Sales by Grade and Type 



Table 1 shows the price averages for conventionally packed loose tobacco and for 

 frame-packed tobacco, by grade, and the differences betweenthe price averages during 

 the 5-day experimental sales period,, Most of the prices for frame=packed tobacco 

 were within a few cents of prices for round-packed tobacco except for those grades of 

 which only one or two baskets were sold. The average prices for frame-packed 

 tobacco of particular grades and types were above average for round-packed tobacco 

 in 16 comparisons, below in 10 comparisons, and the same as the conventional loose 

 pack in 2 comparisons. This limited sales test indicated that frame-packed tobacco 

 did command a slight premium overthe conventional method of selling loose leaves. 



Condition of Tobacco and Sheet at the Processing Plants 



In order to evaluate the package and sheeting material, a small questionnaire 

 printed on a post card was included with each basket of tobacco after it was sold. 

 Sixty-three out of 273 post card questionnaires were completed by the processing 

 plant personnel and returned for tabulation. The questions asked and the tabulated 

 results are as follows: 



(1) Is this lot of' frame-packed tobacco worse, better, or about the same as other 

 flue-cured tobacco purchased this year in the conventional untied (loose) pack 

 with respect to: 



(a) Proportion of tangled leaves: Worse, 5; better, 46; same, 9, 



(b) Spoilage from overheating: Worse, 0; better, 5; same, 55, 



(2) Condition of sheeting material: Good, 31; fair, 1; poor, 28. 



(3) Weight of tobacco when received in plant? pounds, 



(The average weight loss was 0,7 pound, which is well within the allowable 

 tolerance of 2,0 pounds for up to 150 pounds of tobacco,) 



The questionnaire summary indicates that the frame-packed tobacco arrived 

 at the processing plants in better condition for processing than the conventional sheets 

 of loose leaves. Most of the packages contained fewer tangled leaves and broken 

 midribs than are usually found in sheets of loose tobacco. The amount of spoilage 

 from overheating was the same or less than normal, even though the straight-laid 

 leaves are tightly pressed together. With respect to the knit=paper sheet retaining 

 its condition, the replies were almost evenly divided between good and poor condition, 

 A followup investigation indicated that the sheets that were rated poor may have been 

 torn by hooks used for loading packages on dollies in the warehouses. It should not 

 be difficult to eliminate the use of hooks in handling the packages. The paper sheet 

 was designed to be disposable after one use. Therefore, sheeting material arriving at 

 the plants in poor condition is not objectionable if the tobacco remains in good 

 condition. 



Advantages to Growers 



One of two independent studies conducted within the past several years indicated 

 that tying tobacco requires about 74 more man-hours of farm labor per acre than 



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