Tax the farmer, tax his fowl;Tax the dog and tax his howl;Tax his hen and tax her egg;Let the bloomin’ mudsite beg;Tax his pig and tax his squeal;Tax his boots run down at heel;Tax his plow and tax his clothes,Tax the rags that wipe his nose;Tax his

Why do we love barns? I have no explanation for my own obsession, but I’ve found a red barn with a story more interesting than any I could have imagined. I spotted this intriguing building, a round barn, along Interstate 90 in western South Dakota, n

Volume two of John Deere’s Company covers the history of John Deere from 1928 to 1982, exploring the company’s role in the growth of the American agricultural industry, the development of new machinery and manufacturing methods, and sharing technolog

When Keith McElhinney, Morning Sun, Iowa, came across a seeder/planter at an auction, he was immediately hooked. The piece – a Midget No. 2 – was manufactured by American Fork & Hoe Co., Montrose, Iowa. Morning Sun and Montrose are only about 50 mile

The first tractor I ran was a 1936 Minneapolis-Moline Model Z. I was 6 years old when my brother (Oscar Haake Jr.) was drafted and left my dad, Oscar Haake Sr., really short of help. Dad showed me how to use the hand clutch on that Z and steering was

Use ¾ in material, solid lumber works best. Attach the sides and ends to bottom from below the wood screws. Use 1in diameter x 25-½ in closet rod (wood dowel) for a carrying handle. Attach with ⅛ in wood dowel pin and cut off the excess. I cobbled up

Growing up Amish, Matt Schwartz had limited time around farm tractors, but it was a latened interest. After completing his Amish schooling, Matt helped on the family’s farm in Bremen, Indiana. When he came of age, he began working in northern Indiana

My pappy, William Easley, purchased this 1957 Model 860 Ford tractor from George Russell Farm Equipment Co. in Columbia, Missouri, in November 1957. I have the original invoice, which lists the purchase price at $2,276. The 860 was Pappy’s main tract

Ever wonder why Webster put that bolt on the igniter movable electrode (anvil), as seen sticking out on the left of Figure 1? Why didn’t Webster put a bump on the casting or the push-finger (hammer) seen in Figure 2? The bolt is seemingly too long if

The gas engine’s humble beginnings date back to 12th-century China when the cannon was invented. Already having produced gunpowder, a weapon was not a surprising use of their new explosive. The cannon worked well and was built in many sizes and confi

Mike Thorne is a name known to many, many tractor enthusiasts, particularly those whose primary interest is in Ferguson and Massey Ferguson models, as Mike has assembled an almost unrivaled collection of the tractors of both marques. But before he de

While visiting Idaho on vacation in 2000, my brothers, Claude and Clell, and I went camping for a few days. We headed about 35 miles north of our hometown up to a small mountain lake near an old mining claim above 9,000 feet in the Sawtooth Mountains

When he was a youngster, Carl Wagner enjoyed tagging along with his dad to antique tractor shows, swap meets and farm auctions. Because old wrenches were within his price range, he started buying them. Then he graduated to cast iron seats. “Twelve ye

This page from a 1946 Ferguson System bulletin (opposite page) shows a Ferguson transport box kind of like the one shown in the photo Lenny Cornwell sent in for the December 2023 issue of Farm Collector. However, the Ferguson box is all steel. We had

The genius of pioneer inventors can confound us. Countless contraptions that revolutionized farming in the 19th and early 20th centuries have become contemporary curiosities, or even mysteries. Here are six sent in by readers. Do you know what they a

Announcing: Apache Junction, Arizona, March 9, 2024, 9 AM to 4 PM. Rodeo Park 1590 E. Lost Dutchman Blvd. (between Idaho and Tomahawk Roads). Sponsored by Arizona Early Day Gas Engine and Tractor Association. Tractor parade and pull. Antique gas engi

Humanity can be divided into two categories: The “I wish I had” people and the “Let’s get on with it” people. Allen Becker of Boerne, Texas, is one of the resourceful people in the second category. Back in the 1960s, Allen had a good job with a major

Thomas Wiard, his wife and family settled in East Avon, New York (Livingston County) in 1805, where they eventually raised 12 children. Four of the couple’s sons became involved in the manufacture of land plows. Thomas’ third son, Mathew (born in 181

THE ZIMMERMANS ARE OUR FEATURED ARTISTS FOR MARCH! Nathan Zimmerman, 13; Walter Zimmerman, 11; and Janette Zimmerman, 7, the children of Curvin M. and Lowella Zimmerman, Barnett, Mo., are this month’s featured artists. Each will receive a Farm Collec

The iconic British-built Field Marshall tractors have a history that goes back to the 1840s when William Marshall bought an old engineering works in Gainsborough, England. Marshall named the site the Britannia Ironworks and began producing road-going

From start to finish, Peter Rooke’s revised, easy-to-follow narrative will impress and educate both new and experienced hobbyists with exhaustive coverage of the process. In 112 pages, Rooke meticulously leads you through stripping and rebuilding eac

Otis Gagnon is a tinkerer. He has worked as a career mechanic and machinist, but now, as a retiree, he enjoys working in his shop, restoring the tools and equipment that made this country so productive over the centuries. A walk through his workplace

The genius of pioneer inventors can confound us. Countless contraptions that revolutionized farming in the 19th and early 20th centuries have become contemporary curiosities, or even mysteries. Here are six sent in by readers. Do you know what they a