I recently purchased this feed cutter at a farm auction and I’m looking for information on it. The only identification is on the casting shown in the photo. I would like to know the name of the manufacturer and where the piece was made. Any other information would be appreciated as well.

It is a single-knife design. The unique part is all the mechanical engineering put into it. The rollers feed a length of stalk into the device, then it stops and the blade comes around and makes the cut. This is done through a system of ratcheting gears, pawls and connecting rods.

There is a lot of pinstriping on the piece but it was pretty faded. Nobody knew what product to use to restore the paint somewhat. The wood hardener that was applied did a fair job.

George Becker, N64 W12929 Mill Rd., Menomonee Falls, WI 53051; (262) 252-3187; georgeb@glenroy.com. 

This started out as an International Harvester Co. 2-14 trip plow and then some company made this ground-moving attachment (it has the remains of a brass tag on the back of the v-shaped mover). You would have to remove the shears, moldboard and cutters and mount it on the two base beams.

All three wheel bearings and the lift clutch needed to be freed up, and it needed one new rim and three tires. Hoping someone can help me with information on this project. Where is the next one?

Denis L. Schrank, 21097 Hickory Rd., Batesville, IN 47006; (812) 934-3696 

I am looking for information on this wagon. It was stored in a shed in Kentucky for 50 years; then the shed blew down and the wagon was in the open for 30 years. The wheels are in concrete but will be chipped out with power tools. The wheels have steel bands; hoops for the canvas are nearby. I plan to restore it as a lawn piece and replace the wood with old barn lumber. Most of the hardware is still intact.

People in the Amish community think it may be an Owensboro. It still has some orange paint at the yoke. The brake foot lever is a bit different.

Cliff Steele, 11 Drury Lane, Somerset, KY 42501; (606) 382-1388; email: 4css@windstream.net. 

The Eastern Washington Agricultural Museum, Pomeroy, Wash., has acquired a Sanford friction thresher unit and we are looking for any help and/or information anyone can provide on the unit. It was patented Sept. 25, 1917, by Alfred C. Sanford, Grangeville, Idaho. The unit has lettering on the side showing “Great Falls, MT, No. 8.” Thanks for your help.

David Ruark, (509) 843-3506; email: dnruark@wildblue.net 

I have a love of sorghum and sorghum syrup-making and would love to see this skill become a staple on farms everywhere. I am working with MOTHER EARTH NEWS (one of Farm Collector’s sister publications) and we need your help. If you make sorghum, or grew up making sorghum, we’d love to hear your stories and will share them on my blog.

I would also appreciate pictures, recipes and any information about sorghum mills. We’d like to connect those wanting to make sorghum with sources of mills, since they are sometimes hard to come by and there aren’t any manufacturers of the old-style sorghum mills today. Please help me gather information while old-time sorghum makers are still around and before the old iron mills get sent off for scrap metal.

Sherry Tucker, MOTHER EARTH NEWS Sorghum Editor and Blogger (A Modern Missouri Homesteader)

Editor’s note: Please email responses to letters@MotherEarthNews.com (please include “Sorghum” in the email subject line) or mail letters to Sorghum; Attention H. Hunt; Mother Earth News; 1503 S.W. 42nd St.; Topeka, KS 66609.

We would like to acquire for the Barre (Mass.) Historical Society a Diamond mower knife grinder as shown in this photo. It was manufactured by Chas. G. Allen Co., Barre, Mass., and sold to Whitman & Barnes Mfg. Co. by the thousands for resale nationwide and internationally. The grinder was sold from 1902 into the 1920s. It was also sold locally as the Yankee mowing machine knife grinder.

As far as we know, there is no name or patent date on it, but there may be part numbers cast into some of the castings. Perhaps one of your readers can help us locate this piece.

Charlie Allen, PO Box 488, Barre, MA 01005; phone (978) 355-4823

I’ve purchased a Carter disc separator manufactured by Carter-Mayhew Co. in about 1920 for separating and cleaning grain. I have tried to gain information concerning the operation of the separator, disc identity, operating speed, a manual/parts book and paint color for restoration but haven’t had much success. Any help from Farm Collector readers would be greatly appreciated.

Jim Walker, 21031 300th St., New Prague, MN 56071-4430; email: jimbo7@frontiernet.net; home, (952) 873-6811; cell (952) 465-1695