Flowerday Farm Book

This is a Farm Account Book prepared by the USDA Extension Service and the University of Nebraska used by Albert G. Flowerday (Elaine’s Father) in 1930. The first section is an inventory of horses, cattle, hogs and poultry. It is followed by machinery and crops. He listed his John Deere-D as having been purchased in 1927 for $1,100. and having a current value of $730. Their car was a 1926 Chevy with a value of $200. They had 12 cows, 1 heifer and 10 calves; 2 brood sows and 8 market hogs. They had 144 hens, 14 roosters, 5 ducks and 10 geese. It also went into the acreage of corn, wheat, oats and alfalfa. Perhaps the listing of the horses by name, age and value is most interesting. While their is no mention of it in the book, the most significant event in the Albert and Flora Flowerday family that year was the birth of Elaine (my wife). She “grew-up” to drive the old JD-D and knew several of the horses. They were June, Jimmie, Buck, Dollie, Pete, Dan, Nig and Barney. June was Elaine’s favorite who was listed as 12 years old in 1930 and valued at $20. 

Here is Elaine riding on old June in 1936 with her school lunch pail in hand. Brother Dale is holding  “puppy" and Brother Bill is near Trixie. The old 1926 Chevy is in the background. Albert would have had his own thrashing machine at the time this picture was taken. The old JD-D was used to power the machine and a “thrashing run” was made up of several neighbors. It continued for 10-12 years until farmers began to get combines after WWII. Albert and Dale’s early interest in Soil Conservation is what led to Elaine and I becoming acquainted and my career with the USDA Soil Conservation Service. It was a good connection.