The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1922-07-07
NOTE BOOK SKETCHES

1 oo W Stit LIE SIOuiiu ilCdA IuC AOOtc Va
the plants? an old grower was asked.
He said: while the plant is young and
is beginning to take hold in the ground,
but before beginning to spread, culti-
Ivation of the soil may be done near the
plant; but the old fashioned way of
using the hoe, and not the cultivator,
near the plant to loosen the soil and
| make it fine and loose on top is the
best method. As the plant grows on
| top of the soil the root develops and
sends it's branches out for nourishment,
cultivation should be done in manner
to allow the roots space to grow. The
larger the area is from which the plant
| is permitted to draw it's strength, the
larger becomes the growth of the stalk
and leaves. And not this only, but as
the plant becomes large it will be able
to resist the power of the wind to bend
| it over in proportion to the spread of
the root; its side branches act as stays
to keep the plant upright and straight,
Frequent and shallow cultivation is for
this reason most desirable according to
my experience. Every tobacco grow
| er Of experience may know this, but
the reasons given are common sense.
In support of an appeal in this col
umn to growers, in recent issue, to
keep accurate account of the cost of
growing tobacco, the results Of such a
system carried out in Kentucky under
the college Of agriculture of that state
are given in the following article which
has appeared in the eastern tobacco
journals. That conditions in Wiscon-
sin are different from those obtaining
in Kentucky must be recognized, but
what is being done there under farm
ing conditions peculiar to that state
may be done in Wisconsin under condi-
tions prevailing here.
| Washington, d. c., June lO.-The
average cost of producing hurley to-
bacco on "a farms in the hurley district
| of Kentucky was 32 cents pound in
1920 as. compared with an average of
25.8 cents in 1919. The average cost of
producing dark fire-cured tobacco on so
! farms in the dark tobacco aera of Ken
| lucky was 14.9 cents pound in 1920 as
compared with 17.2 cents in 1919, and
was less than one-half the cost of pro-
ducing hurley. These figures are dis
closed in a cost-of- production study
made by the College of Agriculture Of
the University of Kentucky and the
United States Department of Agricul-
ture under cooperative arrangement.
Figures for 1921 are now being tabu-
lated.
The,yield per acre on the IA hurley
farms ranged from 378 pounds to 1892
pounds, with an average of 907 sc
pounds. The cost per acre ranged from
$3.50. 20 to $493. $50. with an average of
| 1926. 73. The cost per pound ranged
from 20 cents to 66 cents. Approx
mately 80 per cent of the tobacco was
produced at 81 cents pound or less.
The average yield in 1919 was 1892
pounds. The light weight of the 1920
crop is attributed to the unusual wealth
er conditions prevailing during the
/ growing season.
| In the hurley district an acre of to-
bacco required an average of 2.84 days
of man labor and 9.38 days of horse
labor Of the total cost, man labor
constituted 1922 per cent, land rent
36.07 per cent, barns and sticks 1.65
per cent, horse labor 6.96 per cent, in
surance 3. 72 per cent and machinery .76
per cent. Not including land rent as a
cost, man and horse labor constituted
70.66 per cent, and the other items
29. "a per cent.
The yield per acre on the so dark fire.
cured farms ranged from 275.2 pounds
to 1063.4 pounds with an average of
S55. pounds. The cost per acre ranged
from $77.61 to $251. .04, with an average
cost of $127. IL. The cost per pound
ranged from cents to 81 cents. APP
proximately 60 per cent Of the tobacco
was produced at Is cents pound or
less.
In the dark tobacco area an acre of
tobacco required 14.8 days of man labor
and g. days of horse labor. Of the to-
| tai cost, man labor constituted approx
imately so per cent, horse labor Ia per
cent, land rent 1876 per cent, barns and
| sticks per cent, insurance 40 per cent
and other items about 10 5 per cent.
Excluding land rent as cost, man and
horse labor totaled approximately Is
per cent, and the other items 25 per
cent of the total cost.
The territory covered represented
typical farming conditions in the CEN
tral Kentucky hurley district and in
the western Kentucky dark tobacco dis
trict. Cost studies will also be made
for the 1922, and will complete period
of four consecutive years.
j The formation of the Connecticut
/ Valley Tobacco Association in Massa-
chusetts and even in Vermont is pro-
crossing we'll and is assured. -Four
successful meetings were held last
week in both Massachusetts and YER
mont. Judge Hickey said that in his
] opinion the formation of the association
was assured because of the great sue
cess in Massachusetts. On the west
side of the Connecticut river represent
| of pnorlx, OP00 ooroc houo ainu - RI