| Archive for Dr. Grabow Pipes "America's One and Only" |
| ozark southpaw |
BurleyGot my order from pipesandcigars.com in yesterday. Two of the tobaccos I ordered were Burleys. Scottys Butternut Burley and Peter Stokkebye Bulk Burley. Like both of them. The Scottys kind-sorta reminds me of Half &Half but is milder with less of the nutty-fruity odor that you get when you open a can of Half & Half. The Stokkebyes I really like! It smells like tobacco in the pouch!! No nutty-fruity stuff-just tobacco!! It is the mildest burley I have ever smoked! Smokes good all the way down. It cost a little more-$6.75 for 4 OZ. versus $5.96 for the Scottys which is what the Lane 1Q and the BCA cost also. Havent tried the Lane stuff yet,but I am suspicious of them! They both have the look and feel of being laced with PG's. 
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| Dave |
Butternut burley is a good tobacco
I get a lite buttery nutty taste from it it is mild enough to smoke all day and still satisfy I keep a pound around all the time Ps Burley I take is is the cube cut? If it is it does have good taste but like Lanes BLWB it is not a stong tobacco |
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| steverino |
Thanks for mentioning those Ozark, I have yet to find a burley that I really like. I smoke PA fairly regularly and like it pretty well, but have yet to find a "desert island" burley. I like some of the other Stokkebye stuff so maybe I will try their burley. | ||||
| ozark southpaw |
BurleyDave,wouldn't know a cube cut it it jumped up and slapped me!! Maybe you can tell from the pic. What ever cut it is I really like,been smoking it most of the day. Should have ordered more!!
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| Terry292 |
I like Middleton's Walnut myself. It's a burley-based American-English tobacco. Burley by itself is pretty bland to me, but, then again, straight Virginias taste like soap. Guess I'm just a Philistine at heart.
Terry |
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| ozark southpaw |
Steverino,you're welcome! I have been smoking a lot of Sir Walter which I like quite well. But I think the can I just bought may get some aging time since I discovered the PS and Scottys--especilly the PS! | ||||
| Gig |
If you want something different in burleys, try burley blends with deer tongue. I love them eg: Capitail Stairs, C & D Crooner and Gold Nugget. | ||||
| ozark southpaw |
Deer TONGUE?? Whoa!! | ||||
| Sir Duke |
Re: Burley
That'd be ribbon cut. You'd know cube cut, especially if you've ever owned fish (they look like fish food pellets). Your right though the wet leather loog does scream of dem pcg's or whatever thuse humidicants are called. T |
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| Dave |
My mistake ozark southpaw I assumed it was the cube cut because thats the one most everyone tries first Sorry
Stokkeby is good tobacco I keep the Luxury navy Flake and Luxury Twist Flake around all the time |
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| ozark southpaw |
BackyI finally tried the Lane tobaccos. The 1Q aint bad-but not likely to become one of my favorites either! The BCA? Well, don't like it,tastes like some of that cheap bag shite!! Not quite as heavy on the PG's though. Think I'll mix it with some SWR to use it up. Dave,what type of tobacco are those twists you mentioned? I've seen them on the pipesandcigars site but have never tried either.
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| Dave |
It is stokeby Luxury twist Flake
It is sweet virginia's It is great when you get it but gets better with age No bite slow smoking just a good smoking tobacco And if you like lite perique Luxury nave flake is good almost tastes like Orlik Golden Sliced LTF http://www.tobaccoreviews.com/blend_detail.cfm?ALPHA=L&TID=917 http://www.pipesandcigars.com/petstokbulto.html Luxury Navy flake http://www.tobaccoreviews.com/blend_detail.cfm?ALPHA=L&TID=916 here is the cheapest I have found it http://www.wvsmokeshop.com/stokkebyeluxurynavyflake.aspx |
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| steverino |
What do any of you guys think of MacBaren Burley London Blend? I have read many glowing reviews of it but for me it is downright nasty. Just harsh, hot and bitter. I'm beginning to wonder if I got a bad tin. Anybody else tried it? | ||||
| ozark southpaw |
From the reviews I read,most seem to like both of those tobaccos. Next time I order may get some . Thanks for the links. I find it amazing that there are so many different types and blends of pipe tobacco. | ||||
| Dave |
There is an awfull lot out there to try
But thats like pipes so many brands to try |
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| ozark southpaw |
I mixed some of the Lane BCA with some Sir Walter-3 parts SWR to 1 part BCA. Makes a pretty good smoke! I've finished off one batch and mixed up some more!! | ||||
| Gig |
Three of my favorite Burleys are:
C & D Crooner (deer tongue) Capital Stairs (deer tongue) 50/50 ERR & 5 Bothers PS LUxury Navy Flake 
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| Dave |
I usually keep on hand just in case I want some
PA CH SWR STonehaven PS luxury navy flake |
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| ozark southpaw |
Ok, just what the hell is deer tonque???!! Quess I need to try Some of that PS Luxury flake. | ||||
| steverino |
OS, it is an herb that gives the blend a faint vanilla taste, at least that is the way I perceive it. | ||||
| ozark southpaw |
Thanks Steve,had me thinking maybe they was grinding up dried deer tonques to put in with tobacco!! If it taste like vanilla I would probably like it! | ||||
| steverino |
Yeah, I thought it was something weird too when I first heard it. You may already know this - there is a new blend that Cornell and Diehl is going to be introducing soon that I believe will be a good blend to try for deertongue. I think the working name of the blend is "Gentleman Caller". I know they have the recipe in hand but not sure when it will come out. I had a sample of it a few months back and liked it quite a bit. | ||||
| Gig |
To me the deer tongue only slightly suggests vanilla but I do like the herbal taste it adds to the tobacco. But I do love all blends with it added so I must now be on the lookout for C & D Gentleman Caller now
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| gillywalker |
Has anyone tried Cornell and Diehl Crooner? I've smoked my first "burley" this weak via Half and Half and I like it a lot. Squadron Leader can be a little strong for me in the mornings or afternoon. I'm looking to try something a little more pricey now and Crooner sounds good. | ||||
| Gig |
Yes one of my regular deer tongue blends that I enjoy smoking. The deer tongue is supposed to give the burley a vanilla taste but I find it more herbal which I enjoy very much. Occassionally you get that wisp of vanilla and light spicy flavour. I find that it burns easily just by gravity feeding into the bowl and a light tampen. It does not burn hot or bite and highly recommend it
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| LokoMac8 |
I know that Bing Crosby was supposedly partial to deer tongue. I guess that is why that call it "Crooner". I one time passed up some tobacco that was supposedly blended for Bing -- it didn't even go that high, but not knowing at the time what the heck deer tongue was, I was skiddish about trying as it was quite a quantity being sold. --RJ-- |
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| Sir Duke |
I have smoked it a lot. Since running out have not replace due to a glut in my tobbaco cellar and a void in my wallet. I do enjoy it though. |
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| gillywalker |
I ordered some. Thanks guys. I also grabbed 2 oz of C&D Haunted Bookshop.
I have another question which is still on the topic of burleys. I notice Haunted Bookshop, Crooner, and Half and Half are all considered to be burleys. I've only smoked English Blends and Aromatics in the past and stuck with those in seperate pipes. Do you burley philes do the the same? |
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| Sir Duke |
I dont... takes too much oranization.
I like "Ghost" flavors" and figuring whats behind the blend Im smoking. Brings me back... Not a bad idea though. |
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| ozark southpaw |
I agree with Sir Duke--to much organization. What ever I'm smoking gets smoked in the pipes that are in rotation that day. | ||||
| LokoMac8 |
I don't either, but I am sure you probably should. I am just not that big of purist. Of course, I don't think my senses of taste and smell are as accute as other folks' -- dulled by too much hot sauce and spicey food maybe. Anyway, I have read many reviews of tobacco and the person doing the critique would describe the smoke like an expert wine taster tasting wine -- words like "boquette" and "essence" and "note" and "plum pudding" and a bit of that and a bit of this. After such a wonderful description, I still don't know what it would taste like! I don't pay any attention to what tobacco I put in what pipe, but have thought about it. I haven't really noticed many "ghosts" or hints of the other tobaccos I have smoked. Someone else could probably smoke my pipe and tell me the last ten tobaccos I have smoked in it and put them in order . . . --RJ-- |
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| Colt |
Lately I've been experimenting with Macbarens. Have tried the Virginia #1, Scotish Blend, and Dark Twist Roll Cake, and have enjoyed them all. The Virginia seems for me to be the best daily, or all day. I think some Petersons may be next on my experiment list.
Am also considering trying to grow, and cure my own pipe tobacco this coming summer. Any growers amongst you? Advice? |
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| LokoMac8 |
GROW IT?! That sounds like something right down TED's alley! If growing it doesn't work out, maybe he can tell you how to get paid for NOT growing it. --RJ-- |
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| ted |
Colt....It you are interested, read "tobaccco farm" on this Tobacco thread. Then if you need help, just let me know.....ted |
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| steverino |
Colt, try Peterson's University Flake, it's one of my favorites. Also, many people swear by Irish Flake, but I just can't smoke that stuff, way too strong for me. Their Sunset Breeze is a good aromatic. What was your experience with Virginia No. 1 like? When I first tried that stuff it was a new tin and it bit me like a rabid chipmunk. I put it in a jar and let it sit for a year and boy is it good now - sweet as can be and no bite. |
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| steverino |
Me too, RJ, I never have been able to find them hints of anise and nutmeg. |
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| drbridges |
It tastes like "Chicken" |
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| Horton |
Some of my favorite burlies are:
Prince Albert(Regular and Choice Blend) Carter Hall SWR Half & Half Edgeworth RR'ed My all-time favorite blend is a 50/50 mix of Carter Hall and Prince Albert. |
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| LokoMac8 |
Deer Tongue
A KENTUCKY CLUB MIXTURE ad in the February 1967 issue of POPULAR SCIENCE says this, that might be of interest: " . . . 4. Most important, the flavor is smooth and rewarding. The result of the careful blending of 5 important tobaccos: White Burley, Virginia Brights, Weeds Cavendish, Turkish and Perique, plus a dash of Deer Tongue for flavor. (Deer Tongue, by the way, is a variety of wild vanilla. It's used as seasoning the way you might add salt to stew.) . . . " {emphasis mine} I have never tried Kentucky Club Mixture, but it sounds worth a sample. --RJ-- |
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| TheDuke |
Can someone tell me the difference of these two.  All my local shop has is the 'Choice Blend'. Thus that's my daily smoke. Nice and strong! Almost as potent as the Camel's I smoked for 20yrs. 
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| Gig |
The Duke....you are lucky you an get the Choice Blend as its difficult to find. |
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| Horton |
IMO, the Choice blend is almost the same as the regular Prince, but is slighter more sweet, more nutty, and more smooth. And like you said, it's has a little more 'oomph' than the regular Prince. I love them both and hope they don't stop making the Choice blend. Also, as Gig pointed out, it seems hard to come by in some areas. I've only seen the Choice blend sold in 5 ounce bags, verses the regular Prince that comes in the 1.5 ounce pouches and 14 ounce tubs. |
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| gillywalker |
Well I'm sold on C&D's Haunted Bookshop. I got two generous ounces from pipesandcigars.com for 4 bucks!
This stuff burns easy with little relights, my girlfriend doesn't complain that it smells like cigarettes like when I smoke Half and Half, and the smell of the bag reminds me of the Brindley's Mixture my old man used to smoke. |
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| drbridges |
I have a burley question. A friend of mine smokes a burley based blend of his own concoction, which he orders from his tobacconist. Problem is he prefers light yellow-brown burley, and rejects the darker red-brown burley. He says it is too harsh and makes him cough.
He just gave me 3 lbs. of his blend that is "too dark." I know burley is flue-cured. And I believe all burley nowadays is "bright burley" from the Appalachian region. He is now favoring something sold as "white burley." My question is what is the difference between these darker and lighter burley tobaccos? Are some plants lighter than others? Or are the higher leaves lighter than lower leaves? Or is this color due to the curing process? I've never seen tobacco at auction. Do you see color variations from farm to farm, or do you see these color variations in tobacco from the same farm? |
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| Dave |
I know this is outdated
The last time I worked in tobacco fields when I was young tobacco was graded as to color You could buy seed for different burlys where I worked no.8 seed was used The leaves on the stalk when cured could be from black to high Yellow The same stalk could have all the grades of leaf The people I worked for took the leaves off the stalk in 5 grades Black,Green,Red and yellow and High yellow which would be more white than yellow Different grades of leaf sold for different prices most farms in the Appalachian region is the same types of tobacco the difference is the how fertal the land is where it is grown The leaves at the top of the stalk are usually lighter the reds usually are near the middle of the stalk if that helps any The black and green are usually at the bottom The nearer the top the smoother and higher the nic is the size of the leaves from farm to farm can be amazing I have seen tobacco 6 to 7 feet tall with leaves almost a foot across at one farm and no more than 3 feet tall and leaves 6in across at the next farm over |
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| Terry292 |
All the burley I ever worked with was strictly air-cured. The crop was harvested and then hung in the barn for several months before being graded. No heat of any kind was applied, other than the natural heat of the sun on the tin roof of the curing barn. Of course, all of this is dated information. It's been almost 40 years since I worked with burley tobacco.
Terry |
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| Dave |
Im like you Terry
The last time I worked tobacco fields had to be 30 years or more |
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| steverino |
Here is some info on burley tobacco from NC State University Cooperative Extension. Please go to this link for the complete article.
Burley (11% of world production) Burley is light air-cured type derived from the White Burley which arose as a mutant on a farm in Ohio in 1864. Burley is used primarily in cigarette blends. Some of the heavier leaf is used in pipe blends and also for chewing. Cured burley leaf is characterized by low sugar content and a very low sugar to nitrogen ratio (high nicotine). This is enhanced by high N. fertilizer, harvesting at an early stage of senescence, and the air curing process which allows oxidation of any sugars which may have occurred. Burley has a tremendous capacity to absorb flavorings (25% of its own weight vs. 7-8% for flue-cured). Cured leaves vary in color from light tan to reddish and brown. The leaf should be without yellow patches or fringes. Crops in the field are light green in color. This is particularly true for the midrib and stalk which are creamy- white. The leaves are slightly larger than flue-cured and the plants are generally taller. A typical plant is topped at 20-30 leaves. Average yields are 2500-3000 lbs/A and the plants are stalk cut. The leaves are stripped after curing. Burley is produced in around 55 countries but only a small amounts in over 1/2 of these. The main producers and trades are the U.S., Italy, Korea, Brazil, and Mexico. In the U.S. production is in Kentucky, Tennessee, Ohio, Virginia, North Carolina, West Virginia and Missouri. |
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| ozark southpaw |
They grow burley in Missouri?? Maybe I need to plant a garden next spring! | ||||
| drbridges |
I was wrong about burley being a flue-cured tobacco. Burley is air cured. I was confusing burley with Virginia Brightleaf, which is flue-cured.
Partly I blame the tobacco marketers who confuse me with their claims of blends made from "Bright & Virginia Burley" etc. According to Wikipedia, Brightleaf is harvested 1 leaf at a time as it matures, while Burley is harvested as an entire plant, spiked or spudded, and air-cured. The Burley leaves are stripped from the stalk and sorted after curing. I envy you guys who have personal experience with tobacco. The process continues to mystify me. The White Burley preferred by my friend must be from the plant tops, since Wikipedia claims all Burley grown in the US nowadays is White Burley, Red Burley is no longer grown they say. Great link, steverino! |
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| ozark southpaw |
If you think you might like to try growing some tobacco check out this site..............http://www.seedman.com/Tobacco.htm#2 | ||||
| drbridges |
If he asks, I guess I should tell him he is choosing the top leaves of the burley tobacco, the yellow and high yellow grades?? And when his tobacconist mixes in the darker burley, my friend is giving me the middle burley leaves, the reds grades?? I'm beginning to suspect my pipe smoking friend doesn't like Burley, but doesn't know it. I suspect the light tobacco blend he prefers might be largely Virginia Brightleaf. He smoked SWR for years, and found SWR varied from tub to tub. The darker it was, the more likely he would dispose of it in some way. |
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| ted |
Would somebody 'splain the difference between Carter Hall, Sir Walter Raleigh, and Prince Albert. Which is best?......ted | ||||
| Dave |
Which is better is a matter of personal taste PA is an old fashioned burly with a real tobacco taste with a hint of nuts Ch is a little sweeter taste to me it has a lite fruity note for me Sir Walter Raleigh is a great tobacco as smooth as silk with a nutty type taste All three are great and different all worth trying to see which one is best for you |
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| ted |
http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/ti...ch=%22prince%20albert%20grabow%22
Interesting stuff here. You'll have to "dig" to get to pipes, but do note the percentage of folks that smoked #79....ted |
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| drbridges |
I think it is hazelnut. |
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| ted |
http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/ti...arch=%22carter%20hall%20glycol%22
Dr.B...Maybe it's this instead....ted |
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| drbridges |
Yeah, if it isn't hazelnut, propylene glycol was my next guess.
Mixture 79 was #2 among Mechanix readers. Hmmm. I've always liked that blend. |
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| steverino |
Very interesting links, thanks. | ||||
| TheDuke |
Tried CH for the first time last week. Enjoyed 3 bowl's straight.Then mixed it 50/50 with PA in my rollup for the next day.It was Delicious! Mixed the remainder of the CH pouch to the tub'd PA and jarred.......now to try to let it sit at least 2 week's......tough stuff! | ||||
| ted |
Duke....I'll be forced to try that. Thanks.
MB was so wet that it wasn't fun. Played "Shaft"sbury Glen. 6500 yards in WET. I shot 94. That's 19 over my handicap. Felt like I'd never played. Finally shot 78 at Blackmoor. Every course was so wet that you had to be carefull where you walked. The ground would pull off your shoes.....ted |
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| TheDuke |
It's tasty Ted! I alway's tell myself that a 'bad day' of golf is better than a 'good day of work!  When I lived in Portland for 15yrs we played yearound. And it rains alot through the winter! Nothing like hitting a long drive that would normally run out well over 300yrs to see- Splashdown! Water flying up 15 ft, then by the time you get to where your ball should be.... ....It's enveloped by the mud to never be seen again! Good Times! 
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| ted |
Duke....You really understand....Thanks......It was that wet.
Off the drive we could (sometimes) see about a dime size white spot in the mud......our ball. I really believe that John Daily couldn't have beat me. It was just as muddy in the woods as in the fairway.....ted |
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| TheDuke |
Unfortunatly the 'Big Man' cant beat anyone anymore! He's even suspended from the PGA for at least this year! It's sad to see such promise squandered. 
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| slowburn |
I am a burly smoker; my first burly blend was SWR. I smoked it for years, until I discovered Half and Half. To me, nothing is more satisfying than a bowl of Half and Half in a Dr. Grabow pipe. | ||||
| LokoMac8 |
With EDGEWORTH getting more scarce by the day, and VELVET doesn't quite fill the gap, I may have to go back to HALF AND HALF myself. I liked it fine, and I guess I will have to like it even better . . . --RJ-- |
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| slowburn |
Have you checked 4noggins? They sell Edgeworth in the cans. |
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| LokoMac8 |
No, I sure haven't -- but I just did and it shows: EDGEWORTH READY RUBBED - 14oz Can Your Price: $25.99 Out of stock Item Number: ERR14 I am afraid, as word is getting out, it is getting scarce quick, and folks are checking under every stone for it. I was buying it from Lil' Brown Smoke Shack and there wasn't a hint about it running out until I tried to buy abother can and they were out. Wrote them to ask if the shortage was temporary, and they confirmed that they were no longer able to get it because productions had ceased. I am afraid that what is out there is it and though there many be plenty squirred away somewhere, it probably will show up infrequently and go for premium prices. --RJ-- |
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| ted |
Mac, There are some really "hole in the wall" stores around Sparta and Jefferson. I'm out today in both towns and will look a bit....ted... | ||||
| LokoMac8 |
I appreciate that TED! I realize that I probably ought to go ahead and prepare to wean myself off of it, but somehow I was thinking, maybe after just ONE more can . . . --RJ-- |
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| ted |
Mac, No luck with edgeworth. I tried some of the "old timey" Mom and Pop stores along the side of the road. They almost always have 1 of everything they've ever sold on a shelf somewhere.
Brings back a funny story. One of these stores is in Ashe County. In a section called Horse Creek. Used to be the meanest place in Northwest NC and hard to get to. Back in the 50's and 60's it made, ran, and sold more moonshine liquor than even Wilkes county. My National Sales Manager, Dan Ward, worked as a salesman for UST in the 60's. Salesmens cars were big Buicks, white. The UST emblem...logo....was a big eagle with it's wings spread. Naturally they had this eagle painted on the side of all these cars. Dan had 1 customer up Horse Creek that sold Copenhagen and he was making the long twisty drive up to the store. Dan said he heard something hit the side of the car, but just thought it was rock he kicked up. When he got to the store the owner was sitting outside on a bench. Dan said first thing he asked was "Where'd you get the bullet hole". "Somebody must have mistaken you for a "revenuer"". Dan made the store owner close the store and drive in front of him till he got back to the main road, and explaned to him why he wasn't EVER getting any more Copenhagen cept' by mail......ted |
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| Dave |
SWR REgular is close to ERR
It's not exactly but pretty close |
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| Terry292 |
Great story, Ted. Makes you wonder what kinds of perils other salesmen may have faced in small, backwoods communities throughout the States. I know some places around here where, if you're not born and raised there, you don't want to go without a native to vouch for you.
Terry |
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| LokoMac8 |
I greatly appreciate your efforts! The funny story eases my pain! --RJ-- |
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| ted |
RJ posted pictures of the burley on my farm so I'll try and keep y'all up with the process.
 [/ur
This is Alan Southers http://www.rockingsfarm.com/ cultivating and fertalizing the burley. We used an old horse and a 1 row cultivator. Today the farmers have usually found a Farmall (or similar) 4 wheel tractor (not a tripod) with narrow wheels and can cultivate 2 rows at a time. This is the third time the tobacco has been cultivated. The process opens up the top layer of soil to accept rainwater, and cuts out the weeds. After this the crop will be hoed, by hand, to remove the weeds between the plants. This is usually done by Mexicans. When I was a kid, it was usually done by ME. The crop has grown a couple of feet since RJ was here. I love to watch it grow when I don't have any labor involved in it....ted |
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| ozark southpaw |
Well if hoeing tobacco is anything like choppin' cotton I wouldn't want anything to do with it!! Except smokin'! | ||||
| LokoMac8 |
Sure glad you are doing pictures, too, now!!! This is going to open up a whole new experience! --RJ-- |
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| LokoMac8 |
. . . and if I hoed tobacco anything like I chopped cotton, there wouldn't be much tobacco left! You see, you don't actually "chop" the cotton, as it was kindly explained to me. Apparently they thought what I was doing was deliberate . . . --RJ-- |
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| ozark southpaw |
You should have told them you thought it was Morning Glories!! The Morning Glory seedlings do look a lot like cotton seedlings! | ||||
| LokoMac8 |
Well, fact of the matter was, my hands just didn't seem to fit a hoe. They fit the steering wheel on the tractor much, much better! --RJ-- |
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| ted |
Never had the pleasure of chopping cotton, but the stroke is the same. Our patches of Burley were only about 1/2 acre (even though we had several leased patches). Some of the cotton fields are HUGE. Tobacco is tough enough. Sure glad we didn't grow cotton....mighta' married a hoe...ted | ||||
| drbridges |
In East Texas, they taught me to call chopping hoes Scovin hoes. It is a heavy long-handled hoe with a forged eye for the handle. A good chopper keeps it sharp enough you can nearly shave with it.
Don't see cotton chopping any more. Herbicides changed farming. The proper name appears to be Scovil hoe, but it sounds like Scovin around Nacogdoches. Was nice when your wife would help chop. One of the few times you could almost get away with introducing her as your best hoer. |
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| ozark southpaw |
And it better be cotton choppin' time when you said it!!
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| ted |
Our Burley isn't quite "as high as an elelpants eye", but it 'aint done bad since RJ's picture on July 9. Hope you can get an idea of the size of the leaf in my right hand.......ted |
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| ozark southpaw |
Wow,that stuff grows pretty quick I'd say!! How much longer before it's ready to harvest?
If I were to cut a coupe of trees in the front yard I could put in a good 1/2 acre. Wife might not like though! |
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| ted |
It usually frosts here around the 10th of September. It's got to be cut, spudded, field dried (for a day or two) and hung in the barn by then. Probably about three more weeks. It'll turn golden when it's ripe and some of the bottom few leaves are beginning to turn already. I'll try and take another picture while it's being "topped". When it blooms, these blooms have to be cut or broken out. This so the plant will produce weight instead of seeds......ted |
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| LokoMac8 |
WOW!!! In just a month's time! You know, we've only had an inch and a quarter of rain here at the house since I got back from my visit with you. It's DRY here! --RJ-- |
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| Terry292 |
R.J., I'll trade places with you for a day or two, anyway. It rained all last week, and this week ain't much better, so far.
Ted, oh, my aching back. Of course, I suppose you all have machinery now to do all that suckering, topping, cutting and hanging in the barn. Not like when I was a kid. We did it all by hand, ususally mine and my brother's. Terry |
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| ted |
Still done the way you remember it. Only new "machinery" we have now is Mexicans......ted |
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| Terry292 |
 I'm not real good with these little smileys. I hope I got it right.
Terry |
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| ted |
burleyThere is a bunch going on in the burley fields these next two weeks. This is to just show the beautiful golden color as it ripens.
And again...This is 6 feet tall, almost as tall as I am. 
The next two pictures are the burley cut and spudded in the field. About 4 to 6 stalks are spudded onto an inch by inch oak stick abour 5 feet long. A hollow spear tip is used that fits over the stick. It is sharpened to a razor tip. In the old days one person would cut, using a steel blade mounted into a 3 foot wooden handle. He would hand it back to the spudder who put the spud (spear) through the center of the stalk. Two stichs were propped together, as in the pictures, to air dry for 2 to 4 days. Today with the Mexicans doing the work, they cut the tobacco with a weed eater and blade. Once it's on the ground, they all come back through and spud. 
This is my Cadillac Escilade "farm truck". Before anyone asks...I didn't let it go as a "clunker" because it hasn't been tagged or insured for years. It's my farm, fishing, hunting truck. 
Next picture will probably be of me holding "our" tobacco. Enjoy...ted |
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| BWThomas |
ted, fixed that truck up for you.
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| ted |
Barry, If only it was that easy. I appreciate the effort.
Some non-profit group usually has an "ugly truck" contest about every 2 years. With a little mud, I'm a hands down winner....ted |
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| steverino |
Thanks for posting the tobacco stuff ted, I'm "green" when it comes to the actual procedure used in the field, so I enjoy hearing about it. | ||||
| drbridges |
A book I recently read described farming in 19th century TN, and said putting tobacco up high in the barn was dangerous. Assume the job is mechanized now with fewer falls & impaled workers. | ||||
| ted |
Dr B, That part hasn't changed. Hanging tobacco is just like the old "Bucket brigade", only verticle.
One person has to get to the top of the barn, then another to hand the sticks to him, then another, till the sticks can be handed from person to person to the top of the barn. I'll get a picture of the tbacco hanging in a specially built tobacco barn. If the picture is good enough, you can see the "challenge". And when the tobacco has cured, it has to come back down the same way. I made many trips to the top of barns. Wouldn't try it today...ted |
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| ozark southpaw |
Great pictures Ted! I am enjoying this! Didn't know a Toyota tailgate would fit a Cadillac! Now that Barry has "fixed" it for you it should be a lot of fun to drive! | ||||
| TheDuke |
Great picture's Ted! Really enjoy seeing the process. Seem's to grow a heck of alot faster than our corn! | ||||
| Terry292 |
You could almost faint sometimes from the heat at the top of those old barns. You couldn't pay me enough to get me back up there. Ted, your truck reminds me of an old Datsun pick-up I used to own. I got 'air conditioning' through the holes in the floorboards. Terry |
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| ted |
Terry...Have a friend with a blue 86' Toyota. He calls it "flow through ventilation"....ted | ||||