The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1918-07-05

will be something left and if they have
to meet these figures they will wait
and see what kind of tobacco - pay
their money for.
***
The suggestion brought to this office
by one of our leading tobacco growers
might not be so far wrong after all,
when he argues that the hundred or
such matter of buyers who are now
chasing about the growing districts
taking up the time and bothering the
farmers be interned during the months
of July and August. The growers
would then have time to produce the
crop ready for the harvest and would
know with some degree of certainty
whether they would have anything to
sell or not. These subagents Of buy
ing firms accomplish little more than
keeping the farmers stirred up all the
time raising their expectations away
beyond all reason when they find they
are opposed to the present contracting
for the crop, and therefore good deal
of a menace to legitimate trading.
There is no particular objection to these
trouble makers sitting on the fence and
watching the crop grow if they will
keep their mouth closed and not bother
the workers in the fields. If they must
watch the game let them refrain from
rattling the pitcher. Seriously, what
a waste of time and gasoline for hun
dred able bodied men whose labor
might be sproducing something to
spend two months of the busiest part
of the year in chasing over the country
districts, watchfully waiting for the
crop to be produced, or: rather watch
ing that the "other fellow" doesn't
get the best of him.
~
In view Of the prices already offered
for the 1913 crop it looks as if this is
the year for the Wisconsin tobacco
growers to ''make a killing" which
they doubtless will not be slow to i'm
prove We learn in some localities
farmers have commenced to plow up
their hay fields where the crop has
been gathered and intend to plant the
ground yet to tobacco. With the pros
poets looming up before them that
each acre of tobacco that can be har-
vested and delivered means a gross
revenue around $500 or more every bit
of unoccupied land will be put to use
where there is reasonable assurance
of finding curing sheds for the crop.
Farmers who have contracted their TO-
bacco crops think they have yet time
to increase their acreage, SO if the
planting is carried on we'll through the
month of July there need be no sur
prise for the grower feels it is duty to
rake in every fat dollar he sees coming
his way while the profteer is onto his
job.
William L. Austin, chief statistician
for the tobacco industry IN the Depart
ment of Commerce, has compiled bull
letin which will shortly be issued, that
is so full Of information about the to-
bacco industry that any man who wants
to keep posted should secure a copy.
The bulletin contains data regarding
the production, consumption and stocks
of tobacco in the United States, the
prices obtained for the staple by the
growers, the quantities of the several
products manufactured therefrom, the
revenue on tobacco collected by the
Government, and the imports and ex-
ports of manufactured and unmanufac-
tured tobacco. The purpose of the re-
port has been to assemble in one publl-
cation the statistics for the various
phases Of the industry and to present
them in convenient form for ready ref
erel4ce.