36 CIRCULAR 10 0, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



daily those in which the negro population is large. Most of the 

 characteristics of the negroes, however, tend to make them good 

 cooperators. If the white leaders set a good example, the negroes 

 are prepared to remain faithful to the trust which such leadership 

 imposes upon them. In some districts the colored farmers seemed 

 reluctant to join, but when they joined they usually did as their white 

 neighbors or landlords advised them. The general impression among 

 the members of the association was that on the whole the negro mem- 

 bers remained more loyal to the association than the white members. 

 Fear of legal action, need of less money, and less cleverness in avoid- 

 ing the contract accounted in part for their greater loyalty. 



In brief, the low standard of living, the type of farming, the lack 

 of education, extreme individualism, and lack of cooperative experi- 

 ence all serve to retard any movement towards group action. The 

 situation is made still more difficult by the apparent social strati- 

 fication and the existence of conditions which tend to divide farmers 

 among themselves. These conditions render much more complex and 

 difficult the problems of cooperative marketing, for, despite good and 

 able management, and sound organization, policies, and practices, if 

 the members do not or can not live up to their contracts the associa- 

 tion can not succeed. 



THE ASSOCIATION'S RECEIPTS OF TOBACCO 

 ANTICIPATED RECEIPTS 



The association used the United States Department of Agriculture 

 preliminary estimate of 618,000,000 pounds as the 1920 production of 

 tobacco in Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina as the basis 

 for estimating the percentage of the crop under member contracts. 

 According to the revised figures, the 1920 production of tobacco in 

 the three States was 678,330,000 pounds. On the basis of the re- 

 vised total, 52 per cent instead of 57 per cent of the production was 

 under contract by the association. 



On January 5, 1922, according to sworn statements by the organiza- 

 tion committee in authorizing the formation of the association, 64,022 

 tobacco growers growing 352,601,437 pounds of tobacco had signed. 

 On the basis of this figure, the manager of the field-service depart- 

 ment estimated that the association receipts, in 1922, would be 353,- 

 000,000 pounds if a normal crop were produced and if all pledged to- 

 bacco were delivered. Allowing a 15 to 20 per cent loss, because of 

 complications in the relations of landlord and tenant, broken con- 

 tracts, and other causes, it was anticipated that the receipts would be 

 between 282 and 307 million pounds, on the basis of the average pro- 

 duction of the five previous years. 14 Before delivery of the 1922 crop 

 the number of members had increased to 79,643 and the estimated 

 tobacco under contract to 407,255,437 pounds, as shown in Table 8. 



"Minutes of board of directors, June, 1922. 



