[AT] Check planting

Wed Dec 26 19:08:29 PST 2007

Charlie,

>From my earliest memories - which would be the tail end of the war - to 1954
(when we moved from farm country) I remember seeing lots of corn fields that
had been check planted in our part of southern Illinois.  Those fields,
where you could look East/West or North/South or on a 45 and see nice
straight rows, stood out in my mind even as a kid.  If I had to venture a
guess I would say maybe a third of the corn fields in our part of the
country were planted this way.  I seem to recall the theory as being like
you'd save on seed, would have less weeds and still get the same, or close
to it, yield since the corn would grow bigger ears as it had more room
between hills in the row.

This corn planting thread reminds me of soybean planting.  Beans were big -
I don't mean in size but in acreage - in southern Illinois and just like
corn were planted in one of two ways.  As I seem to recall maybe half of the
bean fields around us were drilled in and half were planted in rows with the
corn planter.  And I think the theory was the same as that for check
planting corn.  That is, beans in rows took less seed and, since they could
be cultivated, would have fewer weeds and, since there was greater space
between the plants, rowed beans would produce about the same yield as
drilled beans.  But of course you would have the extra expense of
cultivating -

Now whether or not this theory about corn and bean planting really was true
I don't know as I' am relying on events/observations that are fifty plus
years old and haven't been refreshed.  Hopefully some younger memories will
chime in.

Dudley
Snohomish, Washington

-----Original Message-----
From: at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com
[mailto:at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com]On Behalf Of charlie hill
Sent: Wednesday, December 26, 2007 4:35 PM
To: Antique tractor email discussion group
Subject: Re: [AT] Check planting

I'm not sure I understand the need for check planting.  My knowledge of
planting corn around here only goes back to the early 50's but I think it
was done the same then as in earlier years.  The same proceedure was used
for horse drawn and for tractor.  Most of the tractors were Farmall  A's
Allis B's and a few JD M's etc.
The corn was planted on relatively flat rows.  The hills weren't as close
together as they are now but seems to me that they were about 12" or less
apart.  When the corn was small it was cultivated one row at a time and the
row was gradually built up by pulling dirt from the middles up onto the row.
Excess grass and weeds that the plows couldn't get were done by hand with
weeding hoes.  Once the corn got big enough to "lay by" (last time the
tractor could get through the field without tearing the corn down) it had
started to shade out the middles and weed control was not that big a
problem, usually.  In severe weed situations we might hoe it again but most
of the time after lay by it had to fend for it's self.

Some of the fertilizer was put in the row under the seed at planting time.
Then it was "side dressed" from a tractor mounted hopper during plowing.  As
Farmerbeal said, that took some time because of stopping to fill the hopper.
I don't think ours would hold more than maybe 200 lbs.   By the time I came
along in the 50's the small farmers like us (30 to 50 acres) had started
using custom applicators to put out liquid nitrogen.  That was done with
high crop tractors (seems to me that most of them were Fords of some sort).
They pulled a rig that had one tine for each row and the nitrogen was
injected through the tine into the ground.  I used to love to watch those
guys.  With a B Allis you cultivated at a slow walk.  These guys were flying
low.  I guess close to 10 mph and usually dragging down the tops of the corn
pretty bad but it didn't seem to hurt it.  The corn was usually about 3 feet
high when they came.

What was the need to check plant?  Was that done in areas with severe weed
and grass problems or was it just another way that kind of a regional thing?

Charlie

----- Original Message -----
From: <Farmerbeal at aol.com>
To: <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
Sent: Wednesday, December 26, 2007 5:53 PM
Subject: Re: [AT] Check planting

>I realize I'm much older than most you guys but I planted many acres in
> checked rows. We didn't have herbicides so had to control weeds with the
> cultivator. Dad did all the planting untill I got a 4row planter after
> WWII. He would
> plant 12 A a day(10 Hrs. was all the horse could take) with a 2 row
> planter
> with horses. When I started planting when I came home from the war I
> managed to
> plant 40 A. checking and adding fert. That Fert. was what took the time.
> We
> had to add fert every round (8o rod rows) Your speed was limited   because
> it
> would drop the corn out off the row if you went too fast.
> Farmerbeal
>
>
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