The Robesonian. [volume] (Lumberton, N.C.) 1870-current, 1917-01-08
TOBACCO OUTLOOK FOR 1917

Billy" BransfOrd Gives Reasons for
Thinking Prices Will be Good for
the Weed This Year-Best Time
to Burn Plant Beds
To the Editor of The Robesonian:.
With New Years greetings; ana
best wishes for prosperous year..
l am enclosing you togacco article
"hlth | will appreciate very much
Il you will publish in your next is
sue. On the close of the old year
| and the ushering in of the New Year.
thought tobacco letter through
/ Ncdid be timely ard appreciated by
our many patrons and friends Of
p, Roaeson county.
The time has come around again
when We will be casting about and
planning for the New Years work
and if l were on the ground In nv
home town of Lumberton I would
be interrogated by many about the
outlook for the tobacco crop for the
i year 1917, whether or not it viii
pay to plant or increase the crop
| in the face of high price for cotton.
Allow me to suggest in answer to
5 all such questions: Don't put all your
J eggs in one basket. Have two or
= more, and should you let fall your
: cotton basket you will have others
], to fall back upon,
ii What about the tobacco outlook for
e good prices, etc., FOR 1917? Let me
n say from my personal knowledge of
\ facts and figures in the tobacco
j world, the outlook is very bright and
: encouraging for good paying prices
!. for the next crop, if not as high as
:. the last crop. 1t will pay any farm
e er to plant what tobacco he can
d make good and take care of nicely
e While l realize that cotton has been
IL very high, tobacco has been higher,
p bringing more money per acre than
d 20-cent cotton. While the price of
le cotton has made big tumble, to-
W On all the markets the general floor
pound for all grades, including
to scraps-higher than it has been =
I'd % years. Our farmers up here. o.,
oecially those who planted some to-
D. bacco, were never in better financial
Il. fix than now.
If 1t is said by some of the smart
W ones that the war has caused high
t prices on all commodities. Possibly
re so. l know it has been very detri-
re mental to the tobacco trade. the
IS English government having put an
IN embargo on tobacco, which had a
& tendency to hurt the trade very
Is much; and yet in the face of all the
e; setbacks to the trade, prices have
Ia not been higher, as / have said, in
IN 70 years. The short crop of course
1t has had something to do with the
s high prices. as supply and demand
4 always will have, vet the pounds
in are not so very far behind the 1915
is crop.
30 Why do l think the prices for the
II ensuing crop will be good? The
le most important fact to bear me out
is that all the manufacturers and
g leaf dealers are runnino on full time
re and some on double time, ard the
ii output of manufactured goods was
never larger. Why, we have up here
lie one plant that manufactures Co.
2 OOO,OOO pounds yearly, working TO-
4 600 employees. Think of it!
to In my judgment prices will be good
e in all events. Should the war end
at before the next crop prices win be
is higher than they are now. So the
r wise ones should sit up and take
re notice
~ Don't be in too big hurry about
,e, burning your plant beds. If not
burnt too early you are apt to miss
re the February freezes, should we
s. have them. The best time to burn,
is and in plenty time, is from January
IS to February LIST.
he Returning to nv Lumberton home
ee, again soon, l shall be glad to serve
y you in any way I can. Wishing to
=, all PROSPEROUS year,
st, E. o. fBILLY) BRANSFORD.
I'd Sanford. N. C.
1e Dec. 26, 1916