The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1921-07-07
KINGSTREE MARKET
OPENS JULY 18th
PLANTERS AND BUYERS AGREE
ON THE OPENING DATE
FOR 1921 SEASON.

The 1921 tobacco market OF South
Carolina will be opened on Tuesday,
July 10, which date has been agreed
upon by all the various interests OF
the industry, including the buyers, the
warehousemen and che planters. 1t
was fixed in general conference OF
these three interests after each OF
them had held an individual confer
lence and discussed: this particular
matter.
All these meetings were held during
the week in Florence, which is the
seat of the county producing approx
mately one-third Of the tobacco crop
Of South Carolina.
July 10 is compromise date be-
tween the planters and the buyers.
Some of the planters wanted a date
as early as July IL, but the buyers
would have generally preferred an
opening as late as July 26. A COM
promise was necessary because of the
lower tier of toabcco producing coun-
ties of the state which report that
they are nearly half through curing
even at this early date. The upper
tier of counties have not yet begun
to cure, to any extent, and hardly will
commence selling heavily till week
or two after the official opening.
State tobacco interests say frankly
that the crop this year is in the
hands of the big buyers. Few inde-
pendent buyers, if any at all, are ex-
pected in the markets because of the
financial conditions. Even last sea-
son, mary of them were forced off the
floors many days for inability to make
financial arrangements; and, the pres
ent conditions are believed to pre-
clude any hope of their operating.
The crop this year bids fair to be
one of the smallest, and in many parts
of the state, the poorest, that South
Carolina has produced in a long
while. In the first instance the South
Carolina Tobacco Growers Association
undertook in an agreement with North
Carolina and Virginia, to effect re-
duction of one-third in acreage this
year. The acreage reduction, accord
ing to reliable figures, is 20 to 25 per
ccntum off of the paintings of last
year, when the crop was 66,OOO,OOO
pounds. Late colds killed or damaged
seriously a material percentage of the
crop. A protracted drought in many
sections of the belt, stunned further
the growth and cut down the yield.
Authorities generally estimate the
probable yield this year at between
100000 and 50,O0O,OO0 pounds Of
tobacco.
The present crop in the lower tier
OF counties of the state is estimated
at about three-fourths of the crop of
last year. 1t is practically made and
much of it is cured and awiting the
opening of the market on July 10. This
section has had fairly good growing
seasons from start to finish.
Through the uoner tier Of counties,
the crop is still green and growing
we'll in most sections. This section
suffered most from the drought. With
in the past two weeks excellent
showers have occurred over most of
the section. Tobat co which was dying
from the lack of rain has turned green
again and is growing vigorously now.
All emphasis this year has been on
quality of tobacco and not on guam
tity. The grower, association, the
warehousemen's association, and the
BUYERS, with the Chambers of Com
merce in the tobacco belt have united
in this campaign. Barring Providen-
tial elements, the growers have re-
sponded we'll to this campaign and all
effort on their part was concentrated
to that end.
Special work is being arranged now
to improve the curing and marketing
conditions. This will relate especial
" to careful handling of the weed in
the field, obtaining the best possible
curing, and culling out the CORY
leaves, so as to offer an attractive
= pile of tobacco on the floor.
Warehousemen and buyers both
have notified the planters that the
planter will have 20 depend almost ex-
clusively this year on domestic con-
sumption which IS very choice in its
article. There Will be practically Nd
export demand or consumption this
year, according to the buyers.
Guardsmen in Camp.