IMH 75:2 205

"Chronicles of Upper Burnet" (1)

1881

Friday, May 13th.

John and ally planted all day and must have got nearly, if
not quite done. I finished plowing the last "land" in the field
below Hand's wheat about 9.30 o'clock. I hitched to the harrow
and scratched; firstly the patch plowed May 3rd; secondly; the
crooked field; thirdly; "Aleck Benge's patch" and lastly commenced
on the side next to Fowler of the field I had been plowing in last.
Father went in various directions and did various things, the most
important of which was to go and get A. Benge to plant corn tomorrow
for us. He started after another horse but did'n't get farther than Fowler's, he piled
chunks in the "clover patch" and burned them, he mended
fence, he and Alvin set out a lot of sweet potato plants 250 or
so in number, in the patch broken last Friday, and Alvin and
he fooled some more with the hack. Alvin was also employed in
the screen business. It was large warm (92 in the shade) with
few clouds. Those roaming swine did get in again but where no
one knows certainly

Here is a picture of an 1880 corn planter. This is a two row planter. The width of the
planter is likely 40-42" ( the old farmers said wide enough for a horses rear to go down
between the rows to cultivate...not sure they used the word rear...well, i am sure they didn't)
The object that is to the left of the planter is the row marker. It makes a mark to show
where the horse needs to be on the return trip across the field. There was a marker
on each side of the planter. The first planter I used in1968 was very similar.. a John Deere
290..except it was pulled by a tractor..in my case a Allis Chalmers WD-45. I quickly
traded it for a four row planter (a John Deere 490) and was able to plant twice
as much in the same time.