Elm Fork Echoes, Volume 26, May 1998 Page: 23
This periodical is part of the collection entitled: Elm Fork Echoes and was provided to The Portal to Texas History by the Carrollton Public Library.
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FARMING-GRAIN-HARVEST
by Darrell Myers
1906-1985
Much grain was raised in the local farm community. Harvest
usually began around June 1st. Binders were used to cut the
grain and tie stalks of grain in bundles some one foot in
diameter. Usually the shockers would start after five
rounds of the binder which would discharge the bundles in a
fairly straight row. Shocks were made by standing bundles
upright with head of grain up. Two bundles were leaned
against each other and then others stacked around them to
make a shock some six or seven feet in diameter. Three to
four bundles would be laid on sides on top of shock to "cap"
the shock or to shed water off the side.
GRAIN THRESHING
Around July 1st threshing of grain would begin. F. M. Good
(Uncle Bud) was the most impressive in my mind. Most of the
"smart" jobs were handled by his sons, Clarence, Rex,
Marion, and Allen (Sally). Rex was mostly responsible for
scheduling the routes for the thresher. Marion had charge
of the separator and Sallie was the engineer assisted by
Clarence who also attended to procuring coal and water for
the steam engine.
Each farmer was supposed to have enough coal on location to
thresh his crop and supply enough to take the equipment to
the next client. The distance from the steam engine to the
separator was about 75 to 100 feet and a long drive belt
connecting the two machines. This belt would be crossed and
when the separator was loaded pretty heavy they would flop
and slap against the part of belt moving to and from the
operator.
There were about three or four separate crews to follow the
threshing--the bundle wagon and pitcher, the grain haulers
and water and fuel crews. I guess it could be said the cook
shack was another crew. After the thresher was on location
the wheels of the separator set in holes in the ground to
prevent being pulled toward the engine by the belt threshing
would begin.
When all the grain in a field had been loaded on the bundle
wagon these crews would start to the next location to have a
supply of bundles ready when the thresher arrived. The
separator was pulled from one location to the next by the
steam engine. This engine had drive wheels on the rear some
6' in diameter with lugs protruding from their surface for23
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Peters Colony Historical Society of Dallas County, Texas. Elm Fork Echoes, Volume 26, May 1998, periodical, May 1998; Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth760602/m1/25/?q=%22%22~1: accessed August 15, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Carrollton Public Library.