Buy Tobacco Leaf Online | Whole Leaf Tobacco

a tobacco variant named TOFTA

Status
Not open for further replies.

Hasse SWE

Well-Known Member
Founding Member
Joined
Jul 25, 2013
Messages
1,315
Points
63
Location
Sweden (Värnamo)
Does anyone know anything about a old variant named Tofta? I know that this tobacco have been growing in Sweden 1921-1953 so I think it's a old oriental tobacco variant.And know that the American variant that Compete it from the Swedish fields (variants that in turn were competed for by newer tobacco all over the world). I have with good luck found seed from this variant and going to grow them next season.-But as you all can understand I don't know much about it, I can pretty much only speculate.But if anyone knows anything please let me know..
 

Tutu

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 9, 2016
Messages
732
Points
63
Location
Dominican Republic
I have never heard about if before, have no idea what it is whatsoever, but it sure sounds interesting. Do you have any articles about it? How do you know it's an Oriental?
 

Hasse SWE

Well-Known Member
Founding Member
Joined
Jul 25, 2013
Messages
1,315
Points
63
Location
Sweden (Värnamo)
Tutu, I don't know that it is a oriental tobacco, but Sweden was mostly growing Orient tobacco back in the days. So I believe it is a Oriental variant
 

deluxestogie

Administrator
Staff member
Joined
May 25, 2011
Messages
23,929
Points
113
Location
near Blacksburg, VA

"The question mark and the points in the table above depend on the text on the seedlings in some cases were hard to tell. Sometimes because mice have attacked the bag just where the text is written."

That was an interesting, and in many aspects a sad, read. So many unique tobacco varieties represented by seed that was poorly stored, and eventually forgotten, with no ongoing plan to maintain viable seed. If a mouse can gain access to the seed envelope, then the envelope has been subjected to ambient conditions.

In a sense, it's like old Roman ruins. At some point, those aware of it regarded the seed as not worth the effort to maintain. Maybe they were right. Maybe they were not.

Bob
 

Hasse SWE

Well-Known Member
Founding Member
Joined
Jul 25, 2013
Messages
1,315
Points
63
Location
Sweden (Värnamo)
Bob there is a reason that the collection is unique, would that variant be specific good in some way I am shore that they should have been growing world wide. So they are perhaps more interesting the way they are. But for me that think that tobacco history are really interesting it would be interesting to grow them. And Tofta happen to be high on that list. Per-pers (gammel svensk) is higher and Haga-flue are really interesting, Haga-Flue was a interesting story and it just didn't even get a chance. The tobacco company just slammed the door right in the face BAM!!But that variant will never be found again..A really sad story perhaps I write about it some time (perhaps not). But that collection (and many more) really tell a big interesting story the way they are. If you don't grow them the sooner or later will give up..
 

deluxestogie

Administrator
Staff member
Joined
May 25, 2011
Messages
23,929
Points
113
Location
near Blacksburg, VA
...would that variant be specific good in some way I am shore that they should have been growing world wide.
Industrial tobacco is no different than industrial food production. We have abandoned treasures of both in the effort to optimize industrial production. We have abandoned superb varieties, and genetic diversity.

At one time, Little Dutch tobacco was widely grown for cigar production in the US. When the cigar boom happened in the 1990s, most consumers turned to cigars with Cuban varieties of leaf. It is only people like members of this forum who have kept Little Dutch growing. Unlike Tofta, Little Dutch is also sustained by GRIN. But even GRIN lost a number of their laboriously collected varieties by not replanting them frequently enough.

Bob
 

OldDinosaurWesH

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 31, 2017
Messages
958
Points
93
Location
Dayton Wa.
Bob:

Is there a "stale date" on tobacco seeds? ie; how long will they remain viable? That probably also depends on the variety.

Wes H.
 

deluxestogie

Administrator
Staff member
Joined
May 25, 2011
Messages
23,929
Points
113
Location
near Blacksburg, VA
If dry and stored in a refrigerator, tobacco seed should easily last 10 years. Under deep freeze, it can last at least 40 years. Stored in ambient, temperate conditions, it begins to lose viability after a few years.

Bob
 

Tutu

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 9, 2016
Messages
732
Points
63
Location
Dominican Republic
Which is why I'm getting a little bit worried about being able to hold on to the Viqueque strain because I have very few seeds, and earlier this year they would not germinated for me.
 

deluxestogie

Administrator
Staff member
Joined
May 25, 2011
Messages
23,929
Points
113
Location
near Blacksburg, VA
Which is why I'm getting a little bit worried about being able to hold on to the Viqueque strain because I have very few seeds, and earlier this year they would not germinated for me.
Try keeping them in the freezer for the week prior to germination. Then move them to a cool, totally dark spot for 2 days. Germinate in bright light.

Bob
 

Hasse SWE

Well-Known Member
Founding Member
Joined
Jul 25, 2013
Messages
1,315
Points
63
Location
Sweden (Värnamo)

DistillingJim

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 23, 2016
Messages
357
Points
28
Location
UK
And Tofta happen to be high on that list. Per-pers (gammel svensk) is higher and Haga-flue are really interesting, Haga-Flue was a interesting story and it just didn't even get a chance. The tobacco company just slammed the door right in the face BAM!!But that variant will never be found again..A really sad story perhaps I write about it some time (perhaps not). But that collection (and many more) really tell a big interesting story the way they are.

I for one enjoy a good story, do tell.
 

Hasse SWE

Well-Known Member
Founding Member
Joined
Jul 25, 2013
Messages
1,315
Points
63
Location
Sweden (Värnamo)
DistillingJim: perhaps I should try to re-tell the old Swedish story of the man behind Haga-Flue. Becorse I finally understand why things hapend.. I start like this peaple always trying to make things just a little better. And so was him. He was an old farmer like the most tobacco grower at that time. And he was trying to cross different variants wiht etchother to get the best variant. But when times was changed the tobacco company didn't allowed it. So if he should sell any tobacco he was need to bay small plants and put in the grownd. First he get problem with them so he contact the company and told them that he would like to grow his Haga- Flue next season. The answer was then no, you grow what we tell you if you shall grow anything. Then he say ok but don't give me this variant anymore
The company say. You grow the stuff we tell you or you are out! Okay but please give me Tofta type of tobacco please, I have grow it many times with out problem like this. The season after the man get his plants and after a while new problem started. So he contact the company again and a man from the company come and look at his grow and after a time he put his hand in his pocket and told him you was getting more for your tobacco last season then you should have. This year I can't pay you a penny more then we get from your tobacco and look around you self you have nothing to sell. After that he took his hand up from the pocket and drop a mynt on the grownd and stamped on it and told the man I dosent give you that! Then he started to go. The farmer crermed "but I don't understand, this have newer happened with Tofta before". The man from the company answerd what? Tofta, nope this ain't Tofta eather. After that they fight til the farmer was laying on the grownd. After that season now on was growing tobacco in Sweden again. So I don't know how much of the story that is true. But I know that the farmer had the first and only Blue mold attack. And I know that the last time Tofta was growing for industrial use was 1958 or 1959 the year after the only variant that was growing in South Sweden shall have been Alida tobacco or a tobacco that the company's research station (Svalöv) was given (I think that it was the same variant).
 

Hasse SWE

Well-Known Member
Founding Member
Joined
Jul 25, 2013
Messages
1,315
Points
63
Location
Sweden (Värnamo)
This is some fresh pictures that I took to day.
My Tofta plants are all between 95- 100cm high and the biggest leaf are 55cm long and 27cm wide. The flower looking like Normally N.Tabacum flower.
 

Attachments

  • 20180716_195914.jpg
    20180716_195914.jpg
    55.7 KB · Views: 16

deluxestogie

Administrator
Staff member
Joined
May 25, 2011
Messages
23,929
Points
113
Location
near Blacksburg, VA
Next on your agenda is determining if the finished leaf offers a unique quality. Do store the seed away from mice!

Bob
 

DistillingJim

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 23, 2016
Messages
357
Points
28
Location
UK
So pleased the grow went well! Do you have any thoughts on how you'll use it?
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top