The Wilmington morning star., 1946-02-17

Columbus, Robson, Sampson,
6.
The automatic increase bscaans
effective when the Federal Cow
eminent announced a blanket i.n
crease in quotas of 10 per cent Ia
the flue-cured tobacco region.
New Hanover county had 1913
quota of 100 acres; In 1916 the
acreage will be 176 acres. Ths
county, however, is not enc Of tho
major producing counties and la
ls45 planted only 1871 acres.
Price Drop Feared
Despite the general increase I'm
acreage, Border Belt county
agents expressed the fear ut thu
time the increase was granted that
total income for the 1946 crop
would not exceed that Of 1945. They
based their fear on a belief that
demand in the summer and fall
this year will not be as treat as
it was in 1915.
Price averages In 1s45 In the
Border Belt were 43 cents per
pound. Government parity price
is 20 cents per pound and the gov
eminent legally is bound to guar
antee 30 per cent of the parity
price.
Burley Affected
Coincident with the Increases
in tobacco acreage, announced
prices in the hurley tobacco area
dropped sharply in Virginia, For
a while after the increase went into
effect, Virginia tobacco menk dis
cussed the feasibility of declaring
a tobacco holiday until the prices
steadied.
approximately 112,e0o acres of
tobacco were planted in the Bor-
der Belt in 1915, and a harvest of
117,037,500 pounds was realized.
The Picture
In general the Border Belt pic
ture shaped up like this when
increased quotas were ANNOUNCE
ed:
New Hanover
New Hanover county farmers
probably will plant the maximum
amount Of tobacco in 1e46, despite
the fact that they did not plant
the allowable amount last year.
more people are going back to
the farm this year." said a spokss.
man in the county agents office,
eve have been receiving more
requests for tobacco sllotments
than formerly"
Sampson
Sampson County Agent =, J.
Morgan said that at least 10 per.
cent of the 1915 crop in his county
was left in the field because Of
labor shortage. Clinton, Sampson
county seat, had its first tobacco
market last year with four ware
houses. Morgan said that at least
two new houses are planned In.
Clinton to take care of the expected
increase in volumn for 1946. One Of
these is being constructed on the
Faison road by Zach D. McWhorh
er. Ennie Bass is associated with
McWhorter in the new warehouse.
J. C. Weeks, Jr., is also planning
a new warehouse to be located on
the Smithfield road.
Also at Clinton, Taft Bass will
build a new warehouse to replace
the Farmers Warehouse there.
Bass house will probably be on the
Dunn highway.
Morgan also said that redry-
ing plant is planned for Clinton and
that a stemming plant may also
be constructed there in time for
the 1916 season.
Columbus
In Columbus county, Charles d.
Raper, Whiteville, county agent.
said he expects 80 per cent OF the
farmers in his county will take
advantage of the increased quota.
Ten per cent of our farmers
will not increase their acreage"
Raper said, because they would
not have the labor or equipment
to harvest a larger crop"
Raper said that Columbus county
farmers had an average yield Of
from 1000 to 1900 pounds per acre
in 1915 and that he looked for
about the same in 1915. His esti-
mates show there were %. 900 acres
of tobacco in Columbus county
during 1915 which means, under the
increased quota, Columbus would
add 1900 acres to the crop with
an estimated yield of an addition
al 100000 pounds.
Robson
In Robson county there were
81, 400 acres of tobacco during 1945,
according to County Agent o. P.
Owens, Lumberton. He estimated
an increase of 100000 pounds
there over 1915.
Pender
There were $500 acres in tobac-
co in Fender county in 1915, County
Agent R. R. Rich, BurgaW, said.
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