The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1918-08-23
NOTE BOOK SKETCHES


s..&s..s.s..:.
The new tobacco crop has been max
ing such wonderful recovery since rains
have supplied the needed moisture and
the advent of cooler weather has pro-
noted spready growth that, barring
hail from this on, it can almost safely
be predicted that Wisconsin will har-
vest one of the largest binder crops the
state has ever produced. So far up to
the present time the damage to the
growing crop from hail has been less
than the average of other years. In a
few sections grasshoppers have been
doing some injury but even this pest is
not as plentiful as some other seasons.
so generally speaking, the crop prom
ises to be an unusually sound one. The
later fields are now coming forward so
rapidly they promise large, quickly
grown leaf especially suitable for bind
er purposes. If the growers can be
prevailed upon to permit their tobacco
to thoroughly ripen before cutting and
keep their fields we'll suckered, which
will help mature the plants, there is
every reason to believe they will be
able to market an excellent crop of to-
bacco and highly remunerative price
will be paid for it.
-
The news reaches us that at meet
ing Of the large operators held at La
Crosse last week the proposition to ex-
tend the agreement not to resume
buying until the crop was harvested
failed to carry. A representative of a
large buyer of Wisconsin told the meet
ing he would not be bound by any
agreement that prevented him from
keeping his men in the field or buying
whenever he found desirable tobacco.
This was taken by others to mean that
the price prevailing in the early cam
paign would be the established one for
the northern sections. All were ready
to admit that the figures seemed to be
the maximum they would feel war
ranted in paying and they saw little
chance to secure reduction on pur-
chases made in those counties. The
situation simply illustrates how an ILL
advised field buying campaign can
bse9ve a mighty expensive experiment
to the packers, but as the growers are
the benefciaries of their mistakes no
complaint need be registered even
though they will receive 8 or 10 cents
more pound than they ever expected.
N**
If it proves that the price of the 1918
crop is already established and the es-
timated yield predicted August 1st by
the department of agriculture of 70
million pounds in the state is realized,
some one must dig up close to 20 mil
lion dollars to move the present crop in
Wisconsin. This is nearly double the
cost of any previous crop grown in the
state. Divide this sum among about
1000 estimated tobacco growers in
the state and it makes an average re-
turn of 81, 900 to each farmer produc-
ing tobacco. The writer went on rec
ord months ago with the prediction
that 1918 was the banner year for to-
bacco growing and it has come true.
Bring on your Liberty loans, Y. M. c..
A. drives, for the farmers will first be
in condition to meet them all.
~
The General Cigar company has pur-
chased the four large cigar factories
operated for several years by the
Wayne Cigar company of Detroit. The
Wayne factories have been producing
cigars at the rate of $50, 600, 900 a year
and this purchase brings the General
Cigar company's output to $50, 900, 900
cigars annually. This acquisition brings
the number of plants controlled by the
General Cigar company up to SO. The
company has government orders aggre-
eating several million cigars.
-
Tobacco exports from the Amster-
dam consular district to the United
States declined greatly in 1917. Only
], 439, ,261 pounds, valued at ST., 968, 358,
were shipped, against 5,772, 763 pounds,
valued at So, 634, 974, in 1916. A large
part of the tobacco purchased by Amer
leans was loaded on the Dutch steam
ers Maasdyk and Poeldyk, but these
steamers, ready for sailing for many
months, were detained by the Dutch
government, and, according to reports.
the American buyers preferred to un-
load and dispose of their tobacco on the
local market, making good profits.
Practically since the outbreak Of the
war local firms importing from the
Dutch East Indies enjoyed the privi--
lege of regularly obtaining tobacco and
selling or exporting it, without any re-
strictions. But during the latter part
of 1916 and the first half of 1917 the
Netherlands steamship companies We're
obliged to carry first of all food pro-
ducts, which were badly needed in Hol-