214 MASS. EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETIN 193. 



the farmers to borrow monej^ from aDy national bank to tide them over 

 during the growing season. 



There are 53 tobacco associations in the United States, 21 of which are 

 in the State of Kentucky, 8 in Connecticut, 7 in Ohio, 5 in North Carolina, 

 5 in Virginia and 2 in Massachusetts. Of the 49 tobacco associations from 

 which information was obtained as to the type of organization, only 17 

 are co-operative, the other 32 being joint stock companies. 



Of the strictly co-operative associations 8 are in Connecticut, and 2 each 

 in Massachusetts, Virginia and Kentucky. One of the Connecticut 

 organizations has been in existence for some time, but the other 7 were 

 organized very recently, the crop of 1918 being the first bandied co-opera- 

 tively. 



The tobacco growers of the Massachusetts districts discussed the ques- 

 tion of organization for some time, but no organizations were effected till 

 the early part of 1919. Two associations are now in operation, one in the 

 Hampden district and one in the Hatfield district. The matter is still 

 under consideration in the Sunderland district, no association having as 

 yet been formed. 



These organizations control about 20 per cent of the total tobacco acreage 

 of the Connecticut valley, and it is predicted that this proportion will soon 

 be considerably increased. 



The by-laws of one of these organizations are given in Appendix I. 



The various co-operative associations of the tobacco growers of the 

 Connecticut valley are federated into what is known as The Connecticut 

 Valley Tobacco Growers, Incorporated, with headquarters in Hartford, 

 Conn. The purposes of this federation are to supply an efficient selling 

 agency for the member associations, to widen and improve the market 

 for Connecticut valley tobacco, to establish uniform grades, to assist its 

 members in standardization of the product, and to act as agent for the 

 members in the purchase of supplies. 



The bj^-laws of The Connecticut Valley Tobacco Growers, Incorporated, 

 appear as Appendix II. 



The warehouses of the 7 co-operative associations in Ohio are capitalized 

 at $10,000 each, with twenty-five to seventy-five stockholders. Each 

 handles the tobacco of from 150 to 200 growers, representing from 250,000 

 to 300,000 pounds per year. The best system in operation is probably that 

 at Covington, Ky. In this company thirty-five stockholders own the 

 building. These men pay no dues for having their tobacco worked, and 

 dividends amounting merely to the interest are paid. In addition there 

 are 150 members of the company who pay dues of $2 per year and a com- 

 mission of 1| cents i^er poimd for having their tobacco worked. All patrons 

 must be members of the Cigar Leaf Growers' Union. The company 

 claims to have raised the price to the growers 2 cents per pound in normal 

 years without any appreciable increase in the market price. The manager 

 is bonded at $3,000. The growers are paid when the tobacco is sold. At 

 the Troy warehouse one-half of the amount due is advanced at a discount 

 of 7 per cent. 



