The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1922-05-26
NOTE BOOK SKETCHES


Attention is called to New Pages in
Farming, Bulletin 339, containing An
nual Report of the Director Agricui-
tural Experiment Station of U. w.
The bulletin covers so large a range of
matters of the deepest concern and
most vital interest to farmers that
every intelligent farmer, especially the
younger ones, should send for copy if,
they have not already done So. In the
foreword we find among other matters
the following which at once touches
issues of paramount Importance to
farmers:
'.It is to be hoped that the relative
price of farm products has reached its
lowest level, but whether that is so or
not, this outstanding fact remains the
agriculture of tomorrow must more than
ever utilize the findings of more scien-
tific methods of conducting our farming
operations. When the margins between
costs of production and crop returns
are wide, less care is likely to be exer-
cised in applying all of those methods
which cut out waste, eliminate leaks
and losses, and consequently lower
costs of production. Profitable farm
ing in the future must more than ever
utilize to the fullest all practicable
measures to cut not only costs of pro-
duction but costs of distribution as
well, for unless farming can be made
profitable and can insure reasonable
living standard, why should it expect
to attract some of our best young men
and women.
Concerning tobacco culture and the
study of diseases of the tobacco plant,
the bulletin says:
During the past year the Horticul-
tural Department has operated three
| air-control chambers in which plants
| could be exposed to constant conditions
of air temperature and humidity as
long as desired. Two diseases of to-
| bacco, mosaic and the so-called wild
!, fire, bacterial leaf spot which has re-
Gently caused a great deal of concern
in the southern and eastern states, have
been studied.
'sMosaic. Results obtained by James
johnson horticultural with this dis
ease are especially interesting since
they stir up controversy of long
standing as to the nature of the causal
agent. Is this transmissibe disease
| caused by an invading parasite too
small to be seen by our most powerful
microscopes, or is it due to engine
| action within the plant? Air-control
experiments have shown that the prev
| alence of mosaic disease is most mark
ed at a temperature of about sc degrees
F., and while it is practically non ex-
istant at 81 degrees~F., at this temper
ature there is no reason to believe that
the amount of engine action is less
than at lower temperature. This re-
sponse to temperature conditions cor
responds quite closely to that of the
behavior of large number of we'll
known plant parasites and increases the
probability that this trouble is due to a
yet undiscovered organism.
"Wildfire The wildfire tobacco leaf
spot disease was found to develop most
markedly between 81 degrees F. and 81
degrees F., although it could infect it's
host at temperature as low as SO de-
grees F. and as high as SO degrees F.
Its alarming development in this state
this summer was no doubt facilitated
by the unusual temperature conditions. "
**#
In reading the report of the Census
Bureau covering leaf tobacco on hand
on April |, 1922, we are again struck
with the unreliability of the figures as
| far as Wisconsin tobacco is concerned.
The difference of April. 1921, with 102
million pounds ~of leaf on hand and
April, 1922, with 130 million pounds on
hand may be correct enough; it is not
| that part of it which is misleading, but
| the reader who is not conversant with
the facts may think that Wisconsin leaf
as here used means cigar leaf. 1t does
not; in Wisconsin leaf is included all
types of tobacco grown in the state,
whether cigar leaf or stemming to-
bacco. That April, 1922, shows sur
plus of % million pounds of cigar leaf
above the amount in storage year ago
| is misleading. Packers and owners of
cigar leaf raised in Wisconsin know,
and the manufacturers using this type
of tobacco ought to be informed of the
amount of cigar leaf in storage as a
separate item and distinct from other
leaf held in the warehouses. The Bu-
reau should be asked to report Wiscon-
sin tobacco by types as is done in the
case of Connecticut tobacco, for in
stance.
As the time passes the same hesi-
fancy among Wisconsin tobacco grow
ers to sign up for the five year contract
in the marketing league is showing
itself that caused it to be dropped a
year ago or more A number of grow
ers of the largest acreage in the south
ern section of the state, who hitherto
have refrained from expressing an
opinion, are beginning to express them
selves as in doubt as to whether Is per
cent of the 1922 acreage can be covered
by signers. The Reporter has been try
ing to interpret conditions as these
have shaped themselves from time 10
time, and it finds that the facts at the
present time are as here stated. That
the same holds good also in the cigar
leaf states in New England where the |!
movement swung into line so strongly |
in the early stages, is evident from the
most recent reports. Many thoughtful |
growers would like to take little more I
time to study the question in all its /