Going up in smoke
A small but dedicated band of pipe smokers are still growing their own tobacco
Guy Smith suggests how to go about growing your own pipe tobacco
In my younger days, the majority of countrymen smoked either a pipe or a cigarette. The former was a strong favourite, possibly because it was cheaper. In the 1950s, an ounce of tobacco cost about 4/6d (22½p). There were, of course, cheaper and more expensive brands.
Virtually every sporting publication carried a tobacco advertisement. One that appeared regularly announced: “the hours you most enjoy deserve the company of Gold Block, the Supreme Tobacco”. There was also Escudo: “the choice of discerning smokers”. Then there were those that directly targeted fieldsports, namely Grousemoor, with a picture on the tin of a bag of grouse laid out in front of a shotgun and dogs, and Exmoor Hunt, depicting a stag’s head.
I confess to having smoked a pipe since the age of 14. I was at boarding school at the time and on Sunday afternoons we were sent out for a walk in the countryside. This was an ideal opportunity for an illicit smoke in the woods, mostly cigarettes but three of us chose a pipe, which we shared.
HOME-GROWN TOBACCO
A government sympathetic to lovers of the weed permitted one to grow one’s own tobacco up to a maximum of 25lb – but there was a proviso: the leaf could not be sold or given away. Thus, the cultivation of tobacco plants developed into a hobby with gardeners and there were numerous enthusiasts throughout the UK seeking a cheap smoke.
Up until comparatively recently, tobacco seed was supplied by the Tilty Tobacco Centre in Dunmow, Essex. Unfortunately, it has now ceased trading. The younger generation have little or no interest in producing their own baccy so there are just a few of us “oldies” left to continue a dying tradition.
So, where does one obtain seed today? Search the internet and you will find one or two sources; there are also existing growers who will fulfil your needs to the best of their capabilities. Tilty used to offer a wide selection of seed – Burley, Brazilian and Hungarian, to name just three – as well as plants. My preference was Brazilian, which I consider to be the best variety for UK growing and the most suitable for pipe smoking.
To be honest, no tobacco grown in Britain will equal leaf from such places as Virginia or Zimbabwe. It lacks the necessary “body” due to our climate. Hence the solution is to blend it 50-50 with your favourite proprietary brand. If you favour a “mixture” then latakia, a strong, aromatic leaf from Syria, will give you an acceptable smoke without the need to mix your own with a commercial brand. Latakia, however, cannot be smoked on its own for that is a harsh and unpleasant experience. It is a blending tobacco.
EARLY DAYS
I was introduced to tobacco growing by the late Hubert Appleyard in the 1960s. He was a perfectionist in every sense and had developed his own methods throughout the processes of growing, curing and shredding. His tobacco was just about suitable for smoking without blending but, that said, he did use latakia, which he had always favoured in a purchased product.
I experimented with a few of my own ideas. I collaborated with a farmer, who became smitten with the idea, and we grew a long row of plants in one of his fields. He was also a qualified engineer and made some excellent presses and shredders to his own design, which were better than those offered commercially.
Seeds should be germinated in trays indoors or in a greenhouse and planted out when they attain a height of two or three inches. It is a mistake to attempt to grow them on in either a polytunnel or greenhouse, where they become leggy and the leaves will not reach each a usable size.
Wind is the nemesis of the tobacco grower as it will damage or strip the leaves, so position plants in a sheltered site. Feed with potash, which stimulates growth, nitrogen for maximum yield and phosphate to strengthen the roots.
HARVESTING LEAVES
Mature leaves should be ready for the first harvest towards the end of August. Only take the largest, leaving the smaller ones to reach fruition. These will, hopefully, mature through to late September. When they begin to turn yellow this signals the end of the growing season.
Harvested leaves must be thoroughly dried. Ideally, suspend them on a length of thin wire, passing it through the base of the stems, ensuring that they are well separated. A cluster will not dry out and will encourage mould. Your “drying room” can be a shed, garage or any outbuilding so long as there is a current of air passing through it continuously. Without air the crop will soon become mouldy. There will always be the odd mouldy leaf; remove these immediately or spores will spread to the rest of your crop.
Once thoroughly dry the leaves will keep for years. Currently, I have two tea chests full. I do not intend to grow any more leaf in the foreseeable future but every year I grow a few plants in order to keep my seed going. If the worst comes to the worst and tobacco seed is no longer obtainable, then at least I have the means whereby to continue the hobby. Likewise, I can always oblige a few new enthusiasts with a starting point.
PROCESSING
Ensure that the leaves are thoroughly dry before removing them from the wires. The next task is to remove the mid-ribs. Stalks are always unpleasant to smoke.
That done, you can begin curing your tobacco. All you need is a large saucepan and then to follow the method described below, developed over the years. There are many, as virtually all growers have their own “recipes”, but I will stick with mine as I don’t believe I can improve upon it in order to suit my personal taste.
Once that’s done, shredding can take place. Depending upon whether you are making cigarette or pipe tobacco will determine which blade to use: a fine one for the former; a thicker one for the latter.
Once the tobacco has been shredded, the next part of the process is “toasting”. This will ensure that the tobacco is thoroughly dry and also gives it a rich, golden appearance such as you find with commercial products.
Use an oven grill on moderate heat and keep turning the tobacco with a kitchen fork to ensure that it is toasted evenly. Whatever you do don’t shove it under the grill and leave it. You need to keep pulling the tray out every 20 seconds or so and teasing the leaf with the fork until the process is completed to your satisfaction. Then spread it out on a newspaper, give it a final “fluffing” and leave it overnight in an airy outhouse. You need a certain amount of moisture content prior to transferring it into containers.
Empty coffee jars are ideal for storage. Fill them fairly loosely and leave the lids off for about a week. Once the lids are screwed down you need to examine the contents weekly to ensure that there is no mould.
Like wine, tobacco improves with keeping. Ideally, you should smoke the leaf you cured the previous year, hence the need to label and date your jars. Job done!
PIPE-SMOKING COLLECTIBLES
Virtually every hobby has a following of collectors, and pipes and tobacco are no exception. Up until the late 1960s, most tobacco was sold in either one-ounce or two-ounce tins. After the contents were either smoked or transferred to a pouch, those colourful containers were thrown away. Smokers never thought that one day they might become part of a collection.
Some tins were used in sheds and workshops for storing screws and nails. Even these have now found their way into displays; most are rusty but rather corroded tins than none at all. While tobacco tins do not change hands for high prices there is still a market for them. It is the artwork that appeals to collectors, fast disappearing in this era of political correctness.
Pipes, too, are collected even if they are secondhand and well smoked. More than half a century ago, when Dunhill purchased the firm of John Sinclair in order to promote sales, it ran a caption competition, the prize being a pair of hand-carved Dunhill pipes.
In a moment of enthusiasm I entered and, unbelievably, was the winner. The pipes are truly beautiful, cased and include a signed ticket from the carver. Truly a “one-off”, the only pair of its kind. A few years back I was offered £800 for them. Wisely, or foolishly, I refused.
Collectibles such as this are an integral part of the history of smoking and must be preserved.
COMPETITIVE PUFFING
A focal point for pipe-smoking hobbyists, from 1996 to 2007, was the British Pipe Smoking Championships, which were held annually at the Old Silhillians Club, Knowle, Warwickshire. The number of contestants averaged 40 and they came from all parts of the UK as well as a few from overseas. In Europe, this type of event is currently much larger and competition extremely keen.
The rules were simple: each competitor was provided with a brand-new pipe, donated by whichever company was sponsoring the championship that year, along with three grams of tobacco – just enough to fill the pipe. Contestants were given three matches and lighting up time was announced by the supervisor. One had to keep one’s pipe alight, without relighting, for as long as possible. If it went out then the smoker was out. A referee sat at the head of each table to check that everybody adhered to the rules.
I attended every event until its closure in 2004 due to the ban on smoking in public places. Our venue was deemed to be one of these although I do not understand why the general public could not have been excluded on these days as it was a club and restricted to members.
One of my proudest moments was to win at the gathering in 2003, when I was declared British Champion, achieving a time of 1 hour, 38 minutes, 31 seconds. While there is skill in keeping a pipe alight for a lengthy period there is also an element of luck involved. Just when you think all is going smoothly the pipe can extinguish, for any number of reasons.