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SW Saskatchewan | We have had some rain so I went to look at a field we had bought last year for pasture, stand was poor and I am considering renovating.
Had not spent much time on the place so today I went and "kicked tires" at the old homestead, vacant since 1957. Had gone through a series of owners since and each and everyone had left machinery where it had dropped.
Oldest was a sulky plow and beside it half covered in blow sand were the remains of an old McCormick binder. More interesting was the Cockshutt high wheel 20 run shoe drill. Had heard of them but had never seen one-wonder how long that corn planter type knife would last in dry sand and hard rock?
The last of the horse equipment was just as interesting- a McCormick-Deering 12' push binder rigged as a header-what was interesting was that the bull wheel was pneumatic- a 9x36 firestone! Those header operators were real men, riding on the end of pole with a small steel wheel supporting the end, a two horse team on each side pushing the header and a tiller between their legs to steer the unit! Supposedly if you weren't fully alert, a rock or badger hole could pitch you under the horses.
The last IH piece of equipment was a 141 combine- had run a 140 pull so I didn't have any desire to rekindle memories.
Along one fence were the remains of a 15' Versatile 103 swather, Wisconsin engine had been used for other purposes but the cone clutches, planetary brakes and dual variable speed belts were still there. Was complete with a CCIL double swath attachment.
No one-ways, but the remains of a JD surflex was in one corner, and nearby was a hitch of Noble DK-4 drills. Never thought you could wear those old babies out but nearly every flange on the I-beams for shank mounts had been cracked and broken-too many rocks I guess.
The best for last, a 1984 ford 150, with staple pail, hammer and pliers still behind the seat- one rim had split so I suspect somebody walked home from checking cattle!
Pretty humbling, to think how we will really leave our imprint on the community. The nuts and bolts will outlast us. | |
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A walk through time
