The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1917-10-26
NOTE BOOK SKETCHES


later harvested tobacco and much of it
still hangs in the sheds almost as green
as when first cut. 1t has reached a
critical stage when from third to half
Of the crop can be rendered almost
worthless by freeze following drop
in temperature that is likely to come
any time now low enough to reach the
Interior of the curing sheds. What the
farmer can do to prevent such losses is
what is puzzling most growers. Some
have introduced artificial heat to their
sheds but so many of them have no
facilities for fires nor are adapted to
heating that the process cannot go
very far. Still another method re-
sorted to by some is to remove the
lath from the poles, stack them up in
bulks, allowing the green tobacco to
heat in the piles until quite hot and
even turning them if they commence
to rot. This method, while it involves
considerable extra work, will start the
curing wonderfully and may be the
means Of saving valuable leaf. If in
coming years the crop is as late in rip
ening as the last two seasons, growers
must look for some method of intro
ducing artificial heat in their curing
barns. In many Of the southern states
their tobacco is fire. cured in few days
after being harvested, though it is
different type Of tobacco than our cigar
leaf.
Conditions are such that the possi-
bility of further trade in tobacco be-
tween this country and Holland during
the continuance of the war is appar-
emily hanging in the balance. AS the
necessity for shipping grows greater
with the sailing of our troops and the
pressure of our allies to obtain the
arms, ammunition and supplies of all
kinds bought, paid for and awaiting
means of transportation, so the pres
sure upon this government to com
mandeer the ships of Holland laying in
our harbors with their cargoes rotting,
increases daily. Apparently this gov
ernment is not at all willing to permit
the sailing of vessels loaded with sup
plies the ultimate destination of which
is likely to be Germany, nor, having
the vessels within reach is it probable
that they will be allowed to sail away
with no likelihood of returning. On
the other hand, the Dutch want their
an impasse has been reached. 1t is
idle to discuss the various solutions of
the problem which have been presented
I,14 fn-
the United States Tobacco Journal cor
respondent can learn, that the situa-
tion will be changed soon. One ship
may be allowed to sail in each direc
ton and perhaps others from time to
time, at intervals, but it is not believ-
ed there will be any great movement.
While some American tobacco is thus
tied up in Holland, there is some Dutch
tobacco also tied up between Sumatra
and Amsterdam. The proposition of
the Dutch is that if the American gov
ernment will release their tobacco they
will permit Americans to ship the to-
bacco they own now stored in Holland;
otherwise there will be nothing doing
in the shipment of tobacco from Hol
land. Also the Dutch want to ship
some American hogshead leaf. The
American authorities, however, appear
to suspect that the ultimate destination
of the tobacco now here or under
American control elsewhere, is not
Holland but Germany, and are not
manifesting any great concern in hur-
rying it along.
Reports from the principal tobacco
sections of the Connecticut Valley indi-
cate that the farmers will profit more
this year than ever before. Roughly
estimated by the farmers themselves,
the value of the 1917 crop is about
$40, 900, 600 unheard Of prices having
been and still being paid the growers
this year because of the dearth of
wrapper tobacco now menacing the ci-
gar industry. 1t is estimated that more
than rs, 900 acres of tobacco was grown
in this state this season and that two
thirds was of the Havana seed variety.
Something over Is, 900 acres is the esti-
mate placed upon the shade-grown leaf
raised this year, such stock bringing a
conservatively-estimated price of be-
tween 35 and SO cents per pound. That
there would have been many more
acres planted this year in Connecticut
had it not been for Governor M. H.
Holcomb's proclamation and the State
Food Supply Committees urging the
farmers to plant foodstuffs, is undis-
puted. Although the tobacco crop suf-
fered somewhat from hail and frost,
the loss was nowhere near as great as
many reports would have it seem. OBJ
servation reveals the fact that the
broadleaf crop was very little damaged.
The greatest loss was caused through
the damage the Havana seed crop suf-
fered, but even this was not sufficient
ly great to cause any CONSERVATION. In
short, the 1917 crop, as whole, is the
finest produced in this district for
many, many years. That the growers
lose. nothing on the hail-struck or frost
nipped leaf is evident from the prices
they have been receiving for this to-
bacco. Buyers of such leaf have paid
as high as % cents a pound for 1t.
However, some of the growers figure
the total loss at from $3.50, 600 to ST.
600, coo : that is, the growers loss.
This may be conservative estimate.
hI1f If hor~11xy forx- of fna