Hornblowers
The fortunes of the Hornblower family changed in the 1070s. Before this time, the family were simple farmers living in the Southfarthing village of Longbottom. Tobold Hornblower, already a revered gardener,travelled beyond the Shire in order to learn more about foreign plants, going as far as the village of Bree in the east. There he was introduced to pipe-weed and learned how he might cultivate the plant in the Shire. So it was that pipe-weed was first introduced to us, and has since become as popular (if not more so) than ale. The Hornblowers continue to be the most respected and seasoned cultivators of the plant. Old Toby (named after Tobold himself) and Longbottom Leaf are considered the finest brands of pipe-weed in the Shire, both produced by the Hornblowers of Longbottom.
Of all the families in this book, the Hornblowers are without doubt the most respected farmers and gardeners. Almost every hobbit possesses a pipe, and the weed that we smoke from it is due to the labours of Tobold Hornblower and his descendants.
