The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1922-04-27
Established in 1891.
Tobacco Experts Aduise
Marketing Comparatively

representative Of the Tri-State Tobac-
co association at meeting of the to-
bacco growers from several neighbor-,
ing counties held at the court house
under the auspices Of the Bamberg
Tobacco association. Mr.. Lea added
that in making this statement he did
not mean the word robbed" in the
terms of highwayman, but he attrib-
uted the robbery to the system, the
only relief from which can be had in
the cooperative selling of tobacco.
The meeting was held in the inter-,
est of the cooperative selling plan. At
the conclusion of the speeches num-
Der of farmers signed up to sell their
crops of tobacco through the associa-
ton.
The meeting was presided over by
A. NJ. Brabham, and addresses were
made by Mr.. Lea; E. L. Ring, tobacco
expert of the Southern Railway COM
pany, and T. B. Young, director of the
Tri-State Tobacco association. The
meeting was attended by a represen-
tative audience of tobacco growers,
though the attendance was not so
large as was hoped for
Mr.. Ring was first introduced, His
remarks were quite brief but to the
point. He gave some valuable sug-
gestions for the growing and curing
of tobacco, stressing the point that
to make profit on tobacco low grades
must be avoided In order to pro-
duce good tobacco, good plants must
be- secured and transplanted by APP
ril Is; fertilize well, be sure to have
a good stand, allow the plant to ripen
we'll before cutting, take out of barn
at the proper time, and use intelli-
gence. 1t is very important to keep
the suckers plucked off the plants and
cultivation should be thorough. MIR.
Ring is a practical tobacco grower,
having been a planter, for SO years.
He has 80 acres under cultivation this
year, and his tenants are not only sat
isfied to grow tobacco, but could not
be persuaded to plant cotton even if
/ he wanted them to. The tenants
must be shown that there is profit in
tobacco before the land owner can
hope to get them interested in the
crop. Mr.. Ring offered to assist any
planter in the growing of tobacco.
Mr.. Lea told of his visit to this
county "a years age. At that time
a Mr.. Young was manufacturing the
famous 'fEar Heart" smoking tobacco
here, a very fine smoke, too, and
Mr.. White was manufacturing plug
tobacco, both from Bamberg grown
product. 81 want to say that that
plug tobacco was as fine as I ever
tasted, and I am a pretty good judge
of tobacco" said Mr.. Lea, who
thought so much of it that he carried
box home with him for his friends.
The cooperative idea of tobacco
selling was born in Florence at an
Indignation meeting last year when
the prices offered for the weed were
below cost of production, although at
the time every man present believed
that he was beaten out and was at
the mercy of the tobacco trust. Now,
the plan has been worked out and
has grown to such proportions that
success is certain. Such incidents as
this one forced the planters to take
drastic and immediate action: In
Johnsonville, S. c., a pile of $4,000
pounds Of tobacco for $500. The
same pile was resold to speculator
for 81, 200, and again to third for
$4,000, neither party even touching
it. The pile was then sold to the
manufacturers at what price the
speaker did not know.
"My father and grandfather sold
tobacco at auction, taking what was
offered him, but there has been ad-
vancement in every other industry,
and there must be advancement in
the system of tobacco selling. All
other business interests are organ
lied, and the salvation of the south
depends absolutely on the organiza-
ton of the planters" he said. The
tobacco trust has multiplied it's prof
fits enormously, and in 1921 the diVi-
dends of the tobacco companies in
creased millions of dollars over the
previous year.
"The low grade tobacco that sold
in Bamberg last year at from one to
five cents pound is used in making
cigarettes that sell at Sc and 81 q
thousand. 1t takes two and a half
pounds of tobacco to make thous-
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