
tobacco soil the roots were unable to
reach available fertilizer because of
excessive rainfall late in the season.
Mr.. Brooks was of the opinion that
these roots had been stunted in the
early stages of growth as result of
the unusually cold and dry weather
which prevailed at planting time. Mr..
Brooks admitted that this did not prove
that the fertilizer had been washed
away, but simply that the plants did
not get any benefit from it. The fer
tilizer problem this year is compli-
Gated one because potash salts can not
be imported and are obtainable only at
prohibitive prices. Nitrate of soda has
advanced in price and acid phosphate
has gone higher because sulphuric acid
is in demand by munitions manufactur-
ers. In the opinion of Mr.. Brooks the
situation was less serious than it
seemed because of the undeniably large
amount Of fertilizer left in the soil
from previous years of excessive fer
tilization. Some of the best crops last
year, he said, were raised on land on
which comparatively small amount OF
fertilizer was used. Thorough cultiva-