A ■/ 1 < T'TI 
 
 Issued December i 
 
 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, 
 
 Bl Kl M OF P] WI' [NDl STRY— Circular No. 41. 
 B. T. GALLOWAY, Chiei of Bureau. 
 
 tiii: south African put: calabash. 
 
 DAVID FAIKCIIILI). Agricultural Explorer, 
 
 ( i . N . COLLINS, Assistant Bota n i st. 
 
 WASHINGTON : GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE i 1SO» 
 
 
 DOCUMENTS OEPT 
 
 
 1 
 
 ^Al^ 
 
 
 
 • DEPOSITORY 
 
 
BUREAU OF PLANT INDUSTRY. 
 
 Chief of Bureau, Beverly T. Galloway. 
 Assistant Chief of Bureau, Albert F. Woods. 
 Editor, J. E. Rockwell. 
 Chief Clerk, James E. Jones. 
 [Clr. 41] 
 
 2 
 
B. P. T.— 511. 
 
 THE SOUTH AFRICAN' PIPE CALABASH. 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 The increasing popularity of calabash pipes made from the fruits 
 of a South African calabash, or gourd, has aroused a widespread 
 interest in the growing of this vine. Applications for seed at the 
 Department of Agriculture arc increasing in number, and requests 
 for information regarding cultural methods and the making of the 
 pipes have become so numerous that a short publication on the 
 subject seems desirable, as well as a word of caution to those who 
 hope to make the commercial production of these gourds a profitable 
 occupat ion. 
 
 Calabash pipes made from imported South African gourds have 
 been the fashion in England for some time and are now coming into 
 vogue in America. These pipe- are formed from the crooked necks 
 of a large gourd (Lagenaria vulgaris) belonging to the well-known 
 •.Toil]) of plants which includes the cucumber, the melons, and the 
 squashes. (PI. I. fig. 1.) Pipes made from the imported gourds are 
 expensive, American dealers usually charging * s and even 812 apiece 
 for them. They are the lightest pipes made for their size, are grace- 
 ful in shape, color like meerschaums, and are delightful smokers. 
 Unlike the cheap pipes which are turned out by machinery, no two 
 of these calabash pipes are alike. In this lie- much of their charm. 
 ]n this, likewise, lies their cost, for, unlike the great mass of pipes 
 turned out by machinery, the crook of the calabash varies so that 
 each mouthpiece musl be made to lit it and each l inin g of meer- 
 schaum or plaster of Paris must he specially adapted. In our laud of 
 labor-saving machinery ami expensive hand labor this i- what makes 
 the pipes costly. Then, too, until quite recently these calabash 
 gourds which form the bowls of the pipe- have only hern grown in 
 South Africa, from whence they have been imported into this coun- 
 try The supply ha- been so limited that they have keen treated as 
 novelties, and have been offered to the public at almost prohibitive 
 pi i' i 
 
 Kir. 11 J 3 
 
4 THE SOUTH AFRICAN PIPE CALABASH. 
 
 The price now charged by dealers for the pipes is, however, no indi- 
 cation of what American manufacturers would pay for the gourd necks 
 out of which they are made. Importers at present secure these necks 
 at prices ranging from 25 cents to $2 a dozen. When it is realized 
 that only well-formed gourds, free from blemishes, are marketable at 
 any price, it becomes apparent that the growing of these gourds on a 
 commercial scale does not promise any large profit. It is not, there- 
 fore, with the idea of presenting to the farmers of the country a new 
 and lucrative industry that the successful cultivation of the South 
 African pipe gourd in this country is briefly described in these pages, 
 but rather to call attention to an attractive vine which anyone can 
 grow in his dooryard and from the gourds of which a light and attract- 
 ive pipe can be made, even by those unaccustomed to the use of tools. 
 
 THE CALABASH PIPE GOURD IN SOUTH AFRICA. 
 
 The American consul-general in Cape Town, Mr. H. L. Washington, 
 sent a few seeds of this interesting plant to the Department of Agri- 
 culture in December, 1906, and with them a short account of the 
 origin and growth of this peculiar pipe industry. According to Mr. 
 Washington the use of the calabash as a pipe bowl was discovered by 
 the Boers and after the Boer war the fashion of using these pipes 
 was introduced into England, whence it has reached this country. 
 Knowing that so long as seeds were not sent out of the country 
 they might hope to hold the culture as a monopoly, it is reported 
 that the Boers tried to prevent the exportation of seed; but, as has 
 been the history of all such things, sooner or later a few seeds were 
 exported and to-day there are in America enough seeds to produce 
 all the gourds that it would be possible to market in this country. 
 
 When the small quantity of seeds of this gourd, secured for the 
 Department, were first sent out, it was not thought that the vine 
 would produce fruit over a wide range of territory, but it has been 
 found that from New England to the Gulf and from the Atlantic to 
 the Pacific it yields the characteristic fruits from which the pipes are 
 made. The vines are very luxuriant growers. In the vicinity of 
 Washington, D. C, four of the broad-leaved runners early in the 
 season covered a 6-foot trellis 25 feet long and climbed to a height of 
 20 feet over some half-grown cedars near by, where they produced 
 dozens of the long, slender-necked fruits. 
 
 CULTURE OF THE VINE. 
 
 The vine forms a very satisfactory cover for unsightly brush heaps 
 or fences, though its rather rank odor might prove objectionable if 
 used for an arbor too near the dwelling. 
 
 To grow the vine for the sake of its gourds is where the chief 
 interest lies, however, and to do this well it should not be trained on 
 
 [Cir. 41] 
 
Cir. 41 Bureau of Plant Industry, U S Dept. of Agriculture. 
 
 PLATE !. 
 
 Fig. 1.— Calabash Pipe Gourds. 
 
 The gourd al the e natural rurve: the two at the right were artificially shaped i Ibout 
 
 our sixth tiutural siz< 
 
 "5> 
 
 
 W \^M 
 
 w 'i 
 
 1 
 
 A 
 
 
 Fig. 2 -Young Pipe Gourd at the Stage to Begin the Shaping Process, Just 
 After the Flower Has Withered 
 1 'ii.- i liird mil ural - 
 
Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 in 2013 
 
 http://archive.org/details/southaOOunit 
 
'I'll I. SOUTB \i lilt AN PIPE CALABASH. 
 
 a trellis, but allowed to trail over the ground. The reason for this 
 was discovered the past summer, with plants growing on a 6-foot 
 wire fence. The young fruits were repeatedly tied up in the • 
 to make their necks crook properly, bul as they grev older and 
 heavier the} slipped their nooses oi cheese cloth or twine and before 
 the season closed had straightened oul into long, clublike specimens, 
 worthless for pipe making. If the fruits are allowed to lie on the 
 ground thej form their crooked necks quite naturally without assist- 
 ance, and while not all of them by any means make suitable necks 
 for pipes a good proportion do. It seems to induce a more perfect 
 neck to ^taiel the gourds up when half grown so that they rest on 
 their big ends. Unless care is exercised in doing this the neck- snap 
 off, for thej are extremely brittle even when fully grown. It is only 
 w hen almosl mat ure that they become ha I'd and then they are indeed 
 almost unbreakable. 
 
 Much could doubtless be done to perfecl the methods of culture, 
 ing perhaps a greater p< ■• of properly crooked necks and 
 
 more perfecl surfaces. It could not be seen that inheritance plays 
 an\ material part in this matter of percentage of crooks. If left to 
 themselves the majority will crook their necks, but some few will 
 remain quite straight, and this on the same vine with perfectly 
 
 fl Mined clonks. 
 
 The plants will thrive in a,ny rich garden soil, the richer the better. 
 Beds of well-rotted manure and mellow- loam should be made, as for 
 cucumbers or melons and at the same sea on, and the seeds planted 
 much as though thc\ were melon seeds, about an inch deep. It will 
 nol pa\ in the latitude of Wa hington, I). ('., to plant first in a hot- 
 bed or cold frame and then transplant, but farther north this may 
 lengthen the fruiting season somewhat, provided the tran planting 
 is \ci\ carefully done. The growth of the young plants when once 
 checked will be slow, and seeds planted outside will produce plants 
 that will overtake them in tin it growth. 
 
 The calaba h ■_ urd vine i a good hearer. Four vigorous vines 
 grown in Maryland in 1908 produced about 75 gourds. But it must, 
 nol be thought thai all of the gourds will be lit for pipe howls, unless 
 each fruit is found while the neck is still pliable and so tied that it, 
 forms the proper curve. Among the large leaves the finding of the 
 very young gourds requires mu< h searching and at frequent intervals. 
 
 'I he gourds should he left as long as possible on the vines to thor- 
 oughly thicken their shells. If picked green the shell will be no 
 thicker than still' cardboard and in drying it is very liable to crack. 
 Frost w ill injure the gourds if they are left mi t he vines too long. 
 
 DISEASES AND INSECT ENEMIES. 
 
 It will hi' an unpleasant surprise w hen t he crop has been harvested 
 to find low few of the gourd necks which in the Held seemed eligible 
 
 ii 09 —J 
 
6 THE SOUTH AFRICAN PIPE CALABASH. 
 
 for pipes are really perfect enough to use. The small defects and 
 insect bites which scarcely seemed to mar the gourds in the field 
 appear as malformations which throw out as culls a large share of the 
 crop. 
 
 From the appearance of the South African imported product it 
 seems probable that a dry climate is best for the production of the 
 gourds and that water is best applied by irrigation. In the moist 
 regions of Maryland, although perfectly satisfactory pipe gourds can 
 be grown, there seems to be danger of the necks becoming infected 
 with a pink mold (doubtless a Fusarium) that often quite ruins them. 
 Especially liable to this are the specimens lying on the ground, and 
 this was one of our reasons for standing the gourds on end or for 
 placing a board under the choicest specimens. Any mechanical or 
 insect injury to the neck or upper third of the young gourd may scar 
 it so as to make it unfit for a first-class pipe. 
 
 There is a snout beetle in our gardens which persisted in biting the 
 necks of the gourds shortly after the flowers had set, and in every 
 case these bites resulted in scars which were permanent. To keep 
 the insects from biting the gourds, some were covered with cheese 
 cloth and others with large paper bags with the mouths folded 
 closely about the stem. The paper bags proved better, especially if 
 placed so that the water could drain out of them. In some instances 
 after a rain many of the bags were found full of water and the gourds 
 covered with molds. 
 
 THE ARTIFICIAL SHAPING OF THE GOURDS. 
 
 It was discovered that with a little care and patience it was possible 
 to cause these gourd necks to grow into any desired shape. To do 
 this, it is necessary to provide half-inch boards by 8 inches in size, 
 riddled with quarter-inch holes as close togel her as they can be bored. 
 Each board has its accompaniment of 5 or 6 pegs, which should be 
 about 3 inches long, whittled to fit the holes, and padded with cloth 
 so that they will not scratch the lender gourd. One of these boards 
 is required for each pipe until its neck is set at the right curve; then 
 it can be removed and used for another. The young gourd when still 
 quite young and before its delicate neck has hardened (PI. I, fig. 2) 
 is laid on the -board and gently lent in the desired direction and 
 pegged in place. By the following day the tension will be relaxed 
 and the fruit can be still further forced into shape. Three or four 
 resettings of the pegs arc usually enough to carry the gourd to the 
 point where the neck is fixed in form. 
 
 Pipes formed in this manner become invested with still greater 
 individuality. Unlimited opportunity is afforded for the exercise of 
 ingenuity in the making of new forms, and individual tastes regarding 
 the shape of a pipe can be fully gratified. (See PI. II, fig. 2.) By this 
 
 [Cir. ii J 
 
Cir 41, Bureau of Plant Ir.dustey, U. S I 
 
 Plate II. 
 
 Fig. 1. -Materials for Making a Calabash Pipe: Gourd Ready for the Fitting 
 of the Bowl, Box of Plaster of Paris, Meerschaum Bowl, Machinist's Die, 
 Curved Rubber Stem, and Nipple. 
 
 An additional nipple is shown with the stem. 
 
 Fig 2.— Various Forms of Calabash Pipes. 
 111,. upper and lower pipes on the righl hand side have I htm arlilicin 
 
Til I SOUTH \i RIl w PIPE CA1 \i:\si(. 7 
 
 method gourds were formed with a double curve m the neck, making 
 unnecessary a curvet I mouthpiece II the v ines run over the ground, 
 the boards used serve the additional purpose of keeping the gourds off 
 
 i In' soil. 
 
 METHODS OF MAKING THE PIPES. 
 
 To make a pipe the neck end of the gourd should be cut off and all 
 pith carefully removed from the inside. The thin outside cuticle 
 should be scraped off with a sharp knife before it dries; at least it 
 comes off easier then and if left on will form food for molds. Whiting 
 or pumice may be used for polishing the hard surface, if not smooth 
 enough alter thoroughly scraping. Sandpaper will scratch it and 
 should not he used. 
 
 The drying of the gourds seem- a simple thing, hut it is in reality 
 so difficult thai it should he specially explained. After the pipe 
 gourds are harvested, the necks, particularly if not properhj cleaned 
 and scraped, are in great danger from molds. If stored in a warm, 
 close room lor only a few days the cuticle will In' covered with un- 
 sightly spots, which ruin the hard layer beneath by discoloring it. 
 The necks, after being cleaned and scraped, will cure best if hung up 
 in a cool, dry room where plenty of air is circulating and where they 
 will nol freeze, [f a place where the sun can strike them can he 
 found, so much t he better. 
 
 The making of the pipe should he postponed until the gourds have 
 become w ell seasoned. The necessary accessories are a rubber mouth- 
 piece, a how I. and some thin cork >t rips, the co>| of which should nol 
 exceed .">() cent-. (PI. 11. fig. I.) In addition to these a feu cents' 
 worth of plaster of Paris will be needed. Cut oil' smoothly the t ip of 
 the small end and bore through it with a knife blade into the narrow 
 cavitj of the neck. Into this screw firmly a crooked rubber mouth- 
 piece with its ivory-threaded nipple. If there i> difficulty in getting 
 the ha I'd ivory to cut n- own thread, even after soaking the tip of the 
 gourd neck in hot w ater. a number 1 1 or 1 jj machinist's die. according 
 
 to the thread of the nipple, should he used to cut the thread. The 
 large trumpetlike end of the gourd neck is next cut with a line saw at 
 the proper angle and low enough so thai a regular cheap meerschaum 
 how I w ill lit into it, having its rim Hush with the outside of the gourd. 
 A few teaspoonfuls of plaster of Paris mixed with water to form a 
 -nil' paste is spread a- a thick layer for half an inch inside the rim of 
 the gourd neck. The meerschaum howl is first greased and then 
 forced into place againsl the fresh plaster and left jusl long enough to 
 allow the plaster to sel slightly, nol over three minutes a1 most; other- 
 w ise it w ill si ick fast. 
 
 The setting for the bowl i- now made, hut not perfected until a strip 
 of thin cork, such a- main cigarettes are tipped with, has been glued 
 
8 THE SOUTH AFRICAN PIPE CALABASH. 
 
 smoothly over the surface of the plaster. Before doing this a little 
 of the plaster of Paris should be scraped out to allow for the thickness 
 of cork. If too much is removed and the bowl is loose the difficulty 
 can he collected by cutting down the edge of the gourd. This can 
 best be done with a flat file or by holding the end of the gourd against 
 the side of a grindstone. When properly done the meerschaum bowl 
 fits snugly, but is easily removed by a twist of the fingers when the 
 pipe is to be cleaned. 
 
 This is the completed pipe, and with all the necessary things at 
 hand it can be made in half an hour. (PI. II, fig. 2.) 
 
 Many smokers prefer a push stem and the calabash lends its 'If 
 readily to this style of pipe. Recourse must again be had to the 
 tobacconist for the mouthpiece, and this time instead of the bone 
 nipple a ferrule of suitable size must be secured. The operation is 
 exactly the same as for the fitting of the screw stem up to the time 
 that the hole is made in the small end with a pocket knife. For a 
 push stem this should be continued until the hole is slightly larger 
 than the stem to be used. If the ferrule is of the proper size it is 
 then only necessary to force it into place over the end of the gourd and 
 the pipe is complete. 
 
 When a push stem is used the bowl can be made entirely of plaster 
 of Paris and the cost of the pipe still further reduced. A thin piece 
 of cardboard with a central perforation is fitted into the gourd just 
 below the point where the bottom of the bowl is to come. A thin 
 mixture of plaster of Paris is then poured into the gourd to form a 
 layer about a quarter of an inch thick on the pasteboard disk. Any 
 smooth cylindrical object, such as a homeopathic vial with a diameter 
 suitable for the inside of a bowl, is well greased and placed upright 
 in the end of the gourd to form a core. The space around the core is 
 then filled with plaster of Paris, and as soon as it has begun to set 
 the core is removed. A small perforation in the bottom of the bowl 
 about the size of a large knitting needle is made a-- soon as the plaster 
 of Paris has completely set and the pipe is complete. 
 
 This style of bowl is permissible in a push -stem pipe, since the 
 pipe can be readily cleaned from the stem vnd, thus obviating the 
 necessity of a removable bowl. 
 
 A well-made calabash pipe will appeal to the discriminating pipe 
 smoker as possessing the much valued characteristics of the long 
 German pipe in a much more convenient form. The bowl occupies 
 but a small part of the hollow neck and the remainder of the space 
 forms a receptacle below the bowl that answers the same purpose 
 as the lower bowl of the German pipe in keeping juices from entering 
 the stein and allowing the smoke to cool. 
 [Cir. 41J 
 
CHI i i i AFRICAN PIP] CALABASH. l J 
 
 CONCLUSIONS. 
 
 The calabash pipes now imported in considerable quantities from 
 England and German} arc made from the fruit of the South Airican 
 pipe gourd, a variety of Lagenaria vulgaris. Seeds of this variety 
 have been introduced from South Airica,and the plant has been found 
 to thrive in all parts of the United States. The vine grows luxu- 
 riantly and is of considerable value as an ornamental. 
 
 Light and attractive pipes can be made from the fruits of this 
 gourd by anyone at a nominal cost. These homemade pipes possess 
 great individuality and are in no way inferior in smoking qualities to 
 the expensive imported pipes which are now so much in fashion. 
 
 The gourds are produced in greal abundance, but the [trices paid 
 for the necks by manufacturers are very low and the demand is 
 limited. The raising of I he gourds on a large scale in the expectation 
 of a commercial demand is, therefore, not advisable. 
 
 Approved: 
 
 Jami - Wilson, 
 
 Secretary of Agriculture. 
 
 Washington, L). C, September 11, 1909. 
 
 [Clr. 41] 
 
 O 
 
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