122 THE CULTURE OF TOJIACCO. 



Sales of Cigar Leaf.— The l.ietter grades of rigar leaf will imt 

 stand the I'ough handling given tubacco at loose sales, neither will they 

 endure pressure and treatment of packing in hogsheads. The buyers 

 who are middle men, known as leaf dealers, visit the farmers and enter 

 into agreement with them for a i^ortion or all of their crop. These 

 contracts are usually verljal, and are very likely to be broken if any 

 changes in the market take place between the time of sale and the time 

 of delivery. A written contract and a payment of a portion of the 

 contiact price should be insisted upon. 



When this tobacco is purchased by a leaf dealer it is delivered at 

 his warehouse, where he grades, ferments, and packs it in cases for 

 shipment. After the tobacco has become of the proper age and 

 condition, the cases are opened and samples taken, and by these samples 

 the leaf dealer sells his tobacco to brokers or manufacturers. The 

 cases in which this leaf is packed hold aljout three himdred pijunds of 

 tobacc<j. 



A grower could grade, ferment and pack his own tobacco if he 

 wished, Imt he is usually without the skill required for conducting the 

 fermentation, and he is not likely to have sufficient tobacco of any 

 one grade to make it worth while f(ji' the manufactui'ei' to directly 

 vi.sit him. 



The large tobacco-growing companies of Florida combine the 

 functions of glowers, leaf dealers and packeis. They ferment and 

 pack all their own tobacco as well as that of the smaller growers. This 

 tobacco is packed in bales, and is sold by a pi'ivate bargain to buyers 

 who visit the wai'ehouse and examine the tobacco on the spot. 



Leaf I)e.^.lers, 



These middle men play an important part in the tobacco industry. 

 By puichasing the farmers' tobacco they give them a ready market 

 and relieve them of the necessity of holding their stock. Through 

 devoting theii- attention to the business, the leaf dealers are able to 

 develop new markets and handle the tobacco in a manner to suit their 

 requirements. By handling large quantities of leaf, they are also in a 

 Ijetter position to secui-e favourable consideration from manufacturei-s 

 and foreign buyers, than would farmei's themselves. It is doubtful if 

 a thrifty tobacco industry could be developed in any locality without 

 the aid of the middleman. Where the tobacco industry has become 

 thoroughly estalilished and the manufacturing branch has been 

 consolidated (as has been done by the Tobacco Trust in America) the 

 independent middleman is superfluous. But in all newly developing 

 localities the presence of the middleman, even though he make 

 enormous returns for his labours, is to be encouraged. 



There is apparently no reason why an association of planters 

 could not be incorporated for the purpose of conducting the business 

 usually carried on by leaf dealers, tobacco brokers and packers. Sucli 

 an association would be the way out of the difficulty in localities 

 where the business is not being conducted Iry private eirterprise. 



Re-ordering and Stkmminq TorsAcco. 



Tobacco, as it comes from the curing barn or the warehouse fin,,, , 

 is not ordinarily in condition for' shipnrent in hogsheads. The bod\' 



