Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-08-03
slEAF TOBACCO MARKETS
II GET OVER EXCITEMENT
Thirty Odd Towns in South Carolina
: Settle Down to Normal Business.
Heavy Sales On.
DAMAGE WAS ovEREsTIAlATED
However. Crop in Palmetto State Had
a Hard Lick That Will Knock Out
:. Growers Expected Big Profits.
:. sThe Old Belts.

The excitement and alarm over The
leaf tobacco situation in South Carolina
have subsidized. and the past week saw
the tobacco business in the thirty. odd
markets OF that state nearer normal
than il has been since the opeEtui. OF
the selling season on the 18th Of July.
II is true that the reports %. the
damage done 10 the crop by the heavy
and continued rains that came while
the bulk OF the crop was spending lis
last days ON The hill c"ntinu" to vary
great deal AS 10 The extent Of the
and the curtaiimcnt OF the crop. but
the leaf buyers have become CON
WINGED tina, the damage was not as
Widespread rs AZ first reported. In
some sections the crop was badly dam
agrd and its value cut down from -
SO per cent In other sections il was
not SO heavy. and in stiIE others there
was practically no damage at all.
Size and Nnluc Of rrop.
The best rstima," nov places The
l06,0o0.o0o pounds, which il at least
2o.ooo.Gpo pounds greater than last
visitors ~ ne fields ~ IN" Palmetto
State think the crop viii Vet weigh out
12o. 100000 pounds. bat the rain damage
will cut its value down to u "H,u"0. 600
or 100, 100000 basis
But b. al Of these estimates ana
one ~ ,'es,n -, - MY uaiH ~, ~
:pf South Carolina hav" settled down TO
business. There were lare" sales of
the zeal IN an OF them last week. all
of which wer. well.attcnded by eager
buyers, all OF whom want the weed
that is worth having, and want it bad
enough to pay full! value for il.
81 Common 10 Medium Are Low.
& The common ana medium grades are
not SO much in demand as IN" growers
had expected them to 10" and last week
sold for considerably less than the
same or similar goods brought a year
age. On tho other hand, all OF the
grades from good 10 fine leaf sold
at which time they brought prices that
gave the growers big profits tn" Very
fine 10 extra fin" cutters ana wrappers
sold last weel! higher than did thu
same grades Of the 1915 crop that is
TO say. for more money than leaf to-
bacco has brought since the cotton
planters OF South Carolina first turned
their attention TO and learned how 10
cultivate the seductiv. weed.
On the Who'll" IL is believed by the
conservative students Of the situation
that the South Carolina crop OF this
year will bring the growers equally
as much money as did that OF last year.
and perhaps 4 considerably larger sum
In the aggregate. but tn" profits Will
not show up as large a per cent on the
larger acreage has been greater and
then the unlocked for damage caused
by the rains must he accounted for.
Eastern North tar"iinn Markets.
The Eastern North Carolina crop is
now attracting the attention Of the to-
bacco dealers everywhere. especially in
Richmond. where every concern viii
have buyers on those markets when
1t was tho intention to have all OF
the Eastern Carolina markets open sim
ultaneouSly on Tuesday, August ~, but
a movement is now on foot to have the
opening date changed by rostponins it
al least two weeks possibly three or
four.
This is sought to be done in order
to give the South Carolina markets.
which have been delayed this year by
weather conditions and have a larger
crop than ever before to sell ample
time. to close out before the markets
of the sister State start up. Many OF
tho large concerns who have buyers on
these markets transfer the men from
one State 10 the other. and they do not
wish conflict OF dates that will n-ces-
state the employment OF extra buyers.
1t is probable that the opening Of the
Eastern Carolina marts viii he post
poned until III. first week in Scpt+m-
her, although there is nothing posi-
tive as yet about this.
Outlook In Old Belts.
The Information thar comes from the
Old Rclt OF Virginia and North Caro-
lima is TO the effect that the darnag.
by the continuous rains has been great
~ Exaggerated or ov"rrStimatcd. II is
true that the plants ou the hill were,
damaged not q little and COuSiicrably
set back" but there is much come
out" as IN" farmers say. in me hardy
seed, and the probability Is that in the
Old Belts of Virginia aud North caro-
lima, with good seasons from now on. All
OF the damage 10 ia" high ground to-
bacco VIII be overcome aud The damaH.
10 the little haas gr1wn in the low
grounds viii ..Ao,. De- aitogcthcr. as
heavy as at first believed IL would be.
THE dates for opening sales in vir-
ginia markets and in ,hosc of tn"
North Carolina old Belt have not bean
definitely determined upon. but the
probability is that ali OF The North
Carolina markets ana majority OF
those IN Virginia viii he doing "nsi-
ness about the "a day Of September.