April18_2008

Botanical Glossary - Home - References Cited

This heritage barn was built c.1900 and is one of the last surviving barns of its kind. Constructed from unmilled lumber, the Pole Barn features a midstrey canopy that allowed a fully loaded hay wagon to be driven through. The barn stored hay, machinery and originally housed six draught horses, one bull, one sow and four to six dairy cows. It is now home to a display of antique agricultural tools.

Photos - L-R - The Pole Barn about 50 yards to the east of the Stewart Farmhouse, looking east at the roof overhang with the antique agricultural tools.

The Hayloader: Prior to mechanization pitchforks were used in a back breaking effort to heave loose hay onto wagons for transportation to the barn. This turn-of-the-century invention called a Hay Loader, picked up loose hay directly from the windrows and hoisted it up the ladder under rotating wooden slates and rake bars. As the loader moved forward, the loose hay filled the wagon.

A Manure Spreader: The Manure spreader came factory equipped with a Pulling Tongue for tractor or horse - the wagon body was filled with cow or horse manure and spread with a screw assembly out the rear end into evenly distributed rows placed on top of furrows where seeds had been planted.

Photos - L-R - Partially hidden behind a Reaper Binder is a horse drawn Deering Harrow Force Feed. This machine cut a groove into the earth and sent seeds down a tube at various intervals as it passed over the field.

A Horse Mower: This was a riding machine with a cutting bar, raised or lowered by a hand lever from a spring mounted driving seat. A foot pedal put the machine in or out of gear. Hay was cut by the sliding action of the blade on the bar. The mower worked quickly, replacing tedious hand scythes, but needed more maintenance that any other farm implement. Even a good sharp blade was dulled after several hours use and had to be taken off the bar or sharpened in place with a whetstone or hand files.

A Single Plow: Was pulled behind a horse and operated by one person following the plow on foot. Some plows were multi functional blades that could be changed with unscrewing a few bolts and securing a single furrow unit or multi bladed units to score the earth like a tiller.

Photos - L-R - Several Single Wheel Seeders that could hold dozens of seeds in the container above the wheel. Seeds were released by a gear system that would open a gate every revolution of the wheel, or by a trigger assembly on the handle of the planter.

Standing in the northeastern section of the Stewart Farm, looking east at the Elgin Historic Site and Nicomekl River.

A detail view of the horse drawn Deering Harrow Force Feed showing the harrow discs used to turn the earth and the spring loaded seed release that would drop seeds down into the furrow produced buy the discs.

Click here for more photos of The Historic Stewart Farm for this day.