The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1917-09-21
NOTE BOOK SKETCHES


!:
1t seems likely that when the re-
turnssare all in that the frosts of the
second week of September have proven
more damaging in the cigar leaf grow
ing states than any previous disaster
of its kind. The cold wave spread
across the entire country to the Allan
tic coast, covering all the tobacco
growing territories north of the Ohio
river, and frosts were as severe in New
England as in Wisconsin, while the in
tervening districts of Ohio, New York
and Pennsylvania likewise suffered. 1t
is sosrare that the first frosts cover so
widespread areas and the injury to
growing crops reaches such magni-
tude that it cannot be viewed anything
less than calamity. Coming, too, in
a year when.the market stood greatly
in need of full crop of cigar leaf to-
baccos, the situation is vastly more
complicated And as regards the bind
er producing states it is especially crit
ical, for the surplus stock of binder
goods has long since been absorbed. It
is hardly probable that the Wisconsin
1917 crop will yield over third its
usual amount of desirable binder leaf
and with the New England states max
ingza not much better showing, cigar
manufacturers will find themselves
squarely up against hard proposition
for the coming year at least or until
another full crop can be produced.
Their only recourse seems to be to use
whatever can be obtained without much
regard to quality, and the low grades
may even have to be drawn upon to
supply the deficiency. To help meet
the unprecedented shortage of binder
stock it is imperative that every bit of
leaf that can in any way be construed
to meet the needs of manufacturers be
sorted for binders this year. The OBJ
lection to short lengths or even broken
leaves can hardly be raised when there
issno choice in the matter Necessity
knows no rules.
***
The Cincinnati Tobacco Product Co.
is contemplating something entirely
new in the trade. 1t has secret pro-
cess whereby it will convert tobacco
stems into usable raw material for
smoking and chewing tobacco. 1t is
understood the process includes soak
ing, rolling and shredding of the to-
bacco stems. 1t is said after the stems
have been put through the new pro-
cess it is all that can be desired either
for long-cut or flake tobacco. When it
is considered up until now that tobacco
stems only have been salable as fertil
izer, some idea of the possibilities to
be realized for the new process can be
obtained.
predicting famine in wrapper leaf as
binder tobaccos. The Sumatra imports
during the fiscal year 1857 show a
reduction of 2, 500, 900 pounds. On June
30 of 1916 our tobacco warehouses had
stock on hand of 6,992, 1913 pounds.
Adding this quantity to the impcrta.
tions during the year, there was total
of 10, 934, 1874 pounds of wrapper leaf at
the American cigar industry's disposal
for the past year. There remained,
however, in bond on June 30th last
only 1854, ,227 pounds which, deducted
from the total, leaves a balance of
6, 349, 907 pounds as the quantity with
drawn from the bonded warehouses and
passed into consumption. This quantity
is tantamount to 81, 900 bales which de-
notes the amount actually consumed by
the cigar industry during the last fiscal
year. AS but half the quantity OF Su-
matra was imported during the past
fiscal year by comparison with the total
importation of the year previous, it is
evident that the cigar industry will be
short from Is, 900 to Is, 900 bales of i'm
ported Sumatra wrapper leaf, not
counting the inevitable increase of SUI
matra consumption due to increased
cigar production. But for the timely
dCClOu TAKEN Oy the OuIHdCTd 1OUdCCo
Import Corporation the cigar industry
would have faced a genuine Sumatra
famine.
The enormous totals of cigar and to-
bacco production during the fiscal year
1916-1917, never before exceeded OF
even approached, should serve as ire
futable proof of the great prosperity
of our tobacco industries and when such
unprecedented demand for all kinds OF
tobacco products is recorded it should
be taken as further indication of ar
ever-growing clientele of smokers and
of an ever-increasing demand for to.
bacco products. Why, then, should
either the manufacturer or retailer
worry about possible damming of the
rapids of their sales? Increased vol
ume must certainly have left profit
enough to meet increased expenses ano
| if expenses are to be still more in.
| creased to meet additional taxes ane