Robert J Kountz
Member
Hello, Can someone please explain how the farmers used Cross check planting many years ago? I have heard of it but am not sure how it was done and is it still used today?
Thank You.
Thank You.
- Thread starter Robert J Kountz
- Start date
Anonymous-0
Well-known Member
As I understand it, farmers had to set "check wires," which had a series of knots at a certain spacing. The wires were lined up with fingers on the planter, and every time the planter encountered a knot in the wire, the fingers would "trip" and deposit a seed. It led to very uniform row spacing, as the check wires were re-used on the next set of rows...but as I understand it, the process was very time-consuming, as the check wires had to be repositioned as you moved through the field.
At least that's how my dad explained the process to me. I've never seen it actually used around here.
At least that's how my dad explained the process to me. I've never seen it actually used around here.
Goose
Well-known Member
I agree. There is still some of the wire in an old grainery on our farm. I have very vague recollections of it, so the practice must have died out around 1930.
The advantage was the rows were straight which ever way you looked. You could cultivate any direction, the long way, crossways, or at a angle. It was great for weed control, but hugely time consuming.
The advantage was the rows were straight which ever way you looked. You could cultivate any direction, the long way, crossways, or at a angle. It was great for weed control, but hugely time consuming.
Robert J Kountz
Member
I can see how it was so time consuming...
omahagreg
Well-known Member
At the Albert City Iowa show last year they gave a demonstration-I had only heard of it too-I thought it was good! I did take some pictures. You would first stake the wire on one side, drive to the other not planting.
Then you would set the second stake and start planting. I always thought you would move BOTH stakes on each round, but you would just move the one, and let the wire stretch the 40" you were off on the other end-makes alot more sense than having to move both stakes each round!
Then you would set the second stake and start planting. I always thought you would move BOTH stakes on each round, but you would just move the one, and let the wire stretch the 40" you were off on the other end-makes alot more sense than having to move both stakes each round!
fixerupper
Well-known Member
Greg, three years ago I rode the planter and set the stakes for the corn we planted in the spring at the Albert City show. Did a miserable job setting the stakes until some old timer came along and set me right. If the stakes aren't set in the right place every time the rows will be crooked cross-ways and diagonally. It's an art that's lost to us young 60-year-olds. Jim
gtx1967jewison
Well-known Member
around here its called check-wire planting, & they used 3 guys. two
to run the stakes & move them each round, & one to drive the
planter non-stop. they had several wires strung out to keep ahead
of the planter then just kept moving them over.
to run the stakes & move them each round, & one to drive the
planter non-stop. they had several wires strung out to keep ahead
of the planter then just kept moving them over.
gtx1967jewison
Well-known Member
nowadays this could be done with GPS to within an inch or so & would be wonderful for the organic guys. there MAY even be some organic guys doing it this way but now they populate the fields way heavier so i doubt it.
The Dukester
Well-known Member
I never planted checked corn...was too young to do it, but my Dad did with his "team of grays" and a John Deere #999 2 row planter. I got to cultivate it with our Farmall '41 H equipped with a model 221 cultivator that had the steerable front gangs that connected to the tractor steering with a lever that stuck through the grill where that removeable panel is you see missing on a lot of Farmall H's and M's. It wasn't any fun going crossways, the tractor front went up and down,and up and down, but you could sure clean out the weeds real good. We tried to do it with the #290 John Deere tractor planter we got later on, it had the checking attatchment but it was just too much trouble getting off the tractor to reset the checkwire stakes at the ends of the rows. We hill dropped the corn (3-4 seeds in a single drop) instead and you could throw more dirt on the weeds because 3-4 corn plants in a bunch could take it without being covered up. Of course after the spraying came out we just drilled the corn like we do now because we didn't have to cultivate it when it was small.
Dad usedto plant his that way when I was still at home. First with a 2 row IH planter , and later a 4 row JD 490 I believe. We had a C and F-20 to cultivate with, and the fields were 120 rods long and about 20 rods wide. It was done so you could cultivate cross the field the second cultivation for weed control. Did not use herbicides at that time. Those long narrow fields made for a lot of turning when crossing it, expecially with the F-20 and hand lift cultivator.
My dad used that method of planting up in late 40's. now go one step further how about cultivating cross way with a two row horse drawn culivator. I have done that it had three horses pulling it there was two pedals one for each foot that was used to steer the cultavator. there was a way to adjust it so the shovel gangs would shift to compensate for big jumps in the check. It was a real art to set the wire and a good study team of horses. It was a McCormick Deering cultivator
gitrib
gitrib
Dad used a two-row IH checkwire planter until the mid 50s. I was too small to pull the wire, but did ride the planter sometimes. He drilled six end rows on one end of the field, drilled the length of the field while reeling out the wire, then drilled the six end rows on the far end. Coming back on that second pass of the length of the field, the wire was set onto the planter, and tripped every 40 inches. Each end, he had to unhook the wire, make the turn, stop and re-hook the wire. I think there was a trip rope to release the wire, otherwise you"d stop twice at each end of the field. Ten acres per day, between milkings, was a good day. Wire reel was a quarter mile long, long enough for any fields we had then. Had to tension the same each reset, to eliminate jogs in the cross rows. Used to cultivate 4-5 times, no herbicides, and cross cult was the third trip.
My dad was still checking corn when I left for the army in 1955 but when I got out it was all done. Horses until 1952. It was a good ride going cross ways and then of course you had to make sure you cultivated length ways again for last cultivation and that was another good ride, so some times you might have to turn right around as soon as you got done going cross and do it length wise due to weather.
Keith Molden
Well-known Member
Along with being good for cultivating,It was also good for cutting & shocking corn. The 4 hills on the inside of the shock were always square, that way they could be bent over to form a rest for the bundles that made up the shock. Just my thoughts, Keith
rod in nebraska
Member
I have been check planting at our local tractor show for three years now,the first time wasn't real pretty, will try and get some video this year and post it for you guys to watch. We also cultivate both ways to show how it was done.
richardinnz
Member
I have seen pictures of this in American books, always wondered how the plant spacing was done! Thanks for the info.
Briar Hill Brittanys
Well-known Member
- Location
- Near Jasper, MO
Thanks for the great info! Really liked the replys that talked about their dads doing it. I bet it was a real pain in the backside if that check wire broke. Good pictures omahagreg. Mark
we used to check plant some corn every year to pick with the antique pickers. used a 290 deere planter. it worked pretty well. we had heard of running 2 check planters on one wire. finally had a neighbor guy who provided some insite on this and we successfully used 2 290 planters on 1 wire. was quite a process but it made a beautiful check.
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