The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1921-06-03
NOTE BOOK SKETCHES


Judging by the report of the condi-
tions prevailing in the tobacco growing
sections of the United States for the
third week in May as given to the press
by the federal department of agricul-
ture, the 1921 tobacco crop outlook is
favorable. In Louisiana conditions are
excellent; the same is true of Mary.
land where plants are plentiful and well
advanced. IN North Carolina some
transplanting has been done, but the
weather conditions have not been fav-
orable for rapid work. In Florida and
Virginia planting begun. The blue
mold scare does not seem to be as
dangerous in the seed beds as it is in
the minds of the experts who couple
weeks ago sent out rather sensational
reports about the havoc it was playing
with plants in the seed beds. 1t is
there, and in Florida some insects are
giving trouble, but conditions are far
from being as bad as first reported. In
Cilii0y 0illd dilu OuiO tAC SCCo OCuS
are in good condition, and the prospects
of abundance of plants is also reported
from Connecticut The new disease"
threatening the tobacco industry does
not worry experienced tobacco men,
and they are inclined to treat the re-
ports of the experts" in the lighter
vein.
The latest information coming from
Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Ohio in
dicates that the area to be planted in
tobacco this year will be about the
same as last years. In Ohio last years
acreage was one-fifth lower than the
normal acreage for the state, and an
increase this year is not looked for.
Old leaf in Ohio tobacco centers is
moving well, and this may have stim-
ulating influence upon this years plant
ings From 500 to 1000 acres more
Shadegrown is promised in the Connec-
ticut valley, while the open fields will
cover about the same number of acres
as last year.
#**
The Inscriptions in Amsterdam re-
Gently held were attended by the Amer
ican importers of Sumatra, but the
buying was not nearly as heavy as last
year. The American buyers this year
are conservative. The prices of the
type of Sumatra which appeals to the
American buyer are very little lower
than the prices of the first Inscriptions
last year. The American trade is after
the best wrapper offered, but the per-
centage of fancy leaf in the 1920 Suma-
ira crop is not high. For this type of
light fancy leaf the American importer
has found very active competitor in
the German buyer Subsequent in
scriptions will tell whether the high
note struck by the first one is to be
held indefinitely.
Wisconsin tobacco growers and pack
ers are interested in the German tobac-
co market Opening of the trade with,
Germany promises to take care of cer-
tain types of tobacco that Wisconsin
needs market for. The war, or rath-
er the war indemnity situation, is play
ing part in the attitude of Germany
to Importation of tobacco. Two agen-
cies are active in Germany formulating
opinion there which is detrimental to
American export interests. These are
the Agrarians, to which the Junkers
belong, and the tobacco prohibitionists,
of which there also in Germany are not
a few. These two factions are at the
present time combining their efforts to
hinder, and even stop, the importation
of foreign tobacco. The Agrarians
want prohibitive tariff on tobacco in
order to protect German grown tobac-
CO; the prohibitionists want all tobacco
prohibited for their own peculiar rea-
sons, and just now, in order to save
money towards paying the war indem-
nifty. They claim that the German peo-
pie spend Is billion marks annually for
tobacco, which is per cent on the en-
tire war indemnity due the allies. Stop
the use of tobacco, they say, and the
interest on the war indemnity is saved.
Against this movement in German pres
ent day internal politics other groups
are taking up the fight, fight both
against prohibitive tariff on imported
tobacco, and against prohibition of the
use of tobabco. With this group are
the manufacturers and the smokers.
They agree that tobacco grown in Ger
many is unfit for cigars; that non-im-
portation would increase the price of
domestic tobacco. but serve to exact a
proiteer's price on an inferior article,
and that wholesome American tobacco,
for instance, could be bought for less
money in the open market than was
paid during the war for the domestic
product. The advocates of importation
of tobacco have so far had the better
end of the argument American grow