Evening star., 1925-04-07
TOBACCO GROWERS
ARE VERY ACTIVE
Virginia Farmers and Others
Expect to Raise Much
Larger Crop.
BY j. c. R0YLE.
Special Dispatch to The star.

Special Dispatch to The star.
RICHMOND, Va, April THE Gig
arettes which Americans will con-
sumo this year will number between
71,ooo,oOo,oo0 and 72,o00, 900, 900. This
is the estimate today of Tazewen
Darlington, president OF the Tobacco
Association of the United States.
With that prospect. IN view. tobacco
growers are now more active than
ever before. They hope to make up
the 100000 pounds of leaf which rep
resented the drop in production in
1874 from the previous year
Virginia Outlook Good.
Sales of the 1924 crop to date indi-
cate that the crop OF bright, dark
sun-cured and hurley tobacco amount
ed to $685. 900 pounds, as compared
with s10,273,o00 pounds in 1928 There
Is every indication that the produc-
tlon OF nuriey tobacco in Virginia and
or bright leaf in Georgia will con-
tinue to increase. as they did last
year. A large proportion of the 1925
crop Will be sold through the Tobacco
Growers Cooperative Association
and the remainder will be disposed of
on the open market through competi-
tive bids.
Activity In Many states.
The activity In the tobacco fields
10 not confined to Virginia, the Caro-
linas and Georgia, however The
hurley growers of Kentucky, Ten
nessee. Ohio and Missouri have in
creased acreage and hope to bring
the output to the 1923 standard of
326.760,000 pounds. which was l6,-
100000 pounds more than was raised
last year. Farmers have not expert
enced the difficulty this year in get
ting their fields planted which they
encountered in 1924
Increased acreage. however does
not promise any lessening of price
to growers or reduction in cost of
manufactured product to consum ers.
In Virginia bright leaf of last years
crop has been bringing s21.50 a
hundred, as compared with s20.57 a
year ago. Dark leaf is quoted around
$3.50. as compared with s1s0S; sun
cured, s14.5o. as compared with
S1322, and hurley around S21.
Tobacco has become one of the
money crops of the South and prices
now are rs per cent higher than be-
fore the war. This has given en-
couragement to the farmers and they
are getting their fields in shape
rapidly.
Prices for cigarettes promise to be
exceptionally stable, according to Mr.
Darlington.
The falling off in cigar consumption
Will not particularly affect the Amer
lean growers. since the larger part of
the Southern production is not adapt
ed for cigar manufacture. OF the Gig
arettes made here, approximately
11,000,000.000 will be shipped to the
Orient. China is now the best for
eign customer the American tobac-
co manufacturers have, and the con-
sumption there has increased nearly
200 per cent In the last 10 years
Seed Also Sent to China.
In addition, a large quantity of leaf
tobacco is exported to China, which
is made into cigarettes in that coun-
try. Large quantities OF Virginia
seed are scld TO China each year, and
that country now is producing nearly
every variety of tobacco grown here.
In spite of this, leaf tobacco which
will be sent to China this year will
suffice to manufacture about 15,000,-
100000 cigarettes.
The increase in acreage and in to-
bacco consumption will have mark
ed effect on other industries in the
next six months. Chief among those
benefited will be textile manufactur
ers, who make tobacco cloths for
protecting the growing plants, paper
makers, foil manufacturers and pro-
ducers of glue and printers ink.