76 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



[ May, 



THE TOBACCO TRADE. 



How Lancaster County Forced to the Front. 



For many, many years past the St.ate of Councoti- 

 cut possessed a reputation as tlie best tobaeco raisins^ 

 State of the Union. Its tobaceo was celebrated all 

 over the world for quality and texture; ITartford be- 

 came the Mekka of tobacco dealers; from thenee 

 they spread over the adjacent country in winter and 

 in early spring, in breathless chase after the luxuri- 

 ous weed; rapidly it left the farmers' possession in 

 exchange for lartje sums of money, and prosperity, 

 joy and satisfaction reigned supreme. Up to the 

 year 1S70 this ever-returning spectacle continued. 

 The Connecticut tobaeco crop of that year was 

 blighted by some atmospheric influence or other un- 

 known cause, and enormous losses to the purchasers 

 of the tobacco, when yet in a green state, were not 

 the only consequence, but the reputation of Connec- 

 ticut tobaccos received a severe and lasting shock. 

 The years intervening 1870 and 1874 produced tobac- 

 co crops in that State which somewhat restored the 

 shattered reputation. But 1S74 tore up the almost 

 healed wound and the Connecticut tobacco crop of 

 that year was like a curse upon the dealers, and the 

 growers of that State. Timidly the buyers invested 

 in the following year (187.5) Connecticut tobacco crop. 

 They «ould not forget the soil that once yielded up such 

 rich and munilicent treasures. The crop contained a 

 goodly jiortion of the swarthy, sound and lively in- 

 gredients, combined with silky, spongy texture, that 

 which once brought golden fruits to the raisers and 

 dealers in Connecticut tobaccos — but a most power- 

 ful competition had grown up during the dark years 

 of misfortune to Conned icut tobacco. Pennsylvania, 

 with her vast acreage of fertile soil, has long been 

 one of the lobaceo rajping states, especially in the 

 Lancaster county district and the blows that struck 

 down the several Connecticut tobaeco crops, lifted 

 up into notoriety those of this state. But not before 

 the year of 187:i this notoriety assumed a formidable 

 shape. The Pennsylvania tobacco crop of that year 

 was a most excellent one , it developed ingredients in 

 the leaf which make it most desirable to the manu- 

 facturer of segars and the consumer of the article. 

 A harvest of money rewarded the investors iu this 

 crop. 



The following year (1874) was not a fortunate 

 one to the Pennsylvania tobacco crop. It turned out 

 a heavy gummy plant, adapted only for the manu- 

 facture of low grade segars. But just this gummy 

 substance contained in the leaf helped to raise the 

 reputation of the Pennsylvania tobaeco crops in 

 general, and imbued buyers with tenfold confidence 

 in future ; because it permitted a successful rehand- 

 ling and resweating by which losses to investors 

 were avoided, while the thin, flimsy Connecticut to- 

 bacco of that year's growth did not permit any such 

 -procedure. When, therefore, another Pennsylvania 

 ^crop (1875) made its appearance, a few shrewd 

 operators took advantage of the general apathy 

 among business men, and quickly secured the whole 

 of the crop at very reasonable figures. The resultof 

 this venture is too well known to be further dwelled 

 upon ; suffice it to say, that those investors made 

 fortunes out of their venture, and that this '75 Penn- 

 sylvania is, at this early season nf the year, nearly 

 exhausted, ami the remnants are fast disappearing 

 from the market. This last drift of the fortunes of 

 the Pennsylvania tobaceo crop has settled its reputa- 

 tion in the trade. Another unexpected accessory to 

 its growing popularity has been the overwhelming 

 demand for very dark tobaccos, a color Connecticut 

 tobacco unfortunately is almost destitute of, and 

 which to a great extent, at least, has been found in 

 the other tobaeco in question. 



The ITarrislmrg Palriot, of the 7th ult., contains 

 the following "omments about the " weed," which 

 will he of interest to many of our readers who liave 

 had more or less experience : 



" Considerable tobacco is produced in this county, 

 but Lancaster lays over any county in the State in 

 the quantity of the article raised. In Lancaster city 

 alone there are nineteen tobacco warehouses. The 

 whole number in the county reaches about forty. 

 The city is the headquarters of the trade, and from 

 it the hulk of the tobaeco is shipped. The tobaeco 

 firms who buy in Lancaster county spend annually 

 therefrom $1,000,000 to $2,000,000. The buyers or 

 packers run all the risk of purchasing the tobaceo, 

 and either make large or moderate profits or sustain 

 great losses. The consumers or raisers run no risk 

 at all, except it may be in the failure of the crop or 

 the gathering of a poor one, which seldom occurs. 

 They receive their pay as soon as the tobaceo is de- 

 livered and weighed in the warehouse, whereas the 

 buyers or packers pay all insurance, the expense of 

 storage and shipment, and must sustain the loss by 

 shrinkage which is occasioned by the process of fer- 

 mentation or sweating. The buyers or packers are 

 also required to keep a record of the names of the 

 farmers or Taisers from whom the tobacco is pur- 

 chased, together with the number of pounds bought, 

 for the use of the internal revenue officers of the 

 government. 



" There are conflicting opinions as to the effect of 

 tobacco planting on the soil. Some farmers contend 



that it will work injury to the ground, whilst others 

 just as strenuously assert that it will not. The 

 former say that as the tobacco requires the greatest 

 Cjuantity of richness, it will eventually impoverish 

 the land, while the latter hold that a crop of tobaceo 

 does not do as much injury as a crop of corn ; that 

 the latter has a dry root and hollow stock. and leaves 

 nothing behind, whilst the tobacco has a solid stalk 

 and leaves a glutinous pulp which sinks deeper and 

 deeper in the soil, and is therefore constantly en- 

 riching it. A man living on the Columbia turnpike, 

 a short distance from Lancaster, for nine successive 

 years has raised suiierior crops of tobaceo on one 

 tract, and his land is in as good, if not better condi- 

 tion now, than when he first planted the seed. Some 

 persons even grow a crop of potatoes and one of 

 tobacco on the same piece of land during the .same 

 season. The potatoes are of the early rose variety, 

 and when they are taken out of the ground in the 

 month of June, then the tobacco is planted." 



The following is from the pen of a correspondent 

 from Lancaster, published in the Tobatro Leaf: 



Notwithstanding the cry that the cream of the 1876 

 croi> of tobacco was long ago bought, it is still an- 

 swered by sales of leaf, showing conclusively by the 

 prices paid that thei-e are some very fine crops re- 

 maining imsold, for instance : Messrs. E. Springarn 

 & Co., of New York city, bought last week in East 

 Ilempfleld township a lot of leaf at '27 cents, and 

 another farmer of the same township sold at 23 cents 

 through. I might enumerate others the same as 

 above. At the same time a large amount is sold at 

 prices from 12@1S and 20c. for wrappers and 5(a'8c. 

 for seconds, and S(5i5c, for fillers. I have been 

 through the "Donegal" townships and a large 

 amount of tobaeco remains unsold, but the greater 

 portion of it is very poor, and no doubt could be 

 bought fi-om 8(aii:^c for wrappers and .S@5 for 

 seconds and fillers. This township is perfectly 

 scoured of good tobacco and on the whole but 

 few lots remain unsold. Old tobacco remnants 

 of 1S74, are eagerly bought at fair prices. 

 One sale was recently etTected which brought, 

 through, $1.1.05 per hundred, for which was bid last 

 Deceniljcr !)c. through, the above being a small lot 

 of 47 cases. The 1875 crop is inquired after; but 

 few lots remain in hands of local dealers. Inquiries 

 are made by large dealers in leaf from those packing 

 on a small scale, say from 100 to 300 eases, at wh.at 

 prices the tob.acco is held, etc., showing that there is 

 a market for all tobaccos if not held above current 



quotations. 



^ 



The New York Tobacco Trade. 



The current number of the U. S. Tobacco Journal 

 sums up the New York seed leaf tobaeco sales for 

 the week ending April 29, at 872 cases, of which 

 New England furnished 2.50 and Pennsylvania 290 

 eases, of the crop of 1875. The balance of the 

 transactions comprise small lots of Ohio, Wisconsin 

 and New York leaf. The Journal continues : 



In 1876 Pennsylvania, the reign of jobbing trade 

 seems to have already fairly opened; outside of some 

 transactions in the country previously reported, we 

 now hear of a sale in Lancaster of 400 cases (an en- 

 tire packing) to one of our large segar manufactur- 

 ing firms. With the approach of the close of the 

 packing season in Pennsylvania, the tide of buyers 

 takes its course towards Connecticut and Massachu- 

 setts, where farmers at last evince decided desire to 

 sell, and thereby lowering their figures to such an[ex- 

 tent as to make investments by packers prospectively 

 profitable. In Ohio things remaindull, while Wiscon- 

 sin is doing a brisk trade in disposing of 1876 stock at, 

 if not excellent, but at least paying figures. The Ha- 

 vana market can be called fairly active. Sales during 

 the week may be summed up to 750 bales, of which 

 one-fourth were of the fine grades of the '70 crop. 



Exports of Tobacco From New York From 

 April I to 30, Inclusive. 



Great Britain 334 hhds. 



France i'ii hhdB. 



North of Europe 71'2 hhds. 



North of Europe, Stems 398 hhds. 



.South of Europe 480 hhds. 



Weyt Indies, South America and Mexico y5 hhds 



Other Foreign Porte 360 hhds. 



Total 2,803 hhds. 



From the circular of Mr. Fred. Fischer we eollate 

 the following synopsis of exports from New York and 

 New Orleans, from January 1 to date. 



1875. 187B. 187T. 

 Ebds. Ehds. Hhds 



OreatBritaiu 1,633 3,794 1,249 



France 5 2,773 3,174 



Bremen and Hamburg 1,061 3,468 4,629 



Antwerp and Holland 596 2.081 9'2'2 



.Spaiu and Portugal 2,708 8,124 2,948 



Mediterranean 140 617 361 



Italy and Austria 4,325 3,416 4,343 



Sundry Eiports 667 909 1,547 



Totals 11,125 20,242 19,173 



Consumption, asd on ships not 



cleared 6,737 9,079 t,440 



Disap'd from N.Tork and N.Orleans.. 16,862 29,321 26,613 



AGRICULTURAL. 



Pennsylvania Wheat Crop. 



The April statement of the condition of crops has 

 been completed at the Agricultural Department. 

 The following is that portion referring to the wheat 

 crop in the different counties of this State : 



Lehigh. — Wheat looks pale in some localities; 

 badly winter killed. Rye appears remarkably well. 



Cameron. — Winter wheat and rye in good condi- 

 tion. 



Delaware. — Wlieat and rye present an unusually 

 healthful appearance. 



Indiana. — Wlieat and rye promise unusually well. 

 The most trying time on our winter grain is from 

 the 20th of March to the 20th of April. 



Perry. — Plenty of wheat on the ground, but short. 

 We are having weather now that may make a short 

 crop. 



Wyoming. — Wheat and rye wintered good. 



Clearfield. — Wheat and rye looking well, as far as 

 the snow will let us judge. 



Clinton. — Early, some fine; late wheat and rye, 

 some backward and much injured by the winter. 



Union.— Wheat and rye, about two-thirds of a 

 crop. 



Cambria. — Winter wheat 25 per cent, better than 

 last year. 



Bradford. — Wheat and rye in promising condition. 



Cumberland. — Comparative condition of wheat and 

 rye good. 



Westmorland.^Winter wheat and rye look good; 

 blades brown, but roots appear uninjured. 



Adams.— Wheat is short, though healthy; some late. 



Berks. — Early, some winter grain suffered from 

 Hessian fly; late, some healthy and promising. 



Snyder. — Great deal of winter wheat destroyed 

 by the fly; what remains looks well. Rye about 

 average . 



Fulton. — Wheat and rye stand well, and with fa- 

 vorable spring may have good crops, although some 

 late. 



Sullivan. — Wheat and rye never better. 



Chester. — Wheat and rye in average condition. 



York. — Wheat and rye good with fine prospects. 



Tioga.— Wheat and rye looking first-rate. 



Somerset. — Wheat and rye in good condition. 



Luzerne. — Good, five per cent, above average. 



Montgomery. — The comparative condition of both 

 good . 



Monros. — Wheat and rye never looked better. 



Juniata. — Condition of wheat, 90. 



Wayne. — Not looking as well as laat year. 



Mitliin.— Early, some wheat in good condition ; 

 late, does not look so well, but with favorable 

 weather may make a good crop. 



McKean. — Injured by freezing. 



Forest. — Winter whesit and rye in excellent condi- 

 tion. 



Dauphin. — Winter grain in fair average condition. 



Butler. — Everything is backward ; winter grain, 

 however, looks encouraging. 



Blair. — In about average conditicm. 



Armstrong. — Looks well ; above average. 



Columbia. — Wheat looking good ; rye same. 



Warren. — Very good. 



Mercer. — Good ; much above the average. 



Northumberland. — Winter grain looks remarkably 

 good. 



Erie. — Wheat and rye came out of the snow very 

 fine. 



Beaver. — Never had a^better appearance than this 

 spring. 



Montour. — Wheat and rye a full average. 



Lancaster. — Looks well over the whole county. 



Crawford. — Wheat and rye in the very best condi- 

 tion. 



Is Wheat Culture Declining? 

 Oue of the questions which presents itself to mil- 

 lers, and others interested iu wheat, is whether there 

 is a decline in the wheat crops of the past few years 

 as compared with the crops of the earlier periods in 

 the history of our agriculture. Many have asserted, 

 on what apparently seem good grounds, that while 

 the aggregate amount of wheat is greater now than 

 formerly, the relative quantity, or number of bushels 

 per capita^ is decreasing, and will soon be adquate to 

 supply only the home demand. The method by which 

 these conclusions have been reached is fallacious in 

 the extreme, and consists in taking the best crops of 

 former years and comparing them with the poorer 

 ones, or the "failures" of later times. Of course 

 the only correct way is to take the average of two 

 series of years, and compare each average with the 

 number of inhabitants. On such a basis of calcula- 

 tion it is easily demonstrated that our wheat produc- 

 tion is constantly and steadily increasing. In 1849 

 the whole crop amounted to 100,000,000 bushels ; in 

 1859 it reached 173,000,000 bushels; and in 1869 it 

 was 387,000,000 bushels. According to the popula- 

 tion, 4.:i bushels were produced per capita in 1849, 

 5.5 in 18.59, and 7.46 in 1869. This last crop was an 

 exceptional one. Since then the average has been 

 about 200,000,000 bushels a year, or nearly 7 bushels 

 per capita. Our exports furnish another means of 

 arriving at the same general conclusion that our sup- 

 ply of wheat i* Increasing, for the past fifty years 



