The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1922-07-06
PATTERSONS ADVICE
MEETS CONDITIONS
GENERAL MANAGER OF LEAF
DEPARTMENT TELLS MEMBERS
HOW TO HANDLE CROP.

Many questions from South Caro-
lima members of the Tobacco Grow
ers' Association have reached head
quarters, and Mr.. Richard R. Pat
terson, general manager of the Leaf
Department, one of Americas fore
most authorities on the handling of
tobacco gives the members his advice
in the following article. Mr.. Pat
terson says:
"After your tobacco has been cured
the first and most important sugges-
tion is to be sure that your tobacco
is not brought to the Receiving Ware
house in bad order or damaged. Any
tobacco that is damaged is practical
ly of no use or value, as no manu-
facturer will buy damaged tobacco
regardless of price. Any tobacco
that is in soft (or high order) VIII not
only lose it's color and redden, but will
damage in some instances before it
is possible to ship it to a re-drying
plant; and if such is the case, it will
be total loss to the members Of the
association, as the re-dryer is not
responsible for any such tobacco
damaging before it reaches his fac
tory. You can readily see that it
is very important that you do not
let your tobacco get in soft, or in
high order for the protection Of
yourself or the members of the as
sociation.
Keep your tobacco in good condi-
ton. Use. with it every care possi-
BILE and especially free from sand
and dirt; for sand and dirt lower
the value when you deliver it to the
warehouse to be graded by our grad
er.
We would suggest that you tie
from IL to 16 leaves Of average size
in each hand Tor bundle) as this
Is an important factor in re-drying
tobacco. If leaves are very small,
it might be well to put as many as
20 leaves to the bundle. For in
STANCE; if tobacco is tied in some
large hands (or bundles), and some
in small ones, YOU cannot re-dry it
uniformly and get good results; then,
too, when the purchaser examines
our tobacco he will explain that it
has been badly handled.
We suggest you grade your tobac-
co to the best of your own judgment,
asking the advice Of your warehouse
man in your section, but by all means
avoid tying tips in your lugs and
cutters. Have each pile graded and
tied as uniformly as you possibly can.
We have secured the services OF
good judges of tobacco who have had
years of experience in buying tobac-
co, to grade each pile Of tobacco
when you have delivered it to our
warehouses. They will have ample
time to examine carefully each pile
and put it in the grade in which it
belongs. Remember that this grader
is employed by our association and
he has your interest at heart at all
times and is rendering you the very
best service possible.
We have seen in thousands of in
stances where a farmer who sold his
tobacco on the auction sales divide
pile, half bringing in some cases
very much more than the other half,
and being dissatisfied with the price
on the sale of the lower priced half,
was forced to take in both piles,
provided the same buyer bought them
both. In your case, being member
of this association, you will not have
to be worried with these conditions,
for each grade carries a set price
and the grader has nothing to do with
the price, which gives you the adj
vantage of every pile being graded
to its full value.
The valuations placed upon the to-
bacco are merely for the purpose of
borrowing money for advances to the
grower and are not the selling price
for your tobacco.