SEGMENT: FARM EQUIPMENT, CROPS & LAND
George Howe>ISM Interviews A-L>
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- FARM EQUIPMENT
- The land was very wet. They would use a machine called a blind ditcher to dig ditches. They used an ox pulled ditcher also. When the ox driver got sick, George's dad took over.
- FARM FACILITIES
- They had fences made from planks to keep the cattle in. They also had hedge fences. Later, they used wire fences but they didn't work so well.
- CROPS
- They thought 40 bushels of corn and 30-35 bushels of oats was a good yield. If someone told them they had 60 bushels they would call him a liar. In the 1870s crop prices were high.
- LAND
- George paid $90 an acre in 1899, and it soon went to $100. Jacob Van Meeter had land north of Mansfield. The Van Meeters had a lot of land in the area. They also had a lot of children. At the time of the interview, George owned some of their land. George lists many of the families who owned land in the area.