[AT] potato planting

David Bruce davidbruce at yadtel.net
Wed Apr 17 07:51:36 PDT 2013


Most of the locals used a middle buster plow as their potato plow (for 
harvesting).  My grandpa used a single shank subsoiler on the AC D-14 
for the same duty.  For the potatoes he would lay off the rows with a 
single row 3 point cultivator behind either a "redbelly" or the Ferguson 
TO-30.

It has been very interesting to follow this thread.

And I agree with Charlie the AC's were not as good as the offset 
tractors for single row cultivating.  Back in the day it was either a 
Farmall Cub or an A or even a Super A for that chore.  Grandpa used a 
two row cultivator on the D-14.  Many used the 3 point rear units but 
that always seemed to me to be like if you have a hammer everything is a 
nail.

David
NW NC

On 4/16/2013 9:00 PM, charlie hill wrote:
> you covered it well Al and no I'm not mad because you
> are absolutely right.  I grew up on AC stuff and am very
> fond of it but a B, C, CA or the D-10 I cut my teeth on can't
> hold a candle to a Super A or 140 for one row cultivation.
> The front cultivator frames on AC stuff have too much slop
> in them (not worn out.  they were like that new)
> and you have to start with the plows in closer than
> you want to allow for them to push out when they hit the
> resistance of the dirt plus it's harder to see what you are plowing
> on the AC tractors because of the IH offset engine/drive train.
> There are some advantages to the AC stuff but not for cultivating.
>
> Charlie
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: jtchall at nc.rr.com
> Sent: Tuesday, April 16, 2013 7:37 PM
> To: Antique tractor email discussion group
> Subject: Re: [AT] potato planting
>
> Sorry Herb! I did leave a lot of folks in the dark with that!  Here in
> tobacco country it is pretty much a given fact that 95% or more of gardens
> tended by tractors are done so by the Farmall offset series tractors--Cubs
> through 140's. Yes there are some Allis B's and G's and a few Deere M's and
> 40's, but they just don't work as well for cultivating, never have never
> will. If that offends anyone, get over it, the sales numbers don't lie.
> Now that you know what style tractor I am referring to, here is how they are
> set-up to cultivate. The front cultivators (mounted under the center of the
> tractor) are switched up for different tasks. For making rows, You pretty
> much have 2 options, disc hillers and buzzard wings. Disc hillers are
> essentially 12-14" dia cupped discs, like a harrow or disc plow uses, set to
> oppose each other that will throw the dirt towards the center of the
> tractor. Buzzard wings are about 18-24" long pieces of flat steel in pretty
> much an elongated tear drop shaped pattern, they are setup the same way as
> disc hillers. Buzzard wings allow you to drive faster as they push the dirt,
> where the disc hillers can throw the dirt beyond where you want it to go.
> Immediately behind the rear wheels are mounted a large V-shaped cultivator
> sweep about 18-20" wide. This is for plowing out the middles (where the
> tractor runs).
>
> Start with your land harrowed (disced) to your satisfaction. If you want
> tall plant beds, run your front and rear cultivators. Careful or you will
> get them so high you can't get any dirt to your plants later on. We
> generally use the front rather shallow and the back down all the way. Once
> you have your rows bedded, you can drove on top of them and let your back
> sweeps down to open the rows, obviously you will be working to rows at once.
> There is another option which is to install a row opener on the front
> cultivators. This is just a single small shovel that does the same as using
> the rear seeps, just on one row at a time.
>
> Once the crop is up there are multiple options for cultivating including
> using multiple small shovels or straight teeth (similar to a chisel plow),
> rolling cultivtors (think rotary hoe mounted on a compound angle so it will
> work the side of the bed to tear up weeds as well as move dirt toward the
> plants), also fertilizer attachments can be used.
>
> Hope this clears things up a bit.
>
> Al, Charlie, feel free to add anything I missed. Of course Charlie is
> probably mad at me because I don't like his beloved AC's for cultivating!
>
> John Hall
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Herb Metz
> Sent: Monday, April 15, 2013 11:05 PM
> To: Antique tractor email discussion group
> Subject: Re: [AT] potato planting
>
>
> John,
> Your descriptive reply is probably very complete, but to a person from the
> midwest, it is not understandable.  Would appreciate further elaboration,
> using different terms.
> TIA, Herb
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: jtchall at nc.rr.com
> Sent: Monday, April 15, 2013 10:36 PM
> To: Antique tractor email discussion group
> Subject: Re: [AT] potato planting
>
> Charlie, we bed the land and then drive on top of the row and run just the
> rear sweeps to open them. Generally we don't bed it too high initially or
> you'll never get any dirt up to the plants.
>
> John Hall
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: charlie hill
> Sent: Monday, April 15, 2013 4:44 PM
> To: Antique tractor email discussion group
> Subject: Re: [AT] potato planting
>
> Ron when I was growing up that was pretty much standard for all garden rows
> as well as tobacco rows.
> Then we had a board or something similar to a grader blade that knocked off
> the top of the row to
> make a flat spot for planting.  Folks still do it here for gardens.   For
> big time farming it's all done
> with one machine as Grant described.
>
> Charlie
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Ron Cook
> Sent: Monday, April 15, 2013 2:14 PM
> To: jdat ; Antique tractor email discussion group
> Subject: [AT] potato planting
>
> Has anyone used a lister to prepare a potato patch for planting?
>
> Ron Cook
> Salix, IA
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