The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1921-08-19
NOTE BOOK SKETCHES.

IL ne IOlloWing, ana more, mas p0en
going the rounds of the tobacco press;
we quote:
Wisconsin Co-operates in Fixing To-
bacco Grades, is the title of bulletin
just issued by the Department of Agri-
culture, as follows:
In line with its plans for drawing up
Federal grades for tobacco, the Bureau
of Markets and Crop Estimates of the
United States Department of Agricul-
ture has reached an agreement with
the State of Wisconsin providing for
the employment of an investigator who
will study locally-grown tobacco, with
view to its Standardization. Similar
agreements were recently made with
the States of Kentucky, North Caro-
lima and Pennsylvania, where the work
IL now going ahead satisfactorily.
In all cases the expenses of the in
vestigator will be paid by the States in
which the work will be conducted, and
the information gathered will be cor
related by the Bureau of Markets and
Crop Estimates for use as the basis for
the proposed Federal grades. The work
will finally cover all of the principal
types of tobacco grown in the United
States and is expected to lead to the
establishment of standard grades for
practically every type.
The Investigations will cover large
field and consideration will be given to
all factors of commercial Importance.
The principal qualities of tobacco, such
as color, texture, elasticity, body,
toughness, flavor, burn, ripeness, sound
ness, and the size and shape of the
leaf, will be the basis upon which
grades will be established. The impor-
tance of each of these qualities in the
grade specifications will vary greatly
in the different types of tobacco.
1t is probable that one of the first
definite steps toward establishing un-
form system of tobacco grades will be
to establish standard for expressing
tobacco lengths. This alone would be
of great service to the trade and espec-
tally in the cigar leaf tobacco sections,
where there is more or less confusion
at the present time as to what is meant
by the different lengths now in use in
the trade.
AS far as Wisconsin tobacco is con-
cerned, it is known that the growers
and dealers are open minded on the
proposition of Standardization, and well
come an investigation, the cost of
| which is borne by all the people in the
state, and the results of which the to-
bacco industry of the state has the
Epriyilege of accepting if it proves of
value, and rejecting if disappoint~
ment. In binder and wrapper growing
territory the standards must be deter
mined by other considerations than
those applying to cigarette, chewing,
filler and pipe tobacco. The cigar leaf
Standardization, mOrever, must consid-
er the preferences of the manufacture
ers of cigars both as to what shall con-
stitute cigar leaf lengths, burn; ap-
pearance, color, elasticity, grain, aroma
and that indefinable something which
every expert of tobacco leaf sums up
| in the terms desirable" ''fair, "
good" fancy" poor" etc. The
credit value of a certain grade of to-
| bacco will also vary with the supply
and demand as under the old packers
| standards But it will be distinct re-
| lief to all concerned if Wisconsin may
have standards established which ex-
| press to growers, dealers, manufacture
ers and the smoking public in an intel
ligible and simple TECHNOLOGY that
which would mean something definite
| in the relative valuation of the leaf.
That this is matter of greater diff.
Guilty in cigar leaf than it is in pota-
toes, apples, wool, and even In butter
and cheese, must be borne in mind. anc
| the investigators who under the De.
partment of Markets are gathering the
/ data upon which to base final standards
should not be expected to return their
findings in hurry.
| Hartford Fire Insurance company i:
| gathering information, based on re
| ports furnished by field experts il
Connecticut, prepatory to consider the
| advisability of underwriting insurance
for tobacco attacked by "wild fire.
| An insurance company that will ado
| tobacco diseases to hail damage al
| proper dangers to insure against, il
| likely to have a large new field addeC
| to it's business. Policies that woulo
| cover any damage to the standing
crop would naturally require com