The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1921-07-08
NOTE BOOK SKETCHES


gong TO be an early harvest and early
curing season. The fields planted DUR
| ing the two first weeks in June have a
| stand which in uniformity of size equals
the best of years. The heat daring the
third week held the growth back, and
the roofing of plants is better than last
year when moisture and heat combined
forced top growth at the expense of
root development. It is not an exag-
geration to say that seldom were the
prospects of good crop in Wisconsin
any better than they are this year.
We have reports from practically every
section of the state, and from Mime
sofa, where tobacco is grown, and the
same cheerful note prevails in all areas
as to the early prospects. Damage
through the work of cut worms has
this year been very slight; there was
some washing of fields in some sections
of the southern part of the state by
| the heavy downpour week ago, but a
full supply of plants and fields in fine
condition for resetting made the work
of repairing the loss rather easy.
***
The Reporter correspondent in Ver-
non county stated in last weeks issue
that prospects in that section are most
encouraging. That the southern Sec
ton stands an equally good chance of
growing good crop is the common
opinion among experienced tobacco men
at this stage of the game. There is,
of course, many slip between July
and August Is, and the best of pros
poets may vanish under the effects of
protracted drought, hail storms, grass
hoppers and other besetting evils; but
if we'll begun is half finished, the 1921
crop has fair chance of pulling blue
ribbon.
The effect of crop large in the per-
centage of binders upon the unsold 1920
still in the hands of growers is already
causing some speculation and worry.
-G has happened before. several times.
that harvest of desirable cigar leaf
crop has retired quite a portion of a
former not so desirable for some time.
Those. who have disposed of the 1920
crop, even those who sold at figures
which netted them no profit, feel, in
view of the 1921 prospects, that they
did the right thing when they sold. On
4 the other hand, the uncertainties of
| future develodments in the tobacco in
| dustry may cause demand for the un-
| sold old goods at a time when it is least
expected, and those who hold are gam
bling on this chance of an unlocked for
favorable upturn in the market Ev-
erybody is hoping for it as it would be
| a distinct boon to the Wisconsin grow
ers who already have suffered reverses
in other lines of farm produce. The
somewhat better tone in the reports of
the eastern market centers is keeping
the hopes alive in the heart of the
western grower, though be is borrow
ing no money on these prospects.
The Connecticut organization which
is headed by Fred B. Griffin as presi-
dent and DIR. Geo. III. Chapman, pro-
fessor of botany at Amherst college, as
field and botanical expert, is incorpor-
ated for the purpose of improving the
type of cigar leaf, improving seed Sc
lection, cultivation and handling in or
der 20 make the quality of the leaf SO
desirable as to appeal to the manufac-
turer and make him willing to put up a
price that will repay the grower and
the middleman for the extra expense
and trouble he has gone to in order to
| produce high quality type of cigar
leaf. The movement appeals to us as
one worthy of emulation in all states
where cigar leaf is produced. The de-
mand for quality must in normal times
precede the demand for price, and it is
worth somebody's while to 60 into this
matter also in Wisconsin. The Farm
Bureau has here field that should ap-
peal to its activity, in connection with
the horticultural department of the
college of agriculture and its expert
ments in the field of tobacco culture.
***
For the HrSt time IN many months
the tobacco market situation in the
Miami Valley of Ohio was given prom
ise of improvement, says the Tobacco
Journal. The fact that the export
trade is picking up in measurable pro-
portions is sufficient guarantee to the
farmer that his old tobaccos and low
grade will now be disposed of after long
weeks of profitless possession. Buyers
are out again visiting the different sec
tions of the country in search of choice
crops, but the price they offer now
does not conform with the great wave
of hope that is abounding in every
branch of the indurtry. However,
farmers consider the fact of the buy
ers' willingness to look at the tobacco
as indicative of demand on the mar
ket and general improvement in the
situation Growers say that, all other
things being equal in these proftless
times, the tobacco crop is as profitable
as any other crop they can raise, and q
| great MANY 0f fha irreconcilabIeS are