The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1920-08-20
NOTE BOOK SKETCHES

Wnlle crop reports must De taken
with several grains of salt, they serve
to indicate in general way conditions
prevailing at a, certain time. They are
not correct. but may be relatively so.
The weatherman does not always hit it
right in his forecasts. but his general
averages are quite dependable. Thus
it is also with the crop reporting serv-
ice-it runs afoul of the facts at times
in details, but its information is helpful
insofar as it shows in which direction
the arrow is pointing.
***
The Wisconsin farmers who put up
their 1918 tobacco in their own ware
houses disposed of their low grades
during the past winter, but they are
still holding between 1000 and 5000
cases of the binder types. This repre-
sents q considerable amount of money
tied up in these goods. The manufac-
turers seem to be eagerly absorbing
binder stock, but so far they have
failed to encourage farmers co-opera-
tive packing by offering price that
the farmer-packers are willing to take.
Meanwhile sampling of the 1919 pack
,ings has begun. and this goods will
shortly find it's way to the cigar manu-
facturers' shops.
##*
The money market is Tightening up.
The banks are refusing to loan, and
many industries are being forced to
curtail business and lay off men. In
the automobile industry several plants
have reduced their working force, and
some are closing. In practically all
lines of industry in New England and
other eastern industrial centers men
are dropped from the laboring force.
The price of labor, in consequence, is
coming down. What is happening down
east will gradually happer farther
west, though the tidal wave of depres-
sion and tight money generally hits ag-
ricultural centers last.
***
A sharp break in the price of sugar
hit the eastern market last week. Raw
sugar sold at fraction over 13 cents
per pound, and fine granulated sugar
at II. Sugar in the local market is
somewhat lower. The Wisconsin beet
sugar crop percentage is higher than it
was month ago.
***
During the breaking of the drought
last week several vicinities were visited
by hail storms. In the southern part
of the state some hail fell west of
Deerfield, near Cottage Grove. A mar
row strip was cut by quite severe halls
in the Mcfarland neighborhood. In
the northern section the sections Wis
tied are noted in the following COM
nent taken from the Vernon County
Censor:
Every rose has it's thorn" they say,
and just SO with the welcome rains in
the weekend which carried a punch
in the shape of hail storms which did
material damage to growing crops in
many sections. Tobacco, of course, is
the principal sufferer. Victory and Vic
tory Ridge and DeSoto sections were
pretty well peppered with hail. More
or less hail fell through the Liberty
Pole and Retreat sections. principally
the latter. Also many spots along the
Kickapoo were touched. No hail is re-
ported north of US in Vernon On his
trip north, Mr.. Dyson says that they
ran in heavy hail storm from La
Crosse to Gaiesville. The tobacco crop
has made wonderful improvement since
the rain Ten days ago it seemed that
not over Is per cent of the leaf would
be good enough for binders. Now it
appears that possibly rs per cent will
reach that stage.
Joseph A. Becker of the Wisconsin
Cooperative Crop Reporting Service in
his August crop report: Production of
corn August is estimated at 81, 837,-
900 bushels, compared to 70, 992, 900
forecasted on July /, 5,471, 900 har-
vested in 1919 and five-year average
of SO, GIG, 900. While corn is setting
ears, the plants are short and the foli-
age light in color. Silage corn, in par
ticular, will produce low yield unless
abundant rain falls soon. Potatoes
have been injured, not only by the
drought, but to some extent by leaf
hoppers, though not so seriously as
year ago. Condition declined from 80
per cent July l to 83 August l, as COM
pared to 72 year ago and ten-year
average of 81. Production is forecast
| ed at 81 ,436, 900 bushels, compared to
81, 9O6, Geo estimated on July !, %, 1884,
600 produced last year and five-year
| average of 27, ,233, 900. Tobacco, while
still short, is in thrifty condition, es-
| pecially in the northern counties. In
the Dane county area condition has de-
clined materially. For the state, con-
dition is estimated at Sc per cent, COM
pared to SO on July /, SO year ago
and ten-year average of "a. Produc-
! tion will approximate 58, SIC, 900 pounds,
compared to 55, 385, 900 from July con-
dition, 1,069, 900 produced last year