Middlebuster Planter question

JG

While I have you on the phone. Can you still get Banvel/2-4D? Do you have to be certified to use it?

Thanks,

Allan

I liked to use the Banvel/2-4D combination to hold back the broad-leaves and grasses while the corn is small and always tried to get it applied while the growing point was still below the ground (6 leaf stage).

This would give the corn a chance to outrun those weeds especially on a cold, wet spring.

Liked the Atrazine for the headlands, but had to watch the leaching....darned stuff sterilizes the ground for anything but corn for what? 3 to 7 years? Powerful stuff, that.

Allan

That was a form of listing that used to be used in dryland areas.

The corn was planted in the bottom of that furrow so that it would catch any mosture that came in the form of rain. This gave the corn a chance to get off to a decent start.

Later, when the corn was 8 to 10 inches tall, a cultivator was then used to pull those ridges back in around the plant in the normal manner.

Allan

So, when you would cultivate, the tractor tires would run on the top of the furrows and the cultivator shovels would spread the dirt around the corn stalks?

On our farm, they always seemed to be planted on the top of the furrows. I have seen in the Owner's Manuals for Middlebusters, even as far back as the Regular, they offered a lister like that. I couldn't figure out how it was used. Obviously, I am not a farmer, but my grandfather was. I have his old Farmalls, and have bought some of my own. I have several implements for my M's, but have never used them to farm with. What would I need to get started? I have 2 4-row cultivators M-448 & 455-A, a 2-row cultivator HM-250, a 3-row middlebuster HM-19, and 1.5 HM-10 middlebusters. I might have a No. 1 Tractor Disk plow, but it needs work and parts. I don't have a planter. I guess that is kinda important. Any thoughts? I also have one running M, and plan on having at least one, if not two more running in the next few years, an F-20 with a 3-row Middlebuster, and a Regular with a 2-row Middlebuster. (I guess you think I am Middlebuster-nuts?)

JG

Most of the farms I have seen down there are using furrows. Maybe some cotton on flat fields, but the sorgum and corn are on furrows. Before I 'inherited' the old farm junk, the only thing I knew about furrows was that they were a pain to walk or run across, and they are really hard to play baseball on.

I am not intending on quitting my day job and becoming a farmer. I was just thinking of getting some land and making a 'hobby' farm/garden. I also want to learn about the family heritage and the technical 'how-to' of farming.

John G.

That dry land farming is a whole 'nother kettle of fish. Thanks be to the one upstairs who makes all the rules that he protected me from that sort of thing. :>)

Those drylanders farm round and round in circles, they farm in lands, they let ground lay idle for a year. I've heard stories of them plowing with an H, or better yet, and get this, three bottoms behind an M!

They even farm on hillsides and use a crazy gizmo called a field cultivator! Go figure; I've just never understood 'em. :>)

Depends on the cultivator you have, I would suppose; if it is a belly mount or a tug-behind, yes right up on that furrow. Also, they used to have cultivators that rode clear out in front of the tractors and were steered by the tractor as well.

Me thinks it was probably easier to cultivate (or plow corn, as they used to call it) listed corn when the horses walked the ridge. :>)

Get a surface planter; life is so much easier. :>)

Allan

About the time to plant corn we would disk the field at least twice. We would then plant with a lister putting seed in the bottom of the furrow. We had two godevils. one set to throw out away from the corn and the other set to throw in. We would throw out the first time over woth the tractor wheels set in. Then harrow the ridges down. Later we would thow in putting dirt up around the plant. We would have wheels set out for this. If weeds were still comming on we would use a cultivater and go fast as possible. That way we would get most of the weeds and some of the corn. Hope ya"all can follow this. We had about 100 acres corn and 2 row equipment.

steveormary

That was exactly how it was done.

I don't remember the part about changing the wheel settings, tho.

Allan

We bought a TE-20 Ferguson new and rear mounted cultivaters for it. The rear wheels were rotated to set them in or out. In for the first cultivation with front wheels running about 4" on the outside of the corn row. Set out for later cultivations because you set cultivator shovels the same as the front tractor wheels.

Now that you are thuroly confused I will quit.

steveormary