Back in Time - Sickle Bar Mower
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| cutting alfalfa with a sickle bar mower early 1960s |
Before my brother purchased a windrow (aka a swather), he and my Dad cut hay with a sickle bar mower behind the John Deere B. The mower cut the alfalfa about four inches from the ground and it fell flat. Before the hay could be baled, it had to be raked. I don't have a photo of a rake, but it is pulled behind the tractor and off to the side over the cut alfalfa. It has long, thin teeth that fluff the cut alfalfa into windrows
The sickle bar mower was not put into permanent retirement as it was often used to cut weeds along the ditches in the fields.
No matter if it's cut with an old fashioned sickle bar mower or a fancy windrower, the alfalfa smells wonderful right after it is cut. It's even better smelling that freshly plowed soil.
Yes indeed the smell is wonderful......
ReplyDeleteWe had alfalfa fields around us where I grew up. I still remember the smell!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great photo!! I mowed and raked a LOT of hay early in my marriage, when we were farming. Really is was more of a small ranch, because the limited amount of row crops all went to livestock feeding. But we spent all of the warm months putting up hay. For a "town kid" it was sure a new skill for me! That freshly mown hay smelled so good even though it triggered my allergies.
ReplyDeleteI'll bet Gang-Gang (Fletcher's grandfather) used one of those on his farm!
ReplyDeleteIt's been interesting watching the comings and goings on the few little farms we have left here. There are lots of big machines showing up and slow moving vehicles to get stuck behind right now as they prepare their fields. I am reading Farmer Boy at the moment and can relate to all this spring activity.
ReplyDeleteI enjoy these pictures. Thank you for posting.
ReplyDeleteFarm smells are the best! i miss the barn smells
ReplyDeleteThis is so far out of my experience. We always lived by an ocean both Pacific and Atlantic. No farmers in our family back two or three generations.
ReplyDeleteI do miss the plowing, sowing, growing of the fields around our farm in NY....
ReplyDeletea very nice glimpse of yesteryear!
Yes and these mowers could be dangerous too...for Fawns hiding in a field or stupids dogs...:(
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