Historical information

Tobacco farming began circa 1960 in the Kiewa Valley and consequently became one of its major industries. Many of the Italian families were involved in tobacco farming.

Significance

Historical: This equipment was used on one of the tobacco farms in the Kiewa Valley. The Tying Horse was home-made showing the resourcefulness of farmers living in the Kiewa Valley.
Provenance: The tobacco farmer came from Italy and was sponsored to visit a tobacco farmer in Myrtleford to learn how to grow tobacco so that he could transfer those skills to his own farm in the Kiewa Valley.

Physical description

Burley tobacco stick is different to Hicks type stick. Tying of green leaf on the sticks - with the twine attached.
There is small sharp metal blade on the end of the horse used for cutting twine.
Rectangular wooden frame. The beam along the bottom is kept in place by 2 diagonal planks on each side and at both ends. The beam keeps the frame upright with 2 cross beams at each end. At each end there is a vertical beam with a 'V' cut out of each to hold a wooden beam/stick/tree branch. Wood is rough.