[AT] Rock Falls, IL

[Greg Hass]

In our area we have used 28 or 30 inch rows since the 1920's. Because 
our area has always been big in sugar beets and navy beans which are 
planted in 28 or 30 inch rows, most people also planted corn the same 
rather than switch the planter over for just corn. Why some 28 and some 
30 inch I always wondered when young.  Until I was into my teens we only 
had a grain drill to plant with. My dad would always block off three 
rows and and leave one open. Drills were 7 inch spacing so 4 times 7 
gave 28 inch rows. When we finally got a corn planter we used 30 inch 
spacings because it gives a little more room for tractors and equipment 
to work. I always wondered why our area always had one row equipment 
when all the magazines showed 2 row. It turns out that because most 
states used wide rows, all of the early pickers, choppers, and combine 
heads were only made wide row. As people changed to narrow rows, 
equipment became available. In our area 99% of corn pickers were New 
Idea, and during the 60's and 70's there were hundreds of narrow row 
pickers in our area. As someone mentioned, I have wondered if you took a 
picker into todays  corn at the same speed as we used to go, if the 
elevator on the picker could even handle the flow of corn.
         Greg Hass