The craft of building may have e from Elves or Men； but the Hobbitsused it in their own fashion。 They did not go in for towers。 Their houses wereusually long； low； and fortable。 The oldest kind were； indeed； no more thanbuilt imitations of _smials；_ thatched with dry grass or straw； or roofed withturves； and having walls somewhat bulged。 That stage； however； belonged to theearly days of the Shire； and hobbit…building had long since been altered；
improved by devices； learned from Dwarves； or discovered by themselves。 Apreference for round windows； and even round doors； was the chief remainingpeculiarity of hobbit…architecture。
The houses and the holes of Shire…hobbits were often large； and inhabitedby large families。 （Bilbo and Frodo Baggins were as bachelors veryexceptional； as they were also in many other ways； such as their friendshipwith the Elves。） Sometimes； as in the case of the Tooks of Great Smials； orthe Brandybucks of Brandy Hall； many generations of relatives lived in（parative） peace together in one ancestral and many…tunnelled mansion。 AllHobbits were； in any case； clannish and reckoned up their relationships withgreat care。 They drew long and elaborate family…trees with innumerablebranches。 In dealing with Hobbits it is important to remember who is relatedto whom； and in what degree。 It would be impossible in this book to set out afamily…tree that included even the more important members of the moreimportant families at the time which these tales tell of。 The genealogicaltrees at the end of the Red Book of Westmarch are a small book in themselves；
and all but Hobbits would find them exceedingly dull。 Hobbits delighted insuch things； if they were accurate： they liked to have books filled withthings that they already knew； set out fair and square with no contradictions。
There is another astonishing thing about Hobbits of old that must bementioned； an astonishing habit： they imbibed or inhaled； through pipes of
clay or wood； the smoke of the burning leaves of a herb； which they called_pipe…weed_ or _leaf；_ a variety probably of _Nicotiana。_ A great deal ofmystery surrounds the origin of this peculiar custom； or 'art' as the Hobbitspreferred to call it。 All that could be discovered about it in antiquity wasput together by Meriadoc Brandybuck （later Master of Buckland）； and since heand the tobacco of the Southfarthing play a part in the history that follows；
his remarks in the introduction to his _Herblore of the Shire_ may be quoted。
'This；' he says； 'is the one art that we can certainly claim to be ourown invention。 When Hobbits first began to smoke is not known； all the legendsand family histories take it for granted； for ages folk in the Shire smokedvarious herbs； some fouler； some sweeter。 But all accounts agree that ToboldHornblower of Longbottom in the Southfarthing first grew the true pipe…weed inhis gardens in the days of Isengrim the Second； about the year 1070 of Shire…
reckoning。 The best home…grown still es from that district； especially thevarieties now known as Longbottom Leaf； Old Toby； and Southern Star。
'How Old Toby came by the plant is not recorded； for to his dying day hewould not tell。 He knew much about herbs； but he was no traveller。 It is saidthat in his youth he went often to Bree； though he certainly never wentfurther from the Shire than that。 It is thus quite possible that he learned ofthis plant in Bree； where now； at any rate； it grows well on the south slopesof the hill。 The Bree…hobbits claim to have been the first actual smokers of
the pipe…weed。 They claim； of course； to have done everything before thepeople of the Shire； whom they refer to as 〃colonists〃； but in this case theirclaim is； I think； likely to be true。 And certainly it was from Bree that theart of smoking the genuine weed spread in the recent centuries among Dwarvesand such other folk； Rangers； Wizards； or wanderers； as still passed to andfro through that ancient road…meeting。 The home and centre of the an is thusto be found in the old inn of Bree； _The Prancing Pony；_ that has been kept bythe family of Butterbur from time beyond record。
'All the same； observations that I have made on my own many journeyssouth have convinced me that the weed itself is not native to our parts of theworld； but came northward from the lower Anduin； whither it was； I suspect；
originally brought over Sea by the Men of Westernesse。 It grows abundantly inGondor； and there is richer and larger than in the North； where it is neverfound wild； and flourishes only in warm sheltered places like Longbottom。 TheMen of Gondor call it _sweet galenas；_ and esteem it only for the fragrance ofits flowers。 From that land it must have been carried up the Greenway duringthe long centuries between the ing of Elendil and our own day。 But even theDúnedain of Gondor allow us this credit： Hobbits first put it into pipes。 Noteven the Wizards first thought of that before we did。 Though one Wizard that Iknew took up the art long ago； and became as skilful in it as in all otherthings that he put his mind to。'
The Shire was divided into four quarters； the Farthings already referredto。 North； South； East； and West； and these again each into a number offolklands； which still bore the names of some of the old leading families；
although by the time of this history these names were no longer found only intheir proper folklands。 Nearly all Tooks still lived in the Tookland； but thatwas not true of many other families； such as the Bagginses or the Boffins。
Outside the Farthings were the East and West Marches： the Buckland （seebeginning of Chapter V； Book I）； and the Westmarch added to the Shire in S。R。
1462。
The Shire at this time had hardly any 'government'。 Families for the mostpart managed their own affairs。 Growing food and eating it occupied most oftheir time。 In other matters they were； as a rule； generous and not greedy；
but contented and moderate； so that estates； farms； workshops； and smalltrades tended to remain unchanged for generations。
There remained； of course； the ancient tradition concerning the high kingat Fornost； or Norbury as they called it； away north of the Shire。 But there
had been no king for nearly a thousand years； and even the ruins of Kings'Norbury were covered with grass。 Yet the Hobbits still said of wild folk andwicked things （such as trolls） that they had not heard of the king。 For theyattributed to the king of old all their essential laws； and usually they keptthe laws of free will； because they were The Rules （as they said）； bothancient and just。
It is true that the Took family had long been pre…eminent； for the officeof Thain had passed to them （from the Oldbucks） some centuries before； and thechief Took had borne that title ever since。 The Thain was the master of the
Shire…moot； and captain of the Shire…muster and the Hobbitry…in…arms； but asmuster and moot were only held in times of emergency； which no longeroccurred； the Thainship had ceased to be more than a nominal dignity。 The Tookfamily was still； indeed； accorded a special respect； for it remained bothnumerous and exceedingly wealthy； and was liable to produce in everygeneration strong characters of peculiar habits and even adventuroustemperament。 The latter qualities； however； were now rather tolerated （in therich） than generally approved。 The custom endured； nonetheless； of referringto the head of the family as The Took； and of adding to his name； if required；
a number： such as Isengrim the Second； for instance。
The only real official in the Shire at this date was the Mayor of MichelDelving （or of the Shire）； who was elected every seven years at the Free Fairon the White Downs at the Lithe； that is at Midsummer。 As mayor almost hisonly duty was to preside at banquets； given on the Shire…holidays； whichoccurred at frequent intervals。 But the offices of Postmaster and FirstShirriff were attached to the mayoralty； so that he managed both the MessengerService and the Watch。 These were the only Shire…services； and the Messengerswere the most numerous； and much the busier of the two。 By no means allHobbits were lettered； but those who were wrote constantly to all theirfriends （and a selection of their relations） who lived further off than anafternoon's walk。
The Shirriffs was the name that the Hobbits gave to their police； or thenearest equivalent that they possessed。 They had； of course； no uniforms （suchthings being quite unknown）； only a feather in their caps； and they were inpractice rather haywards than policemen； more concerned with the strayings ofbeasts than of people。 There were in all the Shire only twelve of them； threein each Farthing； for Inside Work。 A rather larger body； varying at need； wasemployed to 'beat the bounds'； and to see that Outsiders of any kind； great orsmall； did not make themselves a nuisance。
At the time when this story begins the Bounders； as they were called； hadbeen greatly increased。 There were many reports and plaints of strangepersons and creatures prowling about the borders； or over them： the first signthat all was not quite as it should be； and always had been except in talesand legends of long ago。 Few heeded the sign； and not even Bilbo yet had anynotion of what it portended。 Sixty years had passed since he set out on hismemorable journey； and he was old even for Hobbits； who reached a hundred asoften as not； but much evidently still remained of the considerable wealththat he had brought back。 How much or how little he revealed to no one； noteven to Frodo his favourite 'nephew'。 And he still kept secret the ring thathe bad found。
As is told in The Hobbit； there came one day to Bilbo's door the greatWizard； Gandalf the Grey； and thirteen dwarves with him： none other； indeed；
than Thorin Oakenshield； descendant of kings； and his twelve panions inexile。 With them he set out； to his own lasting astonishment； on a morning ofApril； it being then the year 1341 Shire…reckoning； on a quest of greattreasure； the dwarf…hoards of the Kings under the Mountain； beneath Erebor inDale； far off in the East。 The quest was successful； and the Dragon thatguarded the hoard was destroyed。 Yet； though before all was won the Battle ofFive Armies was fought； and Thorin was slain； and many deeds of renown weredone； the