92—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, May 6,1978
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By JERRY WEBB - seed, no fertilizer, and no check wire, just planter, horses
University of Delaware and Johnny back and forth across that long field. Each
NEWARK, Del. - Two big black horses stepped briskly horse did his best to forget everything he had learned
out of the darkened hallway of the bam and into the crisp during 15 years of productive farm work while the tough
sunshine of a warm Spring day. Their harness jingled and talking little man yelled and cursed and slapped their
creaked as they were led down the lane toward the freshly rumps with the loose ends of the lines,
tilled earth that spread northward from the gate. A half hour of this training program was enough to bring
Two small boys and an old man assembled silently Prince and Fred back to the reality that they were draft
under a locust tree to watch the ritual that was about to horses pulling a com planter in the north 30 instead of wild
take place - the oak tree leaves had achieved their proper beasts engaged in a chariot race,
size; it was now time for Johnny Newton to plant com. Puffing and sweating, horses and driver paused at the
Although the neighbors scoffed and some suggested he end of toe field for a breather. While toe team stood
was a little strange, Johny always planted com with silently, Johnny filled toe planter hoppers pausing only
horses - long after tractors were used for most other jobs long enough in his swearing to drink water from an old
around toe farm. Whether it was his love of horses or fear wooden keg hidden under a wet tow sack in the weeds
of breaking completely with the past that saved those old along the fence row.
nags from toe glue factory wasn’t clear. The moment of truth had once again arrived for this
Technology had obviously passed them by, and yet locally famous trio. The time when seeds shoved into the
there they were, two big black Percherons standing on ground would eventually describe the path followed by
either side of a com planter tongue waiting impatiently to those headstrong old horses. Johnny’s reputation of
go to work. planting toe straightest com rows of any farmer in that
To say Johnny Newton loved horses would have been a part of toe county was on toe line,
gross exaggeration on that warm Spring day. For Today’s farmer may not see straight com rows as any
although they were well cared for, fat and sleek and big deal. But back then they were important Not only
properly shod, toe language abuse he heaped on them was were they toe hallmark of a good farmer, but they were
dreadful. Words never before heard and long- necessary to subsequent cultivation. Without weed control
remembered by small boys were used as toe rough little chemicals, com had to be cultivated several tones,
teamster made ready for toe job at hand. Farmers check-rowed their com in equa-distant hills that
Moving to hook up neck yokes and traces, he laid out toe permitted'cultivating both toe length and width of a field.
plan for toe day to toe horses. How they were going to Johnny Newton dung to check-rowed com as he did to
plant that field with no fooling around into straight rows horse planters long after other farmers changed. They
that could be followed by a half-awake farmhand on a changed, he said, because they were lazy and couldn’t
tractor-driven cultivator. plant straight rows anyway. At that time there wasn’t
Although Johnny explained his position very carefully much evidence to show that more plants per acre with
and in toe strongest possible language, he never really drilled planting was any better than check-rowing. And
trusted those old ngas. Through long association, he had there was no doubt that com that could be cultivated both
learned that those fat and sassy hay burners would do ways had fewer weeds. Not only did the plants produce
everything but run away during toe first few minutes m bigger, better ears, but toe fields looked better and that
toe field. was important.
So toe crafty old fanner made a few practice runs. No This system of planting required a check wire - a wire
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Johnny always planted with horses
Johnny Newton clung to check-rowed com as he did to horse planters long after other farmers
changed. They changed, he said, because they were lazy and couldn’t plant straight rows anyway
that stretched the length ot the field and was held in
position by a metal stake at each end. Every so many
inches along the wire was a knot. When attached to the
planter, those knots tripped a device that caused the
planter to drop seeds in evenly spaced hills.
With a loud and final warning, Johnny attached the
check wire to the planter and started the serious business
of planting com. As expected, those worrisome old nags
did their job perfectly. Displaying an unexplained sense of
direction and with little more attention from their mentor,
they followed an almost invisible trail in the soft ground
made by the planter on its previous pass. That trail left by
an arm of the planter that swung down on either side
stayed right under the tongue, thus assuring straight,
evenly spaced com rows.
A few days later, com planting was done. The old horses
went back to pasture to wait another year for meaningful
work, and their leader went on to other chores.
Johnny Newton never did plant com with a tractor. Age
and an old war injury caught up with him a few years
later, ending an annual ritual - more than a ritual, it was
an event, something people gathered to watch.
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reach the North Pole, arriving there in April, 1909.
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