The Wilmington morning star., 1940-09-16
TOBACCO GROWERS
HAVING TROUBLE
Unfavorable Weather For
Grading Golden Weed
Hampers Their Sales
BY JOSEPH S. HUFHAM

DELCO, Sept. 15.-Hhe TOBACCO
growers of Columbus, B. InsWicks
Bladen, Robson and Horny Is.
c. counties are up against one OF
the major problems of the tobacco
business: that of getting their
cure1 weed ready for market.
Many think that the growers OF
these counties have about sold out
all of their weed of this season:l
but in our travels during the past
week we have seen plenty of evl.
dence that such is not so.
A few have sold out. Some sold
out the first week of the sales.
But there are thousands who have
their storehouses piled high with
golden weed. and it seems that
there is nothing they can do about
it because of unfavorable weather
for grading.
For instance, let's consider last
Thursday night. The air was SO
that coon hunters wanted to bring
straight hollers, get up their dogs
and guns and 60 out into the forest.
But the weed growers said that it
wasn't ideal for handling tobacco.
Friday morning we were told by
farmers of various communities
that they had backed up trucks TO
their packhouses and had tried to
load their tobacco for markets; but
the tobacco was so dry it crumpled
somewhat. like bits of smoking to.
bacco.
Those who are grading find that
their weed is so dry that the edges
of the leaves crumple off like bits
of burnt paper. The dust of these
crumpled leaves scatters over the
grading floors like powdered snuff
that has just had a puff of breeze
and so there is plenty of sneezing
to be done by the graders.
So many things seem to happen
to tobacco that many farmers con-
slider it something of a nervous
situation until they get the ware
housemen's checks in their hands:
and then there r many things
that can happen before the buyers
money orders r cashed at the
banks.
All that beautiful display of yell
low weed you see when you enter
a warehouse represents hours and
hours of hard toll by hundreds Of
women and men. The arresting
chants of a%uctioneers is but a fea-
ture before the climax, when the
farmer is handed his draft.
1t is said that Jack Rabbit leads
a miserable happy life. Everything
from a redbug to the eagle of the
air is after him from the day that
he is born until the day that be
dies, and even then something
comes along and eats him. Yet he
enjoys living so that he gets out
into open spots in the moonlight
and leaps about with sheer joy Of
living all in between foot races
FOR dear life.
But he isn't atalked any worse
than tobacco. From the day the
tiny seeds are planted until t e
finished product is burned between
two fingers of some beautiful socie-
ty belle on "Hoko Smoke Isle,
tobacco is sought after. 1t has ia
worm its way all through the thou
sands of things that are after IT
to become a finished product ready
to be enjoyed by a lover of tobacco.
In fact, the whole situation can
be compared with a turning of a
jackpot from a slot machine. In
the end one comes along and reaps
the joy of many a sad regret. Yet
when the beautiful lassies draw
celebrating whiffs from their Gig
aretts while the orchestra blares,
or the palm trees sway, they are
not conscious of the work tn t
brought sweat and long, weary,
worrying hours to those who toll
ed to make their smoking a pleas.
ure. They have paid in cash, and
that is what the workers worked
for. So they should enjoy their
moneys worth. q