CONNECTICUT VALLEY CIGAR LEAF TOBACCO. 213 



Wholesale Prices for Shade-grown Tobacco. 

 The wholesale prices of shade-grown tobacco from 1915 to 1917 reported 

 by the Tobacco Merchants' Association, and secured through a personal 

 interview with the tobacco manufacturers, are given in the following 

 list: — 



Per Pound. 



Finest grade, 1915 crop, . . . . . . . . $2 00 to $2 75 



Finest grade, 1916 crop 2 00 to 3 00 



Light to medium, 1916 crop, ....... 75 



Medium bright, 1916 crop 1 00 



Fancy medium brown, 1916 crop, . . . . . . 1 15 



Finest grade, 1917 crop, 3 75 



Fancy medium brown, 1917 crop, . . . . . . 3 50 



Medium bright, 1917 crop, . . . . . . . 3 00 



Light to medium, 1917 crop 2 00 



Extra fine, light color, 1917 crop, . . . . . . 1 75 



Fine, medium to light, 1917 crop, . . . . . . 1 50 



It is difficult for the farmer who raises shade tobacco on contract at the 

 present time to make any profit. The cost of production for 1916 has been 

 estimated at 75 cents a pound for the man with an established business, 

 and $1 a pound for the beginner. The large sjTidicates who raise, sort and 

 pack their own tobacco and sell it directly to the manufacturer secure for 

 themselves all profits between the producer and manufacturer, with an 

 especially big profit on the shade-growai. But the large claims of clearing 

 from SI to $1.50 per pound on shade tobacco must be taken with some 

 qualifications. The high cost of cloth, labor and supplies cuts deeply into 

 the profits by greatly increasing the cost. On tobacco contracted by the 

 farmer for from 65 cents to $1 a pound the dealer now clears about $1,000 

 per acre. 



During 1917 Sumatra cost the manufacturer from $6 to $7 a pound, after 

 adding the duty of $1.85 a pound. The large manufacturers claim that the 

 Connecticut shade-grown is equally good, if not better, for wrapper pur- 

 poses than the imported Sumatra. 



Co-operation in Marketing Tobacco. 

 The Connecticut valley produces a wrapper leaf of superior quality, 

 but so long as the method of sale by contract prevails, wastes and abuses 

 are sure to occur. The only way whereby farmers will be able to realize 

 a fair profit from their crop is through some form of co-operation, and few 

 industries are so well adapted to co-operative organization as the tobacco 

 industr3^ The acreage is large and fairly unified, making organization 

 rather easy. Yet up to 1917 nothing had been done along this line in the 

 Connecticut valley, and very little has been accomplished in other states. 

 In the South tobacco is sold by auction, and miiform warehouse receipts 

 are issued to the farmers. This method of sale has been very satisfactory, 

 each farmer's crop being sold on its merits. The warehouse receipts enable 



