Tractor Thread

[MurphOnMillerAve]

Speaking of tractors, on a TV program, "The Whole Truth," hosted by David Eisenhower, when they discussed macro-economics, a representative of the Stephen Moore Foundation stated that in 1900, 30 out of 100 men worked on a farm; Now, that number has changed to 3 out of 100, due to the invention and utilization of tractors. Interesting.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Speaking of tractors, on a TV program, "The Whole Truth," hosted by David Eisenhower, when they discussed macro-economics, a representative of the Stephen Moore Foundation stated that in 1900, 30 out of 100 men worked on a farm; Now, that number has changed to 3 out of 100, due to the invention and utilization of tractors. Interesting.

I doubt that is 100% due to the invention of tractors. Economics tends to be a multivariable. 100+ years ago this was a far more direct agrarian based country. I'd also be interested in the numbers of horse driven / based farming in the US over time.

[webenda]

Horses eat the crops.

Taking into account the annual feeds for work horses (1,300 kg of corn grain, 1,600 kg of alfalfa and 500 kg of harvested roughage) and the national yields for these crops during the past decade, 23 million horses required for modern farms would require 9 million hectare of agricultural land for food, or 6 percent of US cropland. To "feed" the tractors with crops, 7.4 million hectares of agricultural land is needed, or 5 percent of cropland, which makes tractors slightly more efficient than horses.

[robert.]

In the 1900's 30 out of 100 men may have owned a farm

[Tom Dempsey]

Speaking of tractors, on a TV program, "The Whole Truth," hosted by David Eisenhower, when they discussed macro-economics, a representative of the Stephen Moore Foundation stated that in 1900, 30 out of 100 men worked on a farm; Now, that number has changed to 3 out of 100, due to the invention and utilization of tractors. Interesting.

Seems a bit simplistic to me Murph, while I agree that mechanization vastly increased individual productivity, crop yields have also increased due to other factors as well, i.e., better seeds and fertilizers, more intensive farming methods, etc.

[MurphOnMillerAve]

Speaking of tractors, on a TV program, "The Whole Truth," hosted by David Eisenhower, when they discussed macro-economics, a representative of the Stephen Moore Foundation stated that in 1900, 30 out of 100 men worked on a farm; Now, that number has changed to 3 out of 100, due to the invention and utilization of tractors. Interesting.

Seems a bit simplistic to me Murph, while I agree that mechanization vastly increased individual productivity, crop yields have also increased due to other factors as well, i.e., better seeds and fertilizers, more intensive farming methods, etc.

I would imagine you are correct, Tom, and that what Wayne and Rufus added to the perspective are parts of the whole story, too. That is why I gave the credits I listed for that show I was watching, but kept track of for only a little while. I took those brief notes I wrote above so that I could post what information I could gather and hoped it might become the subject of further consideration here. Thank you for your input.

Also, given Mitch and Pete's (the Dirt) interests in tractors, and having gone to meet them at two Pennsylvania "Tractor-pulls," I thought such statistics would be interesting for them to see, too.

For anybody who has been on MTJ for a while, you can well surmise and understand who sent me these photos.

Last night, I listened to Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto#2, and while immersed, the top and bottom three photos came into my mind, as places where winds could be felt and experienced, as spoken of by the Concerto (in my interpretation).

[healey36]

That's a great picture, Murph...brings back memories of days long gone.



South-central PA / north-central MD is a pretty nice region.

Healey

[Mitch]

For anybody who has been on MTJ for a while, you can well surmise and understand who sent me these photos.

And how is Pete, Murph? Did you have these pics saved or did he recently send them to ya? I've sent him a couple of e-mails and he eventually answered them, but now we've been out of touch for more than a year.

[MurphOnMillerAve]

For anybody who has been on MTJ for a while, you can well surmise and understand who sent me these photos.

And how is Pete, Murph? Did you have these pics saved or did he recently send them to ya? I've sent him a couple of e-mails and he eventually answered them, but now we've been out of touch for more than a year.

That's about how long it's been since I have tried to contact him. The photos are from a couple years ago, when Hev was still with us, Mitch.

[HONDO74]

Ran across a couple of tractor videos that some might find interesting.

Young girls driving tractors in competition. The first one is a very young one that's driving a big John Deere. She is really intent on what she is doing and getting the hang of it.

LITTLE Girl drives BIG Tractor in COMPETITION @ Middlecreek
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ExIZL-njonA

This one is older and she really knows what she is doing

Young lady pulls an IH International 1066 Blackstripe Tractor
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfNVxhhFDtA

[sleepmac]

Hondo, loved those videos. That was one determined little girl in the first video, and one proud papa besides! The second one showed Red Power at it's finest, as that is what I was raised on. It's been several years since I was at a tractor pull. I don't go if it is only trucks pulling. LOL

Dan Weinhold
Lancaster, PA

[The Dirt]

"He told her ... about the times that he and his father used to ride in the hills north of San Angelo and about his grandfather and the ranch and the Comanche trail that ran through the western sections and how he would ride that trail in the moonlight in the fall of the year when he was a boy and the ghosts of the Comanches would pass all about him on their way to the other world again and again for a thing once set in motion has no ending in this world until the last witness has passed."

James "Hev" Burkholder
June 3, 1952 - July 29, 2013

(Cormac McCarthy Cities of the Plain)

[Mitch]

Amen, Pete!

I was thinkin' we might hear from you on this day, (providin' you were still alive). Don't be a stranger, man! My e-mail address is still in my profile. Take care!

[rogruth]

Pete,
Miss you guys.

[MurphOnMillerAve]

Pete,
Miss you guys.

I do, too, Roger.

There was something about those couple of Tractor Pulls I went to that has stuck solid with me since then. There was a definite peacefulness. Calm. Excitement. Deep camaraderie. Everybody seemed happy and very, very glad to be together. I don't think I imagined all that, but it was a world that had been totally unknown to me, and I can assure you, I have been glad, ever since, that I took advantage of the invitations from Pete and Hev to attend. Who knew such moments would be gone.