264 



TOBACCO LEAF. 



comes to the farmer's barns, inspects the crop, and a 

 price is agreed upon for the crop delivered at the buyer's 

 local warehouse, or shipped to his headquarters. Some 

 farmers, however, when dissatisfied with offers made by 

 traveling or local buyers, case the crop themselves and 

 hold it for higher prices. 



These buyers of the cigar-leaf crop may be traveling 

 agents sent out by dealers in New York, Chicago, or 

 other cities, or they may be the representatives of cigar 

 manufacturers. Very often, too, some enterprising 

 planter and business man combines the assorting and 

 sale of his own crop with purchases of his neighbors' 

 crops. Buyers usually prefer to take the crop in the 



PIG. 74. NORTH CAROLINA TOBACCO WAREHOUSE. 



bundle and assort it themselves, to suit their special 

 trade. 



It will be seen that, by this system, there is very 

 little competition for the crop on the part of buyers, 

 except in seasons of scarcity or excitement. The tobacco 

 grower is largely at the mercy of the buyer, especially as 

 many sales are kept secret because made on so-called 

 "private terms." Indeed, it is quite difficult to accu- 

 rately report the price at which cigar-leaf growers sell 

 their crops, as buyers make every effort to keep the high 

 prices secret, while the grower is equally anxious not to 

 have it known if he has accepted a low price. The 

 whole system is mischievous, illogical, unjust, unbusi- 

 nesslike, expensive. It is apt to rob the farmer, it 



