The central record. (Lancaster, Ky.) 18??-current, 1921-08-04
CAROLINA LEAF
: GROWERS BROKE
Refuse Prices Which
Would Not Pay For
Wood"
To Cure rsssess. Says Faye,,e Mas.
On Return.
FAvoRs MARKETING PLAN.

fSNONJ NAN&E lE*t fk>NNs
Mr.. ]. L. Knight, who owns a large
farm in Fsyette County. and Is quite
heavily Interested in a Lexington
warehouse. also operates a warehouse
a: hamburg. 8. c.. returned last week
from a trip 20 the southern markets.
Mr.. Knight went TO South Carolina
two weeks ago. intending to remain
there during the marketing seasons.
bu, he found conditions there so bad
and the warehouse business 20 unsat-
iSfactory that he left his business en-
tirsly in the hands Of his business
partner there. and returned 20 Ken
lucky 20 assist in the organization
Of the cooperative marketing asso-
citation in the hope As he put it. Of
saving the Burley tobacco growers Of
Central Kentucky from a condition
similar 70 tina. which South Carolina
Is now facing
Upon reaching Lexington he went
az once TO the headquarters Of the or
ganization committee in the Johns
Building and asked for a contract.
He signed his entire crop with the
statement that he was convinced that
IL this association does not 60 over
this year Kentucky tobacco gorwers
will experience the most difficult
situation Of any since before the days
Of the first Burley pool.
Mr.. Knight brought back with him
some 80 or 40 hands taken from
sales on Mullins. Bamburg and Flor
ence markets. The price paid for
each lot Of tobacco Is marked on each
hand. representing a particular sale.
These prices very from ten cents to
eleven dollars per hundred. He left
the samples at the headquarters Of
the organization committee. where
they will be inspected by the growers
and warehousemen Of the Buriey dis
rict.
Mr.. Knight makes the following
statement 70 the tobacco growers Of
the Burnley District:
II have been visiting South Caro-
lima markets every season for several
years and have never seen conditions
80 discouraging as they are this year.
including markets as Mullins BAN
burg and Florence.
ssn.ar,,x ur.... an tha Qa,,huSU
market last year averaged Si7.00 per
hundred. This year the average was
$500 per hundred.
Mullins is the larges, market in
the South Carolina district. and in
that sense is comparable to Lsxing-
ton as a Burley market. II presents
the most gloomy condition have
ever seen anywhere. Warehusemen
and business men say that financial
and general economic conditions in
that district are worse than they have
been during the last forty or fifty
years.
The crop is not more than sixty
per cent as large as it was in 1870.
and I have never seen tobacco show
better color than that offered on the
Mullins market on the opening days
sale. Warehousemen pronounced it
As the best Of any tobacco grown in
that state since they have been in the
warehouse business. Yet the average
for that days sales was less than Ave
cents per pound. approximately one
third Of the opening price last year.
Il saw one pile Of tobacco that
would have brought from ten TO If
teen dollars per hundred two years
ago, sell for merely ten cents per
hundred The book-keeper in our
warehouse issued three checks to
three farmers covering their entire
sales; aud the three chicks totAled less
than a dollar Many sales were in
sufficient 20 cover warehouse charges
"A large per cent OF the farmers
moved their tobacco of the hoors
and hauled il back TO their farmA
Several OF them made the statement
that the wood used to fire cure il
was worth more than they would get
for the tobacco itself. Many high
class farmers whom know person
ally told me they were going to cut
their tobacco and leave IL in the
patch. asserting that IL would not
bring enough on the market to cover
the cost Of curing
AT Mullins J. p. Taylor 4 Co..
the John Z. Hughes Co. The Gray
Tobacco Co. The American Tobacco
Co.. The r. ,. Reynolds Co.. and The
Lisgett-Myer Tobacco Co. as well
as The Export. Imperial and The
Chinsse-Amsriean Tobacco CO.. are
represented on the sales aoors. but
none Of them are paying more than