Wheat Harvest: Then and Now

by Michele Boy | July 3, 2024

No cab, wheat chaff flying in your face, and hot temperatures, were all the norm back in the 1960s. 
One local farmer mentioned, “It was pretty miserable when a back wind came up and blew the chaff on you. We did have umbrellas sometimes to help with the hot sun.”
You would likely cut 50 to 80 acres a day with a 12-14 foot platform. The grain bin held 55 bushels of wheat, and your truck would haul 250 to 300 bushels. 
Today, platforms are up to 50 feet. A combine today can generally cut 250 acres a day, the bin holding 450 bushels, all from the comfort of an enclosed, air conditioned cab. 
As wheat harvest in Hamilton County winds down, I thought it would be cool to get some memories of the old days. 
Local harvester Jack Roberts operated an Allis Chalmers G combine in the 1960s. The Model G had a five-gallon fuel tank, and the bin held 100 bushels. “We had two trucks to haul the wheat to the elevator and each held about 300 bushels.”
Roberts harvested wheat for Bobby Jack Spencer for many years and on a good day Roberts said they could harvest about 80 acres
Terry Boy remembers, “When the sun went down, it was harder to see but it was so much cooler. It was relatively pleasant.”
John Simon remembers the tough times too but also the good. He said, “One of my best memories were cutting on July 4th. At 9 or 10 o’clock, we could see the fireworks from Syracuse, Tribune, and Holly going off.”
He remembers cutting with his dad, Cletus Simon, along with Joe Durler, and John Lampe - Bob and Jerry’s dad. 
“We didn’t get packed lunches. Mom (Bert) would bring meals out at noon and supper for all of us to eat. We were well fed.”
He remembers the hot sun and the blowing wheat chaff that filled your eyes. 
“Lyle Baker used to have an insurance place here. When we cut for his folks, his mom felt so bad for us kids, she would bring us lemonade and cookies.”
Simon said, “I think it’s an experience all kids should have. Makes them appreciate the things they can take for granted.”
From the 2021 Syracuse Journal series So God Made A Farmer, Dennis (Den) Gould harvested with his uncle A.J Gould. Den began working for his uncle in his early teen years and he remembers struggling with a John Deere 12’ cut, 5 A pull combine. “Pappy Urton, Buddy Urton’s dad, and I were running the combine and it was worn out!”
Explaining the process Den said every once in awhile the engine would quit, and when it died, he would jump out, pull the hitch pin on the combine, turn the tractor around, and while he was doing that, Pappy would throw the big flat belt off the combine. Den would then back up and the two would belt the combine up, which meant putting the belt, which was on the combine, to the tractor to start it. They would get it started, and Pappy would roll the belt back up while Den turned the tractor around, put the hitch pin back in, and off they would go.