The Dillon herald. [volume] (Dillon, S.C.) 1894-????, 1920-03-18
THE s. c. TOBACCO CROP.
Mr.. John C. Sellers Makes Some Prac'
tical Suggestions

To the Editor of the News and
Courier: I am very much Interested
IN the discussion of the tobacco sit-
uation as shown in recent letters py
Messrs. Sprott aud Cothran and the
comments of the editor Of The News
and Courier on the editorial page.
These gentlemen are no theorists or
book farmers and discuss what they
know and testify what they have ex-
perienced," and their opinions are en-
titled to great weight. l think after
all the Misunderstanding and cob
webs are wiped away we can all agree
on this one thing, "our tobacco mar
kets open too early and close TOO
soon"
To bring about longer marketing
season some of us advocated In 1919
a compulsory grading and bundling
of all tobacco before it could be or
fered for sale on the warehouse floors
hut there was such difference OF
opinion among farmers and ware
housemen and tobacco buyers that
the scheme fell through and the grad
. ing law failed to pass the Legislature.
Many of the farmers insisted tnat
they didn't know how to properly
grade tobacco, that it was expensive
and that, they were anxious to get
rid of their tobacco So as to have the
money to gather their cotton, which
began to open about the close or the
tobacco season, all Of which was true
and could not be gainsaid or denied.
Some of the warehousemen and Duy-
ers insisted that they had interests
IN the North Carolina and Virginia
or Kentucky markets which they
could not afford to neglect. ana
therefore could only stay here short
limited time and then "hie themsei-
yes away to pastures new
Twenty-Five to thirty years ago
when there were few warehouses In
thu State all tobacco was graded and
tied up (not that grading and tieing
up really adds anything to the value
of tobacco, but the time required 10
nut tobacco in condition to grade does
add to its value), warehouses were
not open for the sale of tobacco TILL
sometime in August, and they re-
NAMED open longer than now, be-
cause the crop could not be gotten
ready for market and the warehouses
of those days usually kept large
force of graders on hand to help out
the farmers who could not grade at
home. 1t was soon found that a
large part of our tobacco was for the
export trade and exporters preferred
the loose feat (for even If they buy
the bundled up tobacco the flrst
thing that is done when it reaches the
stemmeries is to unite the bundles
preparatory to extracting the stems,
and this tieing up is simply mat
ter of time and money! the buyers
let 1t be known that they would pay
lust as much for the loose leaf as
they would for tied up tobacco OF the
same quality and farmers soon found
out this was true by grading and
| tieing up one-half of curing and
CARRYING the other half and selling
both at the same time and receiving
as much for one Iassthe other. 1t was
Z. then "that all kings screws broke
loose" aslthe boys used to say, and
as soon as the fires died down on
the curing of sand lugs the local pap
ers would announce that all ware
houses would be open next TUESDAY
with a full corps of buyers on hand
all anxious to pay the high dollar,
so bring on your tobacco while the
price Is high, etc., and from then till
the North Carolina markets open IT Is
hurry, hurry, rush, rush.
Many farmers take the tobacco which
was finished being cured SaturdaE
night, get it in order Saturday and
Sunday night, take it off the sticks
Monday morning, tie it up in cotton
sheets, load it on wagon, carry 1t
to market and sell it the same day,
and there is no man living VINO can
tell what its value is in its then con-
dition.
It is a we'll known fact that II to-
bacco is taken from the curing barn
in proper condition, carried to the
mack house, bulked down while still
on the sticks and securely covered up
with sheets it will wonderfully i'm
prove in a very short while. AS the
farmers say, "it comes to ITSELF IN
from three to four weeks. All lne
fine color it is capable of showing
that has life in it. If when suitable
! day comes, not too dry and windy
nor too damp, you will take down
that tobaccoaand take it off the SUCKS
a stick at a time, throw out the 0urnt
and green leaves. You need not grade
~ as Mr.. Cothran clearly shows in
his recent letter, and carry. that to,
bacco to a warehouse you will get
the highest price that quality OF to-
bacco will bring.
AS an experiment last year, had a
barn thus treated divided into two
piles, one,'I thought, little better
than the other, but when sold on tne
warehouse floor they both brought
identically the same price, so cents
pound. You can't fool the buyers. II
your tobacco has the quality and is
in good condition when offered for
sale you will get the highest price
that quality of tobacco will bring;