Tobacco Farm

Sir Duke · Tobacco Farm

My brother, Mike Martin, took this photo of a tobacco farm
in the Connetticut river Valley a few weeks ago.

ted · I grew up on Tobacco Farm

I grew up on a tobacco farm in North Carolina. North Carolina is known for its "baccer". The state grows 2 kinds: Flue Cured; this is the type that is cured with fire and smoke. We also grew Burley. Burley only grows in northwest NC, southwest VA, eastern TN and KY, and northwest GA. I've always heard that the soil in these parts is "sweet" and imparts a special flavor to the Burley. It is supposedly prized by cigarette makers.

Tobacco here was not the main occupation of the farmers, more like extra (Christmas) money. Most farmers grew or did something else. We had a dairy farm, grew corn for silage, hay, and tobacco. Each small farm in burley country had a "base". The base was determined by the Federal price support program. When I was a kid the base for our farm was .6 acres. We could only grow 6/10 ac., but we rented the base off several nearby farms.

We grew as much as 5 acres spread over 6 or 7 other farms. The base at this time was strictly land use. The better the farmer, the more pounds you could grow, and the more profit.

In Spring we prepared the "beds". Burley was first planted in very controlled conditions until it was 6- 8 inches tall. Beds had to be as smooth as a baby's behind. Beds were plowed, disked, and raked by hand, and all the rocks were picked up. Beds were then covered with plastic and sealed around the edges with dirt and then fumigated. After a few days the plastic was removed and the seeds planted. Seeds are so small that a teaspoon full will plant about 5 acres. Once planted, the beds were covered with canvas.

When the plants are about 6" to 8" they are pulled for transplanting. The preparation of the beds is so important because when the plants are pulled the must come up with some dirt on the roots. Plants were set by hand using a "baccer setter", a waist high triangular metal apparatus with a wide metal tube, a water supply, and a trigger that opens the bottom of the tube. Plants were dropped down the tube and the trigger pulled. This opened the bottom of the tube, spread the earth and added a little water. Dirt was kicked over the roots, and it was set.

We had to plow and hoe the tobacco about every 2 weeks until it got too big to get in it. We had a Morgan horse that we used to plow. I started plowing at about 12. The horse knew more about it than I did. All he wanted me to do was turn the plow around at the end of the row. When we were done, I'd unhook the plow, and crawl on "old Dan's" back. He'd take me home from any of the farms without a word from me.

Once the Burley was grown and turning yellow, it was cut, stalk and all and "spudded" onto a slim 4 to 5 foot stick. 6 to 8 stalks per stick. This was done with a steel spear tip that was hollow so it would fit over the stick. The spudded sticks were propped in twos in the field for 2-3 days. We then hauled it to the barns and hung the sticks on wire and wood frames inside the barn. It dried for another 4-6 weeks.

In early November, on a damp day, the sticks were taken down and the baccer ,stems and all, was taken off the sticks. We then "graded it". Simply pulled off the leaves. Bottom 6 or so leaves were gold...next 6 or so were red....rest were "tips". Gold for chew....red for pipes....tips for cigarettes. Potency of the plant increased toward the top.

Leaves were tied into "hands" using a leaf to wrap around the stems of other leaves, packed on baskets, and taken to market. Dollar a pound was a big price in the 50's and 60's and the 6/10 ac base would grow up to 2000 lbs if the weather was good. Hail storms could ruin a crop.

I was born in 1947...Started really working on the farm at about 12. We were poor, but so was everyone else. Started at Piney Creek school in 53/54 and graduated from the same school in 65' with 24 other kids. In 12 grades the school only had 200 students.

We don’t grow anymore. Dad retired in 71', and there were many changes in the "base" system. The Federal Government (funded by the tobacco companies) is still paying me for the base I do not grow. The base was changed from acreage based to poundage based. This caused farmers to not think about growing as much as possible on a small plot, just plant more. This resulted in over-supply and prices dropping.

Several of my friends and neighbors still grow it. Without a base system they plant acres. Dollar a pound is a good price today. Plants are now grown in greenhouses. Planting is done by Mexicans on a riding setter. (Most of the work is done by Mexicans today.)

We sold to all major tobacco companies who would come to the market. Each basket was auctioned to one of them. RJR AND PM bought the most. I never did smoke the backer from the field. The gold was pretty mild, but Burley from the field is pretty harsh. Some neighbors used to make "twist" chewing tobacco out of the red. They flavored it with honey. Some farmers made it really well.

An Army buddy introduced me to Kools, and I do still smoke them....about two packs a month. Not much of a habit. I still smoke a pipe when I'm outside for any length of time and still yearn for it. My wife and I agreed when we built our new house....NO SMOKING INSIDE.... Two cans of Skoal a week keeps me going.

Many of our "family farms" have been bought and combined by developers. I'm fortunate to still own ours and have two Grandchildren that I hope will own it forever.

AINT NOTHING LIKE GROWING UP ON A FARM.....TED

LokoMac8 · Re: I grew up on Tobacco Farm

Sir Duke

I'd love to hear about raising Greyhounds, and even your thoughts on racing them. This is THE most politically correct pipeforum on the internet and for that I am grateful. Your views would be appreciated. I love dogs.

I think they can be raced ethically. My wife and I wanted to go to a resort that has Greyhound racing and drove by the tracks in Seabrook, NH so, we've been talking a lot about it lately...

When we decided to get a dog, I wanted to adopt a Greyhound. The only reason we didn't was because we read that the old racedogs weren't good "off leash" because a bag could fly by and they'd bolt! My co-workers has them and I just love them.

Any my borther said this about the above pictured farm:

ted

Maybe I over glamorized this farming stuff....This afternoon I went out to shoot groundhogs and noticed that the water trough for the cows wasn't full. It holds about 150 gallons and is fed by springs through gravity. Water enters at the bottom and overflows through a pipe at the top. The bottom was covered with about 3 inches of cow manure. Reach in...unclog the inlet. Didn't work. Go to the barn and get the flat shovel(shit scoop we call it). Scoop it out till the inlet is clear. Reach in and try to unclog it. Didn't work. Go to the barn and get a flexable piece of aluminum wire. Stick it into the inlet and push it as far as possible. Finally kicked in.

Right now I have 7 old cows and 6 calves. One cow has been trying to calve for 24 hours. She was still trying. Called my neighbor...Tied the cow to a fencepost and proceeded. Up to my shoulder in a cow's vagina. First thing a scared cow does is shit...From the top of my head to my shoes...twice. The calf was breeched (backwards). I found his tail and two hind legs and worked around to his head. We try to save the calf, but most important is saving the cow. Got hold of his jaw and his bones were so flexable that he turned in such a small space. Pulled his head to the opening so he could breathe, and washed off in the trough...Cleaner than I was....In about ten minutes momma delivered a beautiful bull calf...perfectly formed. he went right to sucking....
All this in about a hour and a half. IT'S STILL GREAT TO GROW UP ON A FARM..
BUBBA THIS ONE WAS FOR YOU......

ozark southpaw

Well I dont remember to much glamor from my years on the farm. I grew up up in the Missouri "boot heel". Spent a good many days chopping and picking cotton!! $5.00 a day for chopping(10 hrs) and $3.00 per hundred for picking. MY mother always out picked me!! Wasnt a bad life but I DONT want to go back!! I like it much better here in the hills!

Sir Duke · Still Interested

Just won this book on eBay. Am looking forward to learning even more about thge topic. My brother has sent me nore and more pictures. There is also a book relative to tobacco in NC which I was wondering if ted ever read (as he could probably just as easily have written it.)

Terry292

I didn't grow up on a farm, but we did live in the country, and my Father had a theory that hard work never killed anyone. Dad was also a frustrated farmer, but didn't have the acreage to indulge his yearnings. He had no qualms about loaning my brother and me out to neighbors to help around their farms. So, I spent many a day in my youth and teenage years hoeing, suckering, topping, and cutting burley tobacco. I can still feel the sticky sap on my arms and hands from hanging tobacco sticks with 8 or 10 stalks of freshly cut tobacco high in the rafters of the curing barn.

Sir Duke

Hard work is always appreciated. Genius often goes overlooked. Take me for instance ; )

seriously though.. will have to have my 14 y/o son read this thread. He's living the life of Riley...

ted

Terry292

Ted, I live in Northeast Tennessee, in the Tri-Cities area (Bristol, Kingsport, Johnson City). We're not that far from Sparta. I left here when I was 18 and spent 22 years following Uncle Sam's flag around the world. But, when it came time to retire, I made a beeline straight for home. We've been back here about 15 years now. I live about seven miles from the house I grew up in.

ted

Takes me about an hour to get to Bristol, only cause I have to go through Marion VA. I can see the lights of Bristol at night, and the fireworks in July. I love it....I live within 200 yards of the house I grew up in. Oneday I'll follow the trail of pipes to your house.....-ted-

ted

Ever go to the highlands festival in Abingdon? It's become an annual treat for Joy and I We go for the "beach Music", and the Barter Theater.. -ted-

Terry292

Ted, We ususally get to Abingdon at least once during the Festival, sometimes twice. My wife, Trease, and I like to go to the Antiques Show on the first weekend, just to see what they have, and then on the last weekend, to pick up some bargains. Most of the dealers don't want to haul a lot of stuff back to wherever they came from, so they're more willing to deal on my terms.

We also like to go to the Labor Day weekend antiques show in Hillsville, VA, although we probably won't make it this year. Our son is starting his college career in Nashville on the 27th of this month, and we'll be taking him down to get settled in the weekend before. Doubt if we'll have much extra cash on hand to buy antiques after that trip and my visit to Uptown's.

We live about 30 miles southwest of Bristol along Highway 11W. PM me and I'll give you our address and phone number. If you're ever over this way, maybe we can get together for coffee and a smoke, although you'll have to come to the house. Tennessee restaurants no longer have smoking sections, d**n them.

Terry

Tobacco Farm

I grew up on Tobacco Farm

Re: I grew up on Tobacco Farm

Still Interested