I am refurbishing a Boss potato digger, manufactured by LeRoy
Plough Co., LeRoy, N.Y. I believe it dates to the 1880s. It is
horse-drawn with great engineering design, as rotating iron fingers
rotate in either direction by moving a lever in the center to the
right or left to engage the drive gear. The potatoes and stones
must have been thrown about because of the attached leg guard.
I am looking for parts to complete the digger. The missing parts
include the ring above the fingers, rooster’s comb bracket (to hold
the shoe up at row end) and a holding bracket bolted to the tongue.
All of the parts I have were given to me by Edward Wheeler. Also, I
have a Hoy potato digger, patented 1886, manufactured by Spencer,
Port, N.Y. This digger shows a lot of wear on the ground-level
parts.
My barn is filling up over the years of collecting – cotton feed
sacks, apple slicers, corn shellers, cast iron seats, hay carriers
and forks, and more farm tools from the 1800s. I have not been very
interested in spark plug antiques; I spend enough time on quiet
stuff.
– Ron Bennett
1870 Strong Road
Victor, NY 14564
e-mail: ronb1@frontiernet.net