Horse , mule , tractor have inspired much debate By JERRY WEBB University of Delaware NEWARK, Del. - One of the surest ways to start an argument among today’s farm boys is to issue a challenging statement about which farm tractor is best. They’ll debate the merits of the big green ones versus the big red ones until the sun goes down. Each being totally sure that the brand of tractor his father prefers is by far the best. Such debates have gone on as long as there have been tractors. I can remember arguing the power and ease of handling of a Farmall compared to the unique hand clutch and horizontal pistons of a John Deere. As farm boys, we were faithful to the tractors of the day without READ THE FACTS... PLANNING A 10% TAX INVESTMENT CREDIT BEFORE THE YEAR ENDS? WE MAY HAVE WHAT YOU’RE LOOKING FOR, WITH WAIVER OF FINANCE CHARGES TO MARCH 1,1978 NEW TRACTORS WITH HOURS DRASTICALLY REDUCED PRICES 1175 121 H.P. 70 Hrs. 1070 108 H.P. 105 Hrs. 1410 Hydra. Shift. 80 H.P. 80 Hrs. 1410 Manual Shift, 80 H.P. 135 Hrs Case Case Case Case ★ PLUS WAIVER OF FINANCE ON NEW CASE TILLAGE EQUIPMENT. YOUR CORNSTALK SPECIAL with Gehibole The Gehlbale 1500 bandies big haying /obs in a hurry Adustable bale starter gets hay rolling And dependable baling features keep you moving So your haying is done on time without extra labor Bale handlers and carriers available We can get you rolling with a Gehlbale this week MAKE YOUR OLD TRACTOR LOOK LIKE NEW SERVICE, REPAIR OR PAINT ON ANY MAKE NEW PAINT AND SHOP FACILITIES TO SERVE YOU BETTER ® BINKLEY & HURST BROS. /TO\ IB Rothsville Station Rd. Lititz, PA 17543 Phone (717) 626-4705 benefit of the knowledge required to make a meaningful comparison When the first little Ford tractor came along with its cute little three point hitch, we rejected it without another thought. After seeing an inexperienced operator set his field cultivator so deep he couldn’t pull it, we decided the concept would never work. Thus we, in our teenage wisdom, excused a concept that was ahead of its time The three point hitch has been accepted-m fact adapted-by every major tractor manufacturer in the world. Meanwhile, the hand clutch and horizontal piston engines we defended so stoutly are museum items. Maybe that tells something of what farm boys know about predicting the future We were able to foresee the rise of tractor power and the demise of horsepower. That happened during my youth and those of us who spent some time following a team of horses and then got to drive a tractor knew that horses were on the way out. But they weren’t dead yet And while the farmers of the future argued the merits of green and red tractors, the older generation was still trying to decide whether a horse was a better worker than a mule. Believe me, that was a hot topic in the Missouri Ozarks prior to World War 11. It’s an issue that to my knowledge was never really settled. For every good reason one 155 pto hp 1370 135 121 YOU TOO CAN BE A SATISFIED CASE OWNER ITTSBURi Cutting width 8 ft 8”, 20” Blades $1516 Cutting width 9ft 10" 20” Blades $1596 (3) Cutting width 10 ft, 24” Blades, wt over Cutting width 11 ft 20" Blades 51842 2t0n53600 <IAVY DUTY_46O SERIES ATHENS FLEXIBLE ROCK TRANSPORT (2) Cutting width 10 ft” 3" 22" Blades $2075 Cutting width 9ft 6" 24" Blades $2840 CASE TRANSPORT Cutting width 12 ft 24" Blades $3900 Cutting width 12 ft 20" Blades, Heavy Duty $2900 CULTIMULCHERS Several sizes in stock McCurdy gravity bins MODEL 230 & 275 BINS WITH OR WITHOUT RUNNING GEARS AVAILABLE FOR RENT 7 OR 9 SHANK SOIL SAVER WITH OR WITHOUT TRACTOR farmer had to work mules, another had even better reasons in favor of horses. Curt Williams was perhaps the only farmer in our neighborhood in a position to decide such an important question. You see, he kept both horses and mules and was known to work them side by side, borne of the oddest-lookmg hitches ever seen were put together by old Curt each Spring He was a mule trader by profession-that is he bought and sold mules and some horses for a living. His farming was done to provide feed for the mules and to give them some work. So on the first warm day of March when the ground was finally dry enough to plow, Curt | I'iTo DISK HARROW CITY CHISEL PLOWS It was a high risk business to say the least-there’s nothing wilder than a three year-old mule that has never even seen a set of harness. So the mule would be cross tied m the barn hallway and the harness lowered gently in place from a large hole in the loft floor. Than, if all went well it would be fastened in place through some careful maneuvering. If all didn’t go well, the mule would be virtually hog-tied and after much struggling CASE OFFSET SOIL SAVERS SUPPLY LIMITED GOING FAST HEAVY DUTY PORTABLE ELEVATORS BY SPEED KING 36 ft Set up Ready To Go With Heavy Duty No 62 Chain And Shovel Hopper I Set Up Yoursell and Save itO 00 PLACE YOUR ORDER NOW Lancaster Farming, Saturday, November 5,1977- could be found breaking young mules to work. His favorite technique was to put one wild, unbroken mule between two large, predictable draft horses. The three of them would than be hitched to a sulky plow. FIELD CULTIVATORS FOB OUR LOT OTHER SIZES AVAILABLE 31 ft. to 41 ft. and cursing would be har nessed anyway. Once secured between two big horses and anchored to a heavy plow, there wasn’t much chance of a runaway The mule would usually lunge forward and then lay back until he figured out the plan. By the end of the day he’d be doing his share. With luck Curt could get all of his mules broken to harness and his ground tilled at the same tune Then he would start pairing up the good ones matchmg them as to size, color, characteristics and work habits, and begin look ing for buyers. While most farmers in that neighborhood clung steadfastly to the merits of i (Continued on Page 3g) Case 580 C Backhoe Loader, canopy Case 2870, 4 wheel drive, cab. air, heat, PTO shaft, power shift trans Case 2670 4 wheel drive cab, air, heat, PTO shaft, power shut transmission Case 2470 4 wheel drive, cab, air, heater, PTO shaft, power shift transmission Case 1570, cab, air, heat Case 1370 power shift trans, cab, air, heat Case 1175, w-cab, air & heat Case 1070 canopy, 8 speed Case 970 w cab & heater Case 970, no cab, power shift Case 1410 Hydra Shift trans, 80 HP Case 995 Syncromesh Case 990 Syncromesh Diesel Case 885 Diesel Waiver of Finance on New and Used Tractors and New Case Tillage Equipment Till March 1,1978 Tire Case 1030 Comfort King diesel Tractor Case 200 w/loader IH 2000 D Truck TractorJ Huber 10 ton Roller i Case 6808 Backhoe Loader ' NEW GEHLSNAPPER HEAD FOR 600 OR 800 FOR HIGH MOISTURE CORN Gehl Model #’s 95 & 120 Grinder Mixers Gehl Heavy Duty Manure Spreader I GEHL ROUND BALERS | Genl Running Gears, all sizes GEHL FLAIL CHOPPER MODEL FC72, IDEAL FOR CHOPPING CORNSTALKS OWATONNAI7OO SKID LOADER W/2BUCKETS NEW IDEA 200 BUSHEL MANURE SPREADER (like new) BUSH HOG ROTARY CUTTERS NOTICE Moving West? 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