The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1919-11-21
NOTE BOOK SKETCHES

New combinations or tobacco nrmS
| into larger units with wider sphere
of operations are. as it seems, the or
der of the day. This applies both to
the leaf business and the manufactur-
| ing business The amalgamation of
the Duke Whelan- Hill interests has
been followed by the absorption of the
Griffith Tobacco Co. by the American
eSumatra Tobacco Co. The General Ci-
gar. Co. is also expanding. 1t has
bought the Quality Cigar Co. factory
in Cincinnati and is going to push its
brands of goods. The Consolidated Ci-
gar Co. of New York is said to be ne
gotiating for more factories. Though
comparatively new concern, it is al
ready reputed to be the third greatest
cigar concern in the country The
Whelan purchase of the Montgomery
Ward mail order house is significant of
the aims of this master of merchandiz-
ing. The mail order business in cigars
and tobacco products generally is going
to be given a trial on a large scale
through the organization for such busi-
ness built up by the Montgomery Ward
genius of salesmanship. The American
Sumatra Co. is aaid to be out to ac-
quire one of the largest jobbing houses
in the Middle West. Truly Big Busi-
ness is on foot to make conquests in
the tobacco world.
~.
Otto Olson, of the United States Bu-
reau of Plant Industry, gives out the
following statement which will be of
interest~to our readers: While con-
Quoting experiments in growing Cuban
cigar leaf tobacco in Texas, we reduced
the nicotine content of several strains
of this type of tobacco down to an av-
erage of 0.60 per cent, with one of the
individual plants as low as OH per
cent, proving that nicotine could be
wholly eliminated from this type of to-
bacco if desired, which it is not. Since
the writer was transferred to the ex-
pertinent station an Ephrata, Pa, we
have succeeded in lowering the average
nicotine content of one strain of Penn
sylvania seed-leaf tobacco, which is
laed exclusively in medium-pricea ci-
gars, from 81 to II per cent. We do
not boil the tobacco as the Germans do
in order to extract the nicotine so as to
produce nicotine-free cigar, but we
follow DR.. Gamers method of selec-
ton, analysis and seed breeding. I'm
other words, say, one hundred plants
from strain of tobacco, which we
know is absolutely pure. having been
inbred by us for several plant genera
tions, place paper bag over the flower
head to prevent cross -pollination, num-
sber the plants, and harvest the leaves
separately. The leaves are then an
alyzed after being cured, and the
seeds from the plant containing the
lowest amount of nicotine planted the
next season, and the experiment re-
peated. In this simple manner the mic
otine content is greatly reduced and
could in time be eliminated
The War Industries Board bulletin
gives the following facts about tobacco
production, manufactures and cOnsump-
ton: In the United States about i ,5O0,-
600 acres are planted each year in to-
bacco. The farm value Of the crop in
1918 was $374, ,318, 900. Our exports of
tobacco and tobacco products are val
ued at about 500, 900, 600 annually. In
1914 tobacco manufacturing occupied
13, 951 establishments. emploved the
labor of 178,872 wage earners, used
5000, $40. 900 worth of capital and paid
SIT, 856, 900 in wages. The Commis-
sioner of Internal Revenue reports of
January l, 1918, 1876 tobacco. 311 ci-
garette and 1884 cigar factories in
business. Since 1915 over 600, 600, 600
pounds of leaf tobacco have been used
annually by these factories from which
over 160, 100000 pounds of plug, 49,
600, 600 pounds of twist, 1000. 900
pounds of fine cut, 24O, O0O, 900 pounds
of smoking, 1000, 600 pounds of snuff,
8, 900, 600, 900 cigars and 35, 900, 600, 900
cigarettes have been manufactured.
Probably about one-third of our popu-
lation, or about $4,000, 900 people, are
consumers of tobacco products. These
consumers may be classified approx
mately as follows: Tobacco users, 20,- 4
600, 600; cigarette users, 5000, 900; ci-
gar users, 5000, 600; snuff users, 8, 600,
600. The total consumption of tobacco
leaf in the United States runs over
700, 900, 900 0pounds annually. This means
an annual consumption of about 2
pounds per capita and over 20 pounds
per tobacco consumer The money
spent each year by consumers for the
finished product amounts to 81, 900. 900, :
000
Six growers associations in the Con-.
necticut valley have incorporated under
the name Connecticut Valley Tobac-
co Growers, Inc. 1t is estim.ted
that they will handle as much as 10 per
cent of the sun grown raised in the val