- Related Articles
- California's impressive hay press history
- Early and Rare:
- Homeward Bound:
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
SEARCHING FOR CULTIVATOR CLUES
I am interested in learning any information about the New Century corn cultivator. -Arnold Johnson Rt. 1, Box 226, Estelline, SD 57234
WALKING PLOW IDENTIFICATION SOUGHT
I have an old walking plow that belonged to my great-grandfather. Stamped on the bottom of the plow point is "Oliver," and on the backside of the plow is "A-C" set over "S B," with a logo-like design that says "Oliver Plow Co." What years were these plows made and what color were they? -William H. Hardin 115 Finch Lane, Marion, KY 42064
STATISTICAL INFORMATION SOUGHT
I am attempting to locate an annual time series of agricultural implements, which is statistical information on how many of a particular implement were manufactured in a particular year; (i.e., # made in 1860, # made in 1861, etc.). I want pre-1915 annual series by J.I. Case of Racine, Wisc., Oliver Chilled Plow Works and C.Aultman. -Joe Davis. 5705-22 Windlestraw, Durham, NC 27713. davis5@duke.edu
CURTIS AIR COMPRESSOR QUERY
SHELLER SPECIFICS SOUGHT
I would like help identifying this old corn sheller. On the flywheel it says: "Browning." Also, "BK160H." It has an electric motor; does anyone know if it would have come this way, or if the motor is an add-on? I would like to rebuild it to original condition. - Donald W. Baxter, 9736 Haasetown Rd., Morgantown, IN 46160
FATHER USED 1920S IHC HEADER TO HARVEST KAFIR CORN AND WHEAT
I just finished reading about the Jones header in the February issue. My father had a newer model, maybe from the 1920s; it had an IHC marking on it. When I saw the small wheel in the rear, I wondered how it stayed on the ground.
Our's had a solid cast iron wheel, probably two feet in diameter and maybe three inches wide. The platform for the operator was solid cast iron, maybe two inches thick and quite spacious.
There was a small seat on the tiller about the size of a bicycle seat, but you didn't get to use it because steering was a full-time job. To do it, you needed long legs and a pocketful of rocks.
We pulled our header with a Fordson in the earlier days, and the last time, with a 9N Ford. We used it to cut kafir corn, which was the precursor of milo. Kafir corn would grow 6 feet tall, so we used the header's high-cut attachment.
For wheat, there were low-cut brackets and even a binding attachment. The threshers hauled the heads to a barn, where they were piled inside with a hayfork; threshing was done in the winter then.