107 Beech wood Pl Lexington Park, MD 20653
My father began farming in Oklahoma as a 16-year-old with his
team and bundle wagon. Each year Dad and his brothers helped the
local farmers with the threshing which was done with a steam engine
and a thresher. The steam engine was sometimes parked at my
grandfather’s after harvest where it would remain until next
year.
Dad bought his first tractor, a Fordson, in about 1928 or 1929.
In 1931 he bought a 1929 D John Deere that had been returned from
Argentina following a crop disaster there. The 29 ‘D’
served well until 1936 when Dad traded it for a 1935 ‘back
model’ (new, but 1 year old). This one had 3 forward
speeds.
I learned to drive this one when I was only 10 years old. I
wasn’t big enough to crank it when I started but could soon
walk up the lugs and apply enough pull to the flywheel to start it.
This one was still going strong when WW-2 broke out and even
through the conflict ‘Johnny’ kept up the good work.
By 1943 rubber tires were installed on the front only. My, what
a joy to drive! In 1944 a surplus set of 16′ wide B-50 bomber
tires with 16 ply casing and diamond tread were installed. When it
came to driving old ‘Johnny’ with rubber all around, I
thought I was in heaven for sure. My hitch in the army left Dad to
farm alone again which he did with the 1935 ‘Johnny’.
Later, after my return from the Phillipines, Dad bought a 1937
‘D’ at a farm sale. This was faster in some of the gears
and seemed like a new one beside old ‘Johnny’. Dad named
this ’37 ‘Kenny’, as he bought it at the Kenny Bliss
farm sale.
By this time I had returned home and married my high school
sweetheart. I bought a new 1946 Ford Ferguson and a modest line of
equipment. Dad kept insisting that it was just another Fordson with
rubber ‘tars’ (tires). It didn’t take long, however, to
get his attention with the 3 point hydraulic system and the Sherman
overdrive transmission. We (Dad and I) put in 60 acres of alfalfa
which was cut each time with the ‘Ford Fergy’. Dad used the
‘D’, Kenny, to rake with a new David Bradley side delivery
rake. Dad had mixed some turnip seed with the alfalfa, just a tiny
bit, but we had tons of turnips. We approached the alfalfa pellet
mill on pelleting turnips but no one knew of a market for turnip
pellets. Our dairy and beef stock ate well that winter (on
turnips).
I rented a half section in Oklahoma in 1948 which I farmed with
the Ford Fergy. As the hours were long and the fields so large we
decided to reduce our acres and go to the dairy business. Now the
Ford Ferguson only had about of the work.
In the meantime, Dad began shopping for another John Deere. He
decided on a 630 gas with hydraulics and mounted equipment. This
was . the last year for the ‘two bangers’ and the 3010 took
its place. Johnny and Kenny now took their rest in the shade of the
old elm trees while the 630 did the tasks with greater ease and
speed. Dad really never felt that there was any other brand but the
green ones with the yellow wheels. I told my dad that cast iron
becomes better with age, in fact, some companies wouldn’t
machine an engine block until it had ‘cured’ for about 5
years. We agreed that Dad’s cast iron was the best in the
country.
My dad retired from farming in 1966 and he and Mom continued to
live on his farm but I took over until 1973. I wound up with
Johnny, Kenny and the 630. Also in my stable I had a 44 Diesel with
Buick power steering, which I later traded in on a new MF180D. Man,
could we farm now! Johnny and Kenny were traded, too. Farming was
now with the 630 and the MF180. Machinery with 21′ swath across
the field, 4 bottom mounted plow to accompany the 3 bottom JD plow
(mounted 3 pt).
In 1973 General Electric Co. asked me to go to Saudi Arabia for
a 2 year (turned out to be 5) period. I transferred the machinery
to one of my farmer sons as my father had done before me.
Crop prices and the high cost of farming have been a disaster to
many a young farmer and older ones, too. My son, David, has found
it necessary to work off the farm to support his most enjoyable and
unrewarding hobby (farming). Not a new piece of machinery has since
come on the farm. Farmers’ auctions and trade-ins have been the
source for these days.
Incidentally, my dad and mom are still on the farm. Dad will be
85 in January and I will be 60 in February. I shall retire from my
‘off the farm job’ in 6 years and plan to hobby farm with
antique machinery, a 1947 Ford Ferguson and a 1952 T030 Ferguson. I
have a 1930 Delco Light Plant to restore, plus a nearly new 1920
Ford Touring with only 20,000 miles. Being the 2nd registered owner
of the ‘T’ makes 9 grandchildren happy to see Grandpa.
Our children remarked that if we could mate the Ford Ferguson
with the T030 we could raise little ones which could shut off the
Japanese imports. Great idea, but all the offspring would be gray
and not flashy enough for this and future generations.