476 TOBACCO PRODUCTION 



co-operative associations have been formed and sell the tobacco oi 

 members, but this affects only a small part of the crop. 



The tobacco of Virginia and the Carolinas is sold by the auction 

 sales system. Large loose-leaf warehouses are provided in centers. 

 Here the farmers bring the crop. It is placed in charge of the ware- 

 house, is weighed and tagged with owner's name and is piled on the 

 floor. Buyers can inspect freely as the auction goes on. As piles 

 are sold, the owners are credited with the amount due and the buyers' 

 wagons remove the tobacco. The State requires that the scales be 

 standardized and that weighings and all transactions be honestly 

 conducted. 



In the Baltimore market the State guarantees samples and has 

 State inspection. The samples of the farmers' tobacco are taken in 

 charge by commission men and they and the buyer trade. Some- 

 times the farmer fixes a minimum price. 



Lexington, Kentucky, has loose-leaf auction sales and handles an 

 immense amount of tobacco. In some other markets auction sales 

 are conducted, but the buying is done by sample. Only these are 

 exhibited in the salesroom. 



In other markets, like Clarksville, Tennessee, and Hopkinsville, 

 Kentucky, most of the tobacco is sold from the wagon by the farmer. 

 The buyers may bid on it, but this is done privately. If a co-opera- 

 tive association handles the tobacco, its salesman takes samples of 

 each farmer's tobacco and sets the price at which it shall sell. 



Yields and Prices. For the ten-year period, 1900-1909, the 

 average yields and prices were as follows : 



State Pounds per acre Cents per pound 



Connecticut , 1657 16.4 



Pennsylvania 1331 8.6 



Maryland 634 6.5 



Virginia 717 7.8 



North Carolina 622 8.8 



Florida 722 31.4 



Ohio 875 8.6 



Wisconsin 1278 8.6 



Kentucky 833 7.5 



Tennessee 734 7.3 



INSECT ENEMIES 



Tobacco Horn Worm. The tobacco horn worm is the worst 

 insect pest of the crop. If left alone it will usually completely ruin 

 the tobacco. A combination of hand-picking and arsenic poisons 

 is the practical means of control (Fig. 203). When the infestation 



