The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1916-04-14
NOTE BOOK SKETCHES


The question of the cost of raising
an acre of tobacco has always been one
of varying estimates according to local.
ity or the person who does the figuring.
There is reason to believe, however,
that when the 1916 crop is ready for
market we shall have pretty accurate
basis of knowing what the maximum
cost is of growing tobacco in Wiscon-
sin. mir. George Gary of Madison,
state representative of the P. Lorillard
Co., has set about to determine just
what The actual figures will arrive at
Ne has set aside 20 acres of his farm
near Windsor for this purpose. The
crop will be charged with every item
that enters into the cost in a strict
bookkeeping account. After setting
aside a liberal rental for the field, fer
tilizers will be purchased at the mar
ket price (including two carloads Of
sheep manure shipped in from the Ed
gerton feeding yards), and every step
in labor account from the seed beds to
the bundled crop will be carefully ac
counted for. Mr.. Gary thinks it is
worth while to know just what pound
of tobacco can be produced for at out
side figures, when the present high
price of day labor is an element. The
result of this experiment will be anx-
iously waited for by those who wish to
see mooted question settled.
-
From news item we learn that a
number of farmers about Stoughton
contemplate cutting down their tobacco
acreage this season and enlarging their
dairy business. This is good news. #
there is any place in the state where
growers need to cut their tobacco acre
age, it is few townships about Slough
ton, and we hope nothing will prevent
their doing it. There are too many 20
and 40 acre tobacco growers in that
section that have been selling their
product at low grade prices the past
few years. Less acres and better at
tention to the fertility of the fields,
better cultivation and care in handling
the crop would yield the farmer more
profits. The reputation of Wisconsin
leaf would be vastly improved if such
rrowers carry out their threats. The
one sure thing is that good tobacco will
have an excellent market next fall.
Low grade leaf seldom rises above
fixed prices.
Would you spend about one cent a
square foot of seed bed to get strong,
healthy and early maturing tobacco
plants and, at the same time, do away
with the necessity of spending much
time and effort in wedding the beds?
Many Wisconsin farmers are spending
this amount in steaming their seed beds
and are finding it paying investment.
A threshing machine. engine, galvan-
lied iron pan, and hose to connect
them is all the equipment that is nee
essary and, with the exception of the
steaming pan, can be obtained in prac-
tically any agricultural community.
Threshermen and other owners of trac-
tion engines often can be induced to
rent their engines for the purpose and
in this way more growers are able to
provide themselves with more vigorous
plants. These precautions and sugges-
tions are given farmers who expect 10
steam plant beds for the first time this
year, by James Johnson of the College
of Agriculture, Madison, who will be
glad to aid in any possible manner in
furthering the work. "Have your seed
bed soil we'll prepared before steaming,
in order that it may be disturbed as
little as possible after steaming. The
soil should be moist, but not too dry or
too wet when steaming. Do not be in
too much of hurry to SOW on steamed
soil. Too early sowing may bring
plants before you want them for trans
planting. Do not SOW seed as thlckly
as you would on unsteamed soil. The
steamed soil sometimes dries out sooner
on the surface than unsteamed SOIL A
couple of extra waterings should take
care of these until after the plants are
rooted. Do not worry if your plants
come on very slowly the first week or
two. The first effect of Bteaming is
usually slight check before the full
benefit results.
Persons who are employed to buy
leaf tobacco for dealers, who serve ex-
clusively one house, and do not trans
act in their own name a tobacco deal
ing business, are not regarded as leaf
dealers, according to the Internal Rev
enue Bureaus recent decision. Accord
ingly such agents or buyers are not re-
quired to comply with the regulations
for the keeping of books or for regis
tration, as are the regular leaf dealers.
This decision reverses the act of local
revenue collectors in some districts,
where attempts had been made to en-
force agents to comply with the same
rules as are leaf dealers.
C.