Ultradog MN
Well-known Member
- Location
- Twin Cities
I'm working near the State Fairgrounds and right amidst the U of M farm campus research fields.
Both are right in St Paul. He main Ag campus with it's dozens of huge buildings are about an 80 away.
Somehow about a 40 got cut out of the U's 200? areable acres. Or maybe it never belonged to them.
Anyway, the whole 40 was developed into houses about 30 years ago.
So I went out to the pickup to get something this morning and hear the distinctive sound of a 2 cyl JD.
Now I know I did see some plowing when I was here last fall. About a 60 horse New Holland pulling 3 bottoms.
But I knew the U wasn't doing spring plowing with a 2 cylinder John Deere.
So I follow the sound, beyond the end of the cul de sac I'm in. The people on that end got bigger lots so two neighbors share about half a tillable acre.
And there's the H working.
An average old tractor.
Pulling about a 14" Allis plow.
The plow was nice. Probably never spent a night outside in it's life.
My dad had an H for a couple of years so I knew a little about them.
I walked up to watch the operation and maybe get a photo for the boards.
I could see that last year about 1/4 acre had been tilled.
The old guy pulls up and stops and the conversation goes a little like this;
Hi. I'm working in the area and heard a John Deere back here.
He starts to smile.
"Is that an H?"
"Yes it is."
I said, "What did those make? About 15 horsepower"
"On a good day. This one won't do that anymore.
I said, "Well, it's doing a nice job of plowing anyway. Is that an Allis plow?"
He said, "Yes."
"I never knew this was back here."
He said, "Yeah, my neighbor and I own larger parcels."
Then we talked for a bit.
I said, "You don't often see tractors plowing right in the middle of the city"
He said, "No. But I was raised on a farm so I still enjoy a little of it"
Then I said, "Well mister, I'm on the clock so I better get back to work."
He said, "Well, have a good morning."
I said, Thank you. You too. That's a real nice rig you have there.
He waved and throttled the engine back up and went to work.
As did I.
I don't think he had it over about 5/8 throttle. Beautiful black dirt that he's probably turned since they parceled this area out.
Funny but having played with old tractors and following these boards for a few years I could tell the soil was still a little wet to be plowing today.
My guess is it will clump up more when it dries.
But I'm not complaining. Neither was the H.
It was a nice thing to see this morning. And this was fun to write.
Thanks
Both are right in St Paul. He main Ag campus with it's dozens of huge buildings are about an 80 away.
Somehow about a 40 got cut out of the U's 200? areable acres. Or maybe it never belonged to them.
Anyway, the whole 40 was developed into houses about 30 years ago.
So I went out to the pickup to get something this morning and hear the distinctive sound of a 2 cyl JD.
Now I know I did see some plowing when I was here last fall. About a 60 horse New Holland pulling 3 bottoms.
But I knew the U wasn't doing spring plowing with a 2 cylinder John Deere.
So I follow the sound, beyond the end of the cul de sac I'm in. The people on that end got bigger lots so two neighbors share about half a tillable acre.
And there's the H working.
An average old tractor.
Pulling about a 14" Allis plow.
The plow was nice. Probably never spent a night outside in it's life.
My dad had an H for a couple of years so I knew a little about them.
I walked up to watch the operation and maybe get a photo for the boards.
I could see that last year about 1/4 acre had been tilled.
The old guy pulls up and stops and the conversation goes a little like this;
Hi. I'm working in the area and heard a John Deere back here.
He starts to smile.
"Is that an H?"
"Yes it is."
I said, "What did those make? About 15 horsepower"
"On a good day. This one won't do that anymore.
I said, "Well, it's doing a nice job of plowing anyway. Is that an Allis plow?"
He said, "Yes."
"I never knew this was back here."
He said, "Yeah, my neighbor and I own larger parcels."
Then we talked for a bit.
I said, "You don't often see tractors plowing right in the middle of the city"
He said, "No. But I was raised on a farm so I still enjoy a little of it"
Then I said, "Well mister, I'm on the clock so I better get back to work."
He said, "Well, have a good morning."
I said, Thank you. You too. That's a real nice rig you have there.
He waved and throttled the engine back up and went to work.
As did I.
I don't think he had it over about 5/8 throttle. Beautiful black dirt that he's probably turned since they parceled this area out.
Funny but having played with old tractors and following these boards for a few years I could tell the soil was still a little wet to be plowing today.
My guess is it will clump up more when it dries.
But I'm not complaining. Neither was the H.
It was a nice thing to see this morning. And this was fun to write.
Thanks
