Sunday, March 1, 2009

The John Deere Tractor

This is the 1934 John Deere tractor my dad used all the days of his life on this farm. This is the tractor I remember driving from the old house to here. My dad showed me how to stop it, you just pulled the lever back, but he didn't show me how to slow it down. He remembers following me in the truck and watching me turn the tractor into the driveway. The tractor tipped sideways and I made the turn on two wheels. You start the engine by turning the fly wheel by hand. I remember it took many tries and occasionally my father's leather glove would get caught in the wheel. That is why it was always parked on the hill. It was easier to start by rolling it down hill with the lever pulled back and as soon as the engine spat out a couple of chug chug-a-lugs and putt putt-a-putts you push the lever forward to engage the gears.
Posted by Picasa

2 comments:

  1. Mother, you were a brave little girl. I would have been scared to death to drive that thing. =)

    ReplyDelete
  2. I wasn't brave, I was ignorant. I trusted my father and had no idea of the danger. Even when I took the corner on two wheels, I wasn't afraid. My father was afraid, but since nothing happened, I never knew of the danger, and my father never told me about how horrified he was until much later when I was an adult.

    ReplyDelete