The Wilmington morning star., 1940-08-21
TAGS ARE TURNED
Several Experts Predict
Final Calculations Will
Show Higher Price
BETTER THAN IN 1899
Fairmont Sells Approx
mately $4,000 Pounds
AT Average OF 20.5
BY ROD
(Staff Writer)

lODGJIO 1o11llS1o "
linas' Border belt turned home
ward last night from sixteen busy
markets, pleased with brisk bid
ding that carried the price OF their
leaf to an average of 20 cents a
pound O the warehouse floors dur
ing the opening day of the ls4o
marketing season.
The average figure was the con-
census of experts, although several
predicted that final calculations
would send it up a cent or two.
Few Tags Turned
Few tags were turned during the
day that saw prices better than
generally had been anticipated,
signifying that the farmers e r
satisfied.
Hundreds voiced their s~atisfac-
ton when asked how they felt
about the prices, but by and large
the farmers were quiet, evencing
none of the jubilance that usually
is visible when opening day brings
good prices for the golden weed.
Generally the prices were two
to three cents above those on the
opening day of the market last
year. Mostly the farmers felt this
was because the tobacco offered
this year is of better quality than
was that of last year.
Official figures were unavailable
at the markets, but estimates indi-
Gated that generally a 20 cent aver
age was maintained over the Bor-
der belt as a whole.
FairmOnt
In Fairmont, c.. B. Stafford,
sales supervisor, estimated t
between $50, 900 and 875, 900 pounds
had been sold to the mumbo-jum-
DO singing of the a%uctioneers and
said the average would be 2O.5
cents per pound or better. A check
of n row in a warehouse there
yesterday afternoon, selected at
random, showed an average price
of 23.179 cents per pound.
Stafford said the farmers SEEM
ed we'll pleased and few tags wer
turned. There were no blocked
sales all floors being cleared, but
by early last night four warehous-
es had been filled for today's sales
and the golden week vas continu-
ing to pour into town.
At Lumberton there was an up-
usually poor break of tobacco and
the three first sales reported 423,-
$50 pounds sold for an average Of
1888 cents. J.. c. Fulton, super
visor of the market, estimated that
the afternoon sales would bring the
average to 10 cents. Here a
floors we're cleared before quitting
time and no block sales are ex-
pected. Fulton said no tags were
turned in Lumberton during tn
day.
At Lumberton yesterday after
noon a check of one row in one
warehouse showed an average for
that row of 1916 cents. The grade
of the weed appeared to be much
below that offered on some of the
other markets but farmers genr-
ally seemed well pleased with the
prices offered for the wed thy
had to sll.
Clarkton reported sale of ITO, 100
pounds during the day and E. c.
Clark, sales supervisor, said the
average was 1855 cents per pound.
He too, reported farmers pleased
with prices offered and said few,
if any, tags we're turned during
the opening day.
Tabor City
At Tabor City E. A. farrell es-
timated that a quarter-milllon
pounds of tobacco was auctioned
the day, with approximate
Iy 800, 900 pounds remaining unsold.
He estimated the average price
there at 21.5 cents a pound and
said farmers we're 1.-The best pleas
ed they have been in a couple Of
years."
At Chadbourn J. H. Lanier esti-
mated between 225, 900 and $50, 600
pounds were sold during the day
at an average somewhere between
10 and 20 cents per pound. Far
were very well pleased" he
said, and tobacco was pouring into
town for today's sale. Floors there
not quite cleaned yesterday,
(NDvnksnrrnI ~ Da~A TrrrA