C2-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, Fabruary 9,1985 Agricultural competition at rural gatherings is a tradition. And over the years it has taken some very unusual forms. There are the traditional horse races, tractor pulls, hoeing contests, corn husking and cow milkings. Add to that the more unusual cow chip throwing, Bessie bingo, water melon seed spitting, and on down the list of interesting, exciting, ridiculous agricultural contests. But today’s story beats them all - a demolition derby for farm combines. That’s right, one was held this summer at the Kansas State Fair and it was a sell out. Ten thousand people packed the McCracken’s Feed Mill Holds Dairy Seminar in Manheim PROGRAM Water Quality - A Problem or a Solution Managing Reproductive Herd Health Problems R. David Smith Associate Professor of Animal Science and Department Extension Leader, Cornell University Zin Pro - “What This Product Means To Your Herd Health.” Dr. LaVeme Schugel Vice President Research & Technical Services Zin Pro Corporation Products & Services to Help Meet Your Dairy Herd’s Requirements J. Nevin Gish McCracken’s Feed Mill, Inc. February 19,1985 10:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Enck’s Baron Stiegel Restaurant, Manheim, Pa. For reservations for meeting and dinner, please call McCracken’s Feed Mill, Inc. 717-665-2186 Farm Talk Jerry Webb grandstand to watch those mon strous grain harvesters ram into each other. If you’ve ever been to an automobile demolition derby - 1 went to one - then you know the ground rules. A bunch of vehicles are trapped in an arena before a screaming, blood thirsty crowd. The object is to bang into other cars and knock them out of com mission without suffering any fatal damage yourself. The typical demolition derby is. a gathering of twenty or thirty old clunkers able to run with a value of no more than (200 dollars each. The participants are Richard C. Croyle, Ph.D, Bio Metrics Laboratory required to remove the glass and .make certain other safety alterations. In competition they usually drive backwards so as not to mess up their motors. The most skilled or perhaps the luckiest avoids any kind of a hit that puts him out of action while in turn causing great damage to other vehicles. This sport is considered great fun by many and draws huge crowds at the Delaware State Fair and other gatherings. But imagine if you will, ten or twenty combines. Those gigantic multi-thousand dollar machines that are used to harvest com and soybeans here on the Delmarva peninsula. Obviously, in Kansas they would have lots of combines and they would surely know how to operate them. And although my information doesn’t says so I also assume the competition was limited to old worn out and otherwise outdated machines that were no longer suitable for field operations. Agricultural clunkers if you will. Having never seen such a mess, I can only imagine the mayhem that would be caused by an arena full of roaring combines and crazed farmers doing their best to destroy $5O U.S.A. GRAIN FARMERS $50.00 DISCOUNT $5O WITH THIS AD (COUPON) u WHY BUY BELARUS SELL-A-BRATI • Real “fuel misers” • Long engine life • Rugged workpower ** Exclusive 4-WD on 57, 70 and 85 hp models • Life-time oil filter • Low maintenance cost • Easy to work oh • Excellent parts/servioe , support-second tonone Stop in for a test drive When you get the feel of Belarus power and the Birthday Sel-a bration price you'll sellyourself ROVENDALE SUPPLY 7W Exit 31, Rt. 1-80 to 180 (Old Et. 147) Made by purchasers % to Watsontown Exit (You Are There!) Mto F: 8-8 S: 9-5 of millions of tons _ of U S farmers grain Ph. (717) 538-5521 or 742-7521 TOLL FREE 1 (800 ) 232-DAD jfi *4 i/M * Belarus tractors were introduced to the U S farm market in the Fall of 1974 Some owners are reporting ' \ V* > upwards of 10 000 hours on their Belarus diesel engine without an overhaul m=m COMPLETE SYSTEMS. EQUIPMENT, SALES. INSTALLATION, SERVICE FOR CATTLE. HOG. POULTRY AND GRAIN RD 4, East FamersvlUe Rd Ephrata, PA 17522 (Lancaster County) sat. 7;3 q lO :3 q (717)354-6520 (Parts Only) the other guy’s machine. Of course, speeds would be reduced considerably from the automotive type demolition derbies but the power and the ability to keep going would be awesome with large tractor size tires and motors mounted way up high as they are on combines. It might take quite a blow to disable one. But that’s the object. The last one still able to maneuver around the arena was declared the winner. And ten thousand spectators, their hearts pounding wildly went home to wait till next year’s combine demolition derby. Only in Kansas you §ay? Don’t bet on it. Offer some prize money and the proper arena and you can be sure Delmarva combines would be there to complete. What a natural for the Delaware State Fair. An agricultural contest with the drawing power of a tractor null YOU CAN SAVE $l5O to $5OOO BUTLER, JAMESWAY, BERG, FARMWAY, FIBERDOME, BIG A PARTS Warns against Power Failure, Fan Failure, Fire, Theft, Critical Temperatures, etc. All solid state Easy to Install AGR»“ /fW\\ I IVeanOf) I \ yervlcj/ J{ [y\9ss T< FOR TOTAL SWINE OR POULTRY UNITS! Protect your Investment at Low Cost EQUIPMENT,<NC. but without the tremendous e*. : pense. There are plenty of old combines setting out behind barns and otherwise rusting away that could be awakened for one last try. Many of those old machines run, they just don’t pick corn very well Otherwise they are worth only a few bucks for scrap metal and< spare parts. And even after the competition is over there ij probably still some salvage value in terms of tires, motors, belts, pulleys and other usable parts. My enthusiasm for automotive demolition derbies lasted about an hour and maybe I would feel the same way about a combine demolition derby. But I’ll bet if one were held at the Delaware State Fair or some other rural gathering, it would draw a large and appreciative crowd. At least once. LL-A-BRATION PRICES YOUR NET CASH PRICES Price Before CASH HP Rebite PRICE Model 250 29 $6,999 SS,IN Model 420*’ 57 $14,061 $11,268 Model 500 70 $13,200 $B,OOO Model 611 60 $15,727 $12,385 Model 800 85 $16,635 $12,995 Model 820** 85 $19,596 $15,200 Model 1500 C” 165 $42,985 s3s, 985 Engine 29 Ideal for Skid 1-oader $2,395 New, Improved!
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers