Evening star., 1949-05-10
Tobacco Sales
Opened With
Floors damned
Southern Maryland
Hos Price Support
For First Time
by ]. [. Michael

Tobacco auctions opened In
eight Southern Maryland ware
houses today with sales brisk in
the Upper Marlboro area and
moderate elsewhere.
With floors filled to capacity and
Government price support in ef-
feet for the first time. growers and
,warehousemen appeared happy
over sale prices. which ran up to
6S' cents q pound In some in
stances. This is 4 cents higher
than. last years top price and 2
cents higher than the Govern
rnent's support price for top-grade
leaf. ..-
Rain was keeping some pro-
ducers away from the Waldorf
warehouse but apparently was not
hindering the crowds at Upper
Marlboro. With the auctioneer's
chant barely audible above the
milling throngs at Edelin, Bros.
and Planters warehouses, there
was general scene OF what ap-
peared to be confused activity.
Some Warehouses Buying.
Despite mo parking" signs
along the winding hillside road
between Upper Marlboro and
Wayson's Corner, cars were parked
bumper-to-bumper along both
sides of the highway and others
were hemmed In by more cars
all around the warehouses.
Until the market settles down,
however, the more cautious grow
ers were Withholding unrestrained
optimism although the prices ap-
peared to be good. In some in
stances where 81 and SO cents was
being offered, the warehouses were
doing the buying.
This .is one of the tricks used
to stimulate the buyers for the
tobacco companies to raise their
bids. 49,.
o. J. Buchheister. one of the
managers of the Planters Ware
house. described the sales as very
active" He expects them y be
more 80 in the days ahead. !
"The growers are In a right
good frame of mind" he said.
Believed Not Offering Enough.
AS. he spoke, this is what hap
pened, to three l00-pound baskets
In o row:
The Government bid so cents
and it sold for 81; the Govern
ment bid SO for the next and 1t
went for 43; the Government bid
50 and the third basket was sold
for 60 cents.
Some Of the growers thought
the Government graders might
not be offering enough because
they have had only six to eight
weeks training. y.. VI
Trucks loaded with the first of
last years $4,000, ,0o0- pound crop
besar, moving over the week end.
Through the combined efforts
Of the State Tobacco Authority
and Extension Service another
OF the Nations big cigarette man
ufacturers has become interested
in Maryland tobacco, 1t was
learned today.
The p. Lorillard Co.. makers of
Old Gold cigarettes. will survey
the, Maryland markets with q
view to including type 80 leaf in
It's formula. -
Maryland tobacco has been used
for some time in Chesterfield,
Camel, Lucky Strike and Philip
Morris cigarettes. according to
Walter B. Posey. tobacco expert
Of the University of Maryland.
Disgruntled at the 45-cents-a-
pound average in 1s47, and further
disappointed when the average
dropped to AIS cents last year,
farmers stirred extension service
and farm bureau officials into
action.
State Authority Formed.
The result was formation of the
State tobacco authority and in
augurstion last year Of Govern
ment grading. This was followed
/ NV establishment OF Federal price
tupport.
Asales on the Baltimore hogs
head market will start Thursday,
with neither grading nor price
support.
The Federal support plan lists
s1 grades Of Maryland type-32 to-