The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1917-08-03
NOTE BOOK SKETCHES

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If one was to predict a month ago
that the 1917 tobacco crop would have
been taken over under buyers con-
tracts before the fields had reached a
topping stage, at unheard of prices,
they would be subject to inquiry as to
their sanity. But the unexpected so
often happens in the tobacco transac-
tions that it creates less interest in
business circles than almost any other
product. The writer has been con-
vinced for several months that the
present market conditions would very
likely promote field buying of the pres
ent crop, but we were also well aware
that the growers generally were op-
posed to naming price until they were
assured they would have something to
sell. The conclusion, therefore, among
those familiar with these conditions
was that it would require an unusual
amount of hammering to start the mar
ket before the crop developed suffic-
iently to indicate what the harvest
might be expected to yield. 1t has
been season, however, when all such
predictions have been ruthlessly thrust
aside and when the break came it was
action such as puts the thrills into the
movies and mighty prompt action at
that which set the buying movement
into the fiercest campaign ever seen in
this state.
*k*
No forest fires ever swept the north
woods more rapidly than has the buy
ers cleaned up the tobacco growing dis
tricts the past ten days. With buyers
posted at every cross road and no limit
as to prices, whole streets were clean
ed up in few hours. And prices all
the tine advanced as the race became
more furious. Before the end of the
week buyers were paying or 10 cents
more than the week previous until the
25 cent mark had been reached and Is
per cent of crop estimated at fifty
million pounds had been lifted. The
buyer who motored through district
offering Is to 18 cents for the most
promising crops found he only shook
the tree for the next buyer who fol-
lowed in his wake to gather the fruit
at very slight advance. 1t is be-
lieved the high point has been reached
and the balance can hardly be expected
to go much cheaper for the big oper-
ators will see to it that no one coming
later into the field will be permitted to
lower their cost of packing. The
history Of other years is that when
three quarters of the crop has been
bought at high prices the balance will
be gathered in at prevailing figures
providing of course the quality and con-
dition of the remaining crops will war
rant it. The outstanding fact remains
that the largest tobacco crop ever
planted in Wisconsin has been practic-
ally sold at the highest prices ever re-
allied by the farmers of this state.
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The question next arises, have not
the buyers badly over-reached in their
mad scramble to control the present
crop? Have they purchased binders or
B stock? The crop is yet a full month
or six weeks away from the harvest
and every thing that can happen to ruin
the prospects for desirable crop of
tobacco may yet overtake it. A week
of hot winds and torrid weather that
has prevailed since the buying COM
menced has begun to show its wither-
ing effects upon the fields in shooting
an early bud upon plants not having
much spread of leaf. The harvest is
now upon the farmers and help so
scarce they can scarcely give the fields
the proper cultivation needed in drouth
times. But rain and cooler weather
are needed to maintain even normal
conditions. So the outcome of crop
that was coming along splendidly until
ten days ago is hanging in the balance
at this writing. If losses do come the
grower is far better protected than
ever before for with many contracts
the buyers have assumed all risks fol-
lowing the date of the agreement. If
the early buying of the 1917 crop tends
to make the growers more careless in
the topping, suckering, harvesting and
caring for their tobacco, then another
error must be charged up to the dam
gers of field buying and the penalty
dearly paid for.
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If the heated spell has produced a
tendency to shoot an early budding OF
the plants before sufficient spread of
leaf has been attained, it has beer sug-
gested that the plants be topped at
once before the blossom spike has