Thursday, November 6, 2014

Changes in Farming


Elaine's Father, Albert Flowerday was pulling on the fly wheel of the old Model A John Deere to start it in the summer of 1955 when this picture was taken. Grand kids Timmy and Carolyn were watching with interest in anticipation of hearing the "Johnny Popper" starting to run. It appears that Albert was getting ready to spray some broad leaf  weeds with 2,4-D which was the popular chemical of the day. This was one of Albert's last years of some 40 years of farming. I'm sure he could have told of how things had changed during that time. Here he was using a 'Row crop" tractor and chemicals which wouldn't have been thought of when he started farming. Likewise, farmers of today may not even believe that there was a time when you pulled on the flywheel to start an engine. Albert had a farm sale the following year and I suspect the tractor and spray rig may have brought around $500.00. Modern farmers today use spray rigs in the $40,000.00 range. What changes will take place in the next 60 years??

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