[AT] Horrible harvesting conditions.

[Al Jones]

Conditions have to be just right with down corn.  We had some in '99 that
was picked on New Year's Eve.  I forget what storm that blew it down--maybe
floyd?  Anyway the guy that was picking developed serious health problems
had to quit so he could go in the hospital for bypass surgery.  We got a
man from Richlands to come finish, he actually got the beans first and then
went back for the corn.  It looked like a solid thatch feeding into the
combine--and he got near about all of it.

In 2005 it seemed nothing worked.  First the fellow tried a Kelderman Corn
Reel.  It did very little good. Then he borrowed a head with a Corn
Saver--the one that has a gathering chain over and perpendicular to each
snout to feed the crop in.  That was better.  He made some  modifications
to it and finally managed to get done.  What a mess.

On the sand lugs, you are exactly right.  What I meant was, back then you
had to stoop over to get them, now no one bothers because the best is on up
the stalk and farmers "know better."  But what would the old folks say if
they could see it!!!

Al


> [Original Message]
> From: charlie hill <charliehill at embarqmail.com>
> To: Antique tractor email discussion group <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
> Date: 11/25/2008 9:23:00 PM
> Subject: Re: [AT] Horrible harvesting conditions.
>
> Al, back about hmmmm maybe 8 years or so ago I worked for a while as a 
> Federal Crop Insurance adjuster.
> A big farmer not to far from here had one entire field of corn blown down 
> flat.   To make it worse the corn was flat planted (no hills on the
rows). 
> I guess there was at least 100 acres like that.  The rest of his corn was
a 
> different variety and didn't blow down as bad.  Anyway, the corn that was 
> down was so flat on the ground that some of the kernels on the some ears 
> were sprouting where they were laying against  the ground.  I looked at
it 
> and had no idea he could pick it and he didn't either but he decided to
try 
> it.  Now this guys fields are graded with a land plane and his combines
are 
> first class new stuff but still the corn was flat on the ground.  I want
you 
> to know he got almost all of that corn up and came out well enough that
he 
> didn't even file the Federal Crop claim.   He just put the header right
down 
> against the ground and picked it all right up.
>
> You are exactly right about what the old timers would say about modern 
> tobacco harvest but I have to say I don't agree with you about the sand 
> lugs.   Back in the days of acreage and poundage controls almost every 
> farmer had top quality upper stalk tobacco left over at the end of the
year. 
> Yet he spent time and money getting those trashy, sandy lugs pulled and 
> cured just so he could sell them early in the season for about 60% of
what 
> the upper stalk tobacoo would bring.  I wondered for years why we fooled 
> with them.
>
> Charlie
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Al Jones" <farmallsupera at earthlink.net>
> To: "Antique tractor email discussion group"
<at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
> Sent: Tuesday, November 25, 2008 6:16 PM
> Subject: Re: [AT] Horrible harvesting conditions.
>
>
> > And now, they just go through and knock the lugs on the ground!
> >
> > Charlie you and I both have ancestors buried all over eastern NC that
roll
> > over in their graves every tobacco harvesting season, given the way it
is
> > handled now!
> >
> > Many-a-kid has gotten their butt tore up over dropping a hand of leaves
on
> > the ground, accidentally chopping a hill of tobacco down with the hoe,
> > etc.....
> >
> >
> > AS to worst harvest conditions that I remember, it would be corn, 2005
> > after hurricane ophelia.  Blew it flat and seemed nothing would get it
up.
> > Finally finished on March 2, 2006.  I remember a similar situation in
> > around 1982 or 83 when I was a kid---it blew down and we were still
trying
> > to pick it the next spring. That was the first migrant workers--from
> > Mexico--I ever saw. A crew came through looking for work and my dad
hired
> > them to pick up the corn by the 5 gal. bucket full, throw it in big
piles,
> > and then he would come around from pile to pile with the combine and
they
> > would throw it in by the bucketful into the machine.
> >
> > Al
> >
> >> [Original Message]
> >> From: charlie hill <charliehill at embarqmail.com>
> >> To: Antique tractor email discussion group
<at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
> >> Date: 11/25/2008 11:07:40 AM
> >> Subject: Re: [AT] Horrible harvesting conditions.
> >> That first week you spend
> >> the entire day bent over double pulling the "sand lugs".  Each week it
> > gets
> >> a bit easier.  It's about a 6 week process.
> >>> Charlie
> >> ----- Original Message ----- 
> >> From: "Ralph Goff" <alfg at sasktel.net>
> >> To: "Antique tractor email discussion group"
> > <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
> >> Sent: Tuesday, November 25, 2008 10:24 AM
> >> Subject: Re: [AT] Horrible harvesting conditions.
> >>
> >>
> >> >
> >> > ----- Original Message ----- 
> >> > From: "charlie hill" <charliehill at embarqmail.com>
> >> > To: "Antique tractor email discussion group"
> >> > <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
> >> > Sent: Tuesday, November 25, 2008 7:25 AM
> >> > Subject: Re: [AT] Horrible harvesting conditions.
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >> My worst experiences weren't from cold but rain.
> >> >
> >> > Charlie, thats one big difference between your area and mine. When
the
> >> > first
> >> > rain drops fall thats when the combines head for home. Sometimes a
> > little
> >> > rain shower gives us a much needed break after a few weeks of long
days
> > on
> >> > the combine. After a good rain it takes up to 3 days for cereals to
dry
> >> > out,
> >> > less for oilseeds like canola.
> >> >
> >> > Ralph in Sask.
> >> >
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