CONNECTICUT VALLEY CIGAR LEAF TOBACCO. 171 



Table 21. — Cost to a Tenant of Producing an Acre of Sun Tobacco. 



Value of land $350 00 



Rent of land, sheds and cold frames and laths (land, S60; sheds, $30; cold frames 



and laths, $5), $05 00 



Interest and depreciation on investment in tools (calculated), . . . . 4 00 



Fertilizer, 2,000 pounds at $60 a ton 60 00 



Manure, 3 cords at $10 30 00 



Labor: — 



Making seed bed, 2 men, one day, ........ 6 00 



Weeding and attention to plant bed, ........ 6 00 



Applying manure, ........... 3 00 



Plow-ing land 8 00 



Harrowing and ridging, .......... 5 00 



Drawing and setting plants, ......... 7 00 



Cultivating and hoeing 4 times, 2 men, eight days; 1 horse, four days, . . 36 00 



Topping, worming and suckering, . . . . . . . . 25 00 



Harvesting, 6 mtn, 2 learns, one day, . . . . . . . . 28 00 



Taking down and stripping, 6 men, one day, . . . . . . 18 00 



Bulking, 3 50 



Delivering 3 miles at 10 cents per 100 pounds, ■ . . . . . . 1 40 



Feed 20 00 



Seed, 1 ounce, ............ 1 00 



Twine, 50 



Paper 3 00 



Charcoal 1 30 



Oil 1 00 



Horseshoeing, . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 00 



Veterinary, ............. 15 



Total per acre, S363 85 



Total per pound, ........... 26 



The above tables (numbered 20 and 21), on the cost of producing sun 

 tobacco, were taken from the records of growers, and presumably repre- 

 sent an average cost of producing the crop of 1917. The cost to the tenant 

 is slightly more, which is justifiable considering the high rental value of 

 land and sheds. Prior to the war the average cost of producing an acre 

 of sun tobacco in the Connecticut valley was about one-third less than the 

 cost in 1917, or from $225 to $250 per acre. 



Tobacco Insurance. 



Because of the risks connected with growing tobacco, such as frequent 

 hail and wind storms, farmers have made an effort co have their crops 

 insured, and insurance companies have been quite willing to insure to- 

 bacco crops against damage by the forces of nature. The usual amount 

 of insurance has been from $100 to $200 per acre, with $150 an average. 

 The premium has been about $8 per $100 of insurance, or $8 to $16 per 

 acre, and is commonly payable at the time the crop is insured. 



The insurance company usually adjusts losses by wind or hail by send- 

 ing an adjuster to inspect the damaged tobacco. The adjuster frequently 

 decides upon the percentage in this manner: counting 16 leaves to a plant, 

 if 8 are hail cut he allows 50 per cent. In 1916 one grower of Hatfield, 



