Letters: Readers solve horse-drawn seeder mystery

Enlarge Image Image Gallery

Thank you for publishing the photos of my seeder in the January 2011 issue. I received a number of most interesting responses from Missouri, Iowa, Ohio and Indiana. This implement was a seeder pulled by one horse and was used to plant wheat or rye between rows of standing corn or corn stubble after it was cut in the fall. As one respondent explained, it was an example of minimum tillage farming whereby grain was planted directly after harvest. Back then, corn was planted in rows 38 to 44 inches apart so the horse could easily pull this seeder between the rows. Our farms in central Wisconsin planted little wheat, so we never heard of such a process.

Thanks to Farm Collector and all who responded. Now I know what the latest addition to my collection was used for.

Ron Meyers, Marshfield, Wis.